Easiest animal to raise

What do think is easiest to raise? Chicken? Sheep? Cows? I don't necessarily mean the cheapest, although that will obviously factor in, but more time investment and simplicity.

 

I agree with the above post. Although I would pick rabbits over chickens. It is easier to build a hutch than a coop. And if it is a meat source you are after, as long as you purchase a male and a female, you will have plenty.

 

I would say quail. They are very easy. But as far as something more traditional, I would say chickens are the easiest to take care of. They do have to have fairly complicated housing, and predators are always a threat. But I would rather take care of a chicken, than a cow.

 

Probbaly dogs, but I guess you're after an animal that will actually provide food or resources. In this regard I agree with previous posts, chickens and rabbits are your choice. Cows are great source of food (unless you have allergy to milk), but they're more xpensive to buy and breed slowsly, so without access to vet, you are in serious risk of losing your stock due to an illness or labor complications.

 

I will take any of the 2 - chickens or goats. Given ample roaming space like a 1,000 square meter land, chickens and goats can go on their own free will to find their own food. That means you need not bother to feed them. However, goats are somewhat destructive so the grazing area should not have any garden plants for goats will eat them. And as long as you give them water to drink, even once a day, those animals will thrive.

Native chickens here are slow growers but there are imported chickens that grow to maturity in 5 months, ready for butchering, and at 6 months of age, the hens can give you eggs. With the goats, they grow fast as long as there is food, can grow to full size in 8 months and also can get pregnant. There are goats that give birth to 2 kids in one time and sometimes even 3. Goat breeders say that a prolific goat can give birth 5 times in 2 years. And as I said, what's good in these edible animals is the ease of raising.

 

I believe that goats are the easiest animals to rear. These animals are very resilient, they can survive on almost anything that can be eaten, they don't require a great amount of water to survive and they will roam find food and return home by themselves and survive in terrains where many domesticated animals are unable to do.

 

Pigs might also be a good choice. If there are no predators or people living near you, the pigs could be let out to roam free. They'll find food and come back home in the evening. Sure a few might stray too far but it won't be that huge a loss as long as you have numerous hogs which will provide you with lots of protein.

 

Fowls (birds) are the easiest to raise. Once they know where the food is coming from they will always come back. They will venture off but never that far. What you can try to do is raise a few puppies with the birds, so that the dogs know not to hurt them. Once the dogs get old enough, they will protect them from predators. Growing up I had a Pitbull and I raised him with a cat. They were best friends and the dog never hurt the cat when they got older. Dogs can be taught not to hurt birds you just need to train them well.

 

I think that some easy animals to breed are chickens. You don't really need to give them that much attention, and you can just let water and food sit there and they'll eat.It's really simple, and another animal that could be easy to breed would be self-sufficient animals,like pigs. You can feed them with anything really and that's it.

 

The easiest animal to raise should be the good old donkey. Not only are they hardy and strong animals, they are also disease resistant. Its hard to hear of a donkey owner looking for a vet. They also sleep in modest stables. As for the diet, donkeys would do with most types of napier and other grasses. Water is cheap and a few supplements to boost their health is all that they require. Judging by their amazing survival under neglect and abuse from cruel masters in the Third World countries, a humane breeder would find them very easy to raise.

 

Id say chicken are the easier. So many people keep them in their backgarden that it can't be too much trouble. Very few non-farmers keep sheep pigs and cows, so they are all out of the question. In fact I can't think of any other food producing animal other than chickens people do keep, unless rabbits count?

 

This sounds like a great idea! I do like birds but don't like the idea of keeping them in the house so if they can be left outside reliably then that would be ideal.

 

Hmm, not sure I've got much use for a donkey though... They don't really provide the same amount of rewards as say a chicken would. I can't say I've ever eaten a donkey though, maybe in a survivalist situation I would try it.

 

The easiest ones to raise in a suburban setting are chickens and other fowl since most people do not have a lot of land (chicken coops are fairly small) and there are often local ordinances against having goats, pigs or other typical farm animals without a special license from the township which costs $$$. If land and local laws were not an issue, I'd definitely lean towards raising goats since, as mentioned by a previous poster, the are resilient, can live in a large variety of climates, provide higher-quality milk and plenty of meat. Chickens would definitely be my second choice since once build a coop and a pen to prevent them from escaping, the eggs are a valuable source of protein. Pigs would be a great third choice since almost everyone loves bacon (except for those who can not partake for religious reasons). For both pigs and goats, they are omnivorous and will eat a very wide variety of foods.

 

Logically speaking, for me, my easiest animal criteria is one that is small and is capable of taking care of itself, unless you are dealing with an aggressive animal. Rabbits and chickens could meet that criteria, but still they require some extra care that bigger animal don't. Cows, horses and sheep are easy to feed
since they are able to obtain nourishment from eating grass, but you need some good extensions of lands to keep them happy.

 

@ Endure Sorry but I have to completely disagree, I was raised in the country and still know something about keeping animals. the large ones, like cows are not easy to raise, they need extra care such as vet visits. Heck, my grandpa kept cows and they can barely give birth without professional assistance! Rabbits are far easier to raise, since they breed quickly and even if some die, it's not the end of the herd. They can also grow full size in ayear, while you have to wait several to have any use of a cow or sheep. You also need to do a lot of work to stockpile their food for winter, when pastures aren't available.

 

I would say chickens over anything. I say this because you can get eggs from them, which are an excellent source of protein. Also, you can eat them as meat, too. However, you would need to make sure that you let some of the chickens actually hatch instead of using all the eggs so that you can regenerate the chickens that you eat, of course. We raised some chickens when I was little. I hated the rooster. He was mean and protective of the chicken coop. Other than that, it was a worthwhile experience and I learned a lot. Plus, free-range chicken and eggs taste so much better than the kind from the grocery store. All those antibiotics really affect the taste of both. I never thought that was true until I did a side-by-side taste test and there really was no comparison. The free-range stuff has ten times the flavor and even look better cooked.

 

I would also go for chickens and rabbits.
Concerning the chickens, I agree with Lisa, they definitely provide you with a lot of protein with their eggs.
Plus, you get meat from them as well.
We have had bunnies as pets before and yes they breed fast indeed!
My aunt has rabbits and she could even eat rabbit for lunch while looking at her own rabbits jumping in front of her in her living room.

 

I'll go with chickens too. Very simple and easy to maintain after you have built the enclosure, and you get your reward in the form of eggs on a constant basis starting almost immediately. Hard to beat that.

 

In my experience the best farm animals for the small time hobby farmer are geese. Geese (and also ducks) are far easier than chickens to raise, they don't usually get sick, plus they are easier to herd them. The breed you choose is important to your overall satisfaction. The American Buffs are very docile, the emdens make better watch animals, and are meatier, but they can be a little nasty.

 

Chickens and rabbits are relatively low maintenance critters. The former, in particular, are a good starting place for the rural dweller that provides a nice, steady source of protein. My sister and a family friend have raised goats and they don't have a lot of trouble with them.

 

Chikens, rabbits and goats. I'm sure there is more, but we raised these so I have some experiences. For me, chikens are the best, because they don't need that much attention, yet they give you eggs and then they can be a delicious meal for a few days.

 

Raising animals for food can be really rewarding but there are basic standards of animal welfare that you will need to achieve. Small animals tend to be the starting point for most people. Rabbits, guineapigs hens etc. These are all low risk because there is a small investment in animals and their housing. The risks from predation, illness and theft are low because the housing can be secure, unobtrusive and easily kept clean. If they're well looked after they won't smell or annoy the neighbors. The downside is that if you have young kids it can be a harsh first lesson in animal husbandry as flopsey bunny gets turned into a pie.
I now keep pigs, goats and sheep as well but I've avoided keeping cattle because I don't have the right kind of pasture.

 

No one remembered the fish? They are not my exact idea of animals for breeding, but they are extremely simple creatures to cope with (and cheap to be kept). They are
ideal for those who don't have much time to spare or for those who just want a more "quiet" animal.

 

I thought about fish but dismissed them because of the investment needed ...maybe I was blinkered in my thinking but I was trying to keep it simple

 

I think goats would be a good choice. They would be versatile and you can use them for milk and cheese, even fudge. If need be, they could be eaten. However, their personalities are a bit difficult I think. They might be involved in head butting and things like that. I don't think I would interested in raising chickens personally.

 

Go for pigmy goats, they're small and gentle. Easy to care for. Easier to butcher, also there is less waste when you need to eat them because they won't fill your entire freezer. If you breed them it's important to castrate the male kids early to prevent the meat getting stinky. You will need to breed them if you want to milk them.

 

Chickens, & rabbits from experience.
Rabbits in cages of course and chicken free range IF predators are controlled.
Sometimes rabbits are a problem if you want to breed them.
They often eat their babies and I don't know why.
Were I too get back into raising meat food animals it would be rabbits,
chickens and maybe a pig or two.
Pigs require a stout fence or they will root a hole under a fence easily.
One should put a ring in the hog nose to stop that.
It ain't easy to ring a pig. They don't like it one bit.
It's even harder to castrate a male pig.
When I was 10 or so dad made me hold the pig for nutting and ringing.
Nasty, dirty, filthy, job.
I've helped butcher more hogs and beef than I care to remember.
We "scalded" our slaughtered hogs to loosed the hair then scrapped them
clean.
A nasty job and it stinks.
55 gallon steel drum over a hot fire to heat the water, add some lye, strong
detergent, dip hog, lift, scrape,....................ewwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

We always butchered in winter too!

We rendered hog fat into lard, made buttermilk and cheese, plucked chickens...............................
I can still do it but I sure don't want too.
You haven't lived till you dip a fresh killed dirty chicken into near boiling water
and plucked that sucka!
STINKS.
Hot feathers and chicken poop.
whooooooooooooooooooo-boy!
After I left home I refused to eat pork and chicken meat for years.

Every pluck a duck!?
Best way is to use a bucket of very hot water with lots of melted paraffin was
on top.
Dip dead duck head first. (it helps if the duck is dead)
Withdraw sloooooooooowly so hot wax penetrates to pin feathers.
Dunk into ice water to harden wax.
When was is good 'n hard peel off was and feathers come off.
It ain't easy.
After all that use a propane torch to burn off any remaining pin feathers.
After that throw the damned thing away as you will be to sick of it to eat it.
Go to Micky D for a big mac.
I shot a wild boar. Took the meat home.
Cooked it.
It stunk to high heaven.
Smelled like boiling pee.
Fed it to the dog.
Dog buried it.

 

I have one of these they don't eat and they stay where you put them I sell them also $12.99 what a deal

 

They don't multiply and they can be an impromptu weapon and make
a decent paper weight or boat anchor.

 

I just costed a carp pool, without filters and labour it would cost £1,900 in materials, with filters and pipe work it would be £3,000 plus labour (I'd do my own build but I'd need to hire a mini digger to do the excavation and I sure as hell would charge £1,500+ for the work if I was doing it for someone else)

 

We have a Coy pool
Beautiful.
They are a carp but pretty ones.
They are all one gender so they won't breed.

Some people actually eat the dam#ed things.
Carp are a sporting or game fish in Europe and China I understand.
True?
We shoot them with archery and chop 'em up for garden fertilizer.
Stinking things ruin our waters for game fish.
When I was a kid we'd catch them because there was nothing else to catch.
They fight hard and are fun but................................ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.
Disgusting critters.

 

I was referring to a simple quantity (you know... just a few one ) because I know that a more sophisticated one requires a good amount of money. I have a friend who has a very customized fish breeding and it's something really very expensive.

 

I have read through the answers to this thread, and I also think that chickens are a good choice, since they provide eggs, they can be eaten , chicken manure can be used as fertilizer, and even the feathers can be used. If you have room, chickens can free-range in the summer and will keep the bug population under control. When they are doing that, they really do not need much food, especially when the grasshoppers are plentiful.
There is that old story about the pioneers coming out west in the wagon trains, and hauling turkeys along. They ran out of grain to feed the turkeys, so they just let them loose, thinking that the turkeys would probably die. However, there were lots of grasshoppers, and the turkeys actually thrived and were healthier than when they were being grain-fed.
Rabbits are easy to raise; but hard to kill. Not literally, but they are just cute little fellows, and I totally hated having to butcher them, and then didn't want to eat the rabbit after I had killed it. I finally resorted to shooting them with the .22 rifle, because then I didn't have to do it up close, and could shoot them out in the pasture.
I still didn't like it.
Goats are also pretty easy to raise, and they are browsers like deer are; so they do not need a large pasture, and will do well on brush and even weeds. Some weeds will make the milk taste awful though; so if you are milking the goat, it is wise to be careful what she is eating.

 

I have raised water buffalo, cow, goat and chickens. In my experience water buffalo is the easiest animal to raise. They don't get affected by internal and external parasites easily, they can eat anything, anything literally, You can raise water buffalo for meat as well as milk. Water buffalo milk is full of fat, you can get a lot of creams from water buffalo milk. Water buffalo are subservient by nature.

 

Catching carp for food has two stages, they must first be netted and transferred from their muddy natural environment to a clean pool with slow running fresh/filtered water. They live in the slow running water to purge their flesh of the muddy taste after which they're much more tasty. They're a delicacy in Poland where they're cooked properly. A carp pond has to be deep enough to prevent it freezing solid in winter and be large enough for the fish to grow. The pond that I costed is considered the minimum for a breeding population. The cleansing pond with the fresh running water need only be the size of a water storage cistern.

 

I agree that chickens are very easy and pretty much can feed themselves if they have enough space for daytime free ranging. I like the daily eggs in addition to the occasional meat from butchering and I'm fond of chicken meat. That said, if I could have only one animal for meat and was looking for super-simple, I'd get meat-breed rabbits - two does and a buck.

First, they can thrive with less space than chickens. You can even raise them in your living room or basement in an urban area. They're quiet and usually won't be noticed and they won't run afoul of zoning restrictions before the SHTF. A rabbit is an on-demand ovulator. That means when you expose her to a buck, she's fertile, which is very convenient. You can breed a doe about once in 90 days if you want to keep her healthy or more frequently if you really need the food.

Gestation itself only takes about a month and the resulting offspring are ready to eat or freeze by the time they're weaned at 8 weeks or a little after. Fryers are tender and juicy and most meat-breed kits will be around 3 pounds of meat each by the time they're weaned. Breeder bunnies who are past their prime supply even more meat, though their slightly tougher meat is better as a stew, same as with a hen that quit laying. Before the SHTF, you can eat some and sell some as pets.

Rabbit food is cheap or they can live pretty well on garden rejects, weeds, and a small crop of hay or even lawn clippings if you don't use pesticides. Inbreeding rarely does them much harm so you can save a doe-kit to grow to breeding age at around 7-9 months and use the same buck. In addition to all of that, their manure is pretty much pure gold in the garden and can be used with minimal composting. A common technique is to move the bunny hutch each year and plant where it used to be.

 

@Jewelweed

Thanks for that very informative post.

When I was a kid my dad got into raising rabbits.
They multiply like..................................................well...............rabbits!

In a short time we were up to our elbows in rabbits.

To my taste the little Dutch bunny was the cutest and best eating.
After a while I just couldn't bare to eat one.
I was a kid and they were just too cute.

In a shtf I'd eat 'em for sure.

Any recipe that works for chicken works for rabbit.
We also had Flemish Giants and lop ears.
8 lb is not uncommon for the Flemish breed.

I still like wild rabbit now and again.
I hunt but not as much as I once did.

 

Dad raised rabbits and before long we were up to our elbows in rabbits.
The little Dutch bunny was tasty and so cute.
Flemish Giants also and they get big. They were better eaten when half grown.
I'll still eat a wild rabbit but could not eat a tame one unless shtf situation.
Cook rabbit any way you'd fix chicken.

Flemish giants are a utility breed, and are most commonly bred for fur and meat, although the breed is also known for its docile nature and patience in being handled, meaning examples are commonly kept as pets as well.

 

I raised chicken for about 2 years before I stopped. So am going to be contributing based on my experience. Raising chicken requires alot of time investment and attention to details. While i was raising broilers I always watch out to see how their wastes looks, especially in the morning hours.You must make sure their pen is cleaned atleast once a week, else there may be an outbreak of diseases.

when compared to raising sheep or cows, chicken is more time consuming and complicated.

 

@jeager I love Flemish Giants as pets. Every one I've had seems to have the survival instincts bred right out of them which makes them easy to handle and laid back. I don't love them as meat rabbits. Once they're half-grown or fully grown, there's a lot of meat on them but because of their large adult size, their growth patterns are different from the medium size bunnies. Flemish giants put on a lot of bone at first and are pretty lean until they're half-grown and start to put on muscle. For meat, I like New Zealands, Californians, and Standard Rex. I haven't tried a dutch rabbit. I agree that it's hard to eat them when they've been raised longer. I have an easier time with the ones that go in my freezer as soon as they're weaned.

On the family farm when I was a kid, we used to grow out steer to butcher from a bottle/bucket baby to a few years old; they were friendly and kinda fun. We built a bond caring for them...and then they were in the freezer for dinner. I used to cry about it and had a few vegetarian phases that never lasted long. One of the things that helped me was realizing how animals raised commercially for meat are treated. I knew that the ones we raised were treated well, healthy, and content while they lived. It gave me some comfort and that translated to my feelings about raising meat animals now.

@streettallest Cleaning cages and disease prevention are concerns with pretty much any animal. We had a milk cow when I was growing up and I've tossed around the idea of getting one but she needs to be bred every year to freshen. Artificial insemination is an option now but where would I get cow semen if the SHTF? Steer aren't much of a problem and gelding a calf is easy enough but keeping a bull around can be dangerous. Same with sheep and rams. Chicken nails are easy to trim; beaks are too if they don't wear evenly or if you have a bully who is hurting the others. Cow and sheep hooves are more difficult. Goats are easier than cattle or sheep and need less space but they're still more difficult than chickens or rabbits. I've heard good things about alpaca for meat and fiber, much like you would keep a sheep but I haven't tried them personally.

 

@
Jewelweed et al.
I understand about making pets out of meat animals.
Dad had a pig he named Charlie and taught it to shake hands
and sit up!
He just couldn't kill the thing and took it to a commercial slaughter
house.
I've been in slaughter houses and animals are ..................
well, not pretty.

 

I think it all depends on the method you want to adopt in raising your chicken will determine whether its the easiest. Free ranged chickens are easier to rear compared to chickens raised in enclosed pen. this is because of the level of care you must give.

coupled with the above, the breed of chicken will also determine whether it is easier to raise chickens than other animals. for instance my experience has shown me that broilers are easilly susceptible to diseases that can wipe out your flock in a matter of days. This unlike other rugged breeds that can withstand alot of such diseases.

 

Hey guys!!
This is a very interesting post. My only question... in a suburban environment these animals would generally make some occasional noise. The noise would be heard by others making your livestock and potentially you a target for attack. Rabbits would probably be a good choice due to relative low noise, they do like to escape though!! A stray rabbit on your pavement would be like a Mc Donalds sign for hungry raiders !!

Just my thoughts
Regards
Ron88.

 

I would say rabbits or chickens are the easiest to raise in my experience. Having a donkey around is also good as they will protect the other animals and can pack a lot of weight.