If you have 1 acre of land you can raise many profitable animals with some endeavor. In this article, we are going to discuss with you which animals you can easily raise on your small piece of land that doesn’t need a lot of space.
The interesting thing about these animals is that they cost little in feed use and easily reproduce. Following are the 10 animals that are most profitable for your 1 acre of land.
1- CHICKEN
You can easily raise chickens on 1-acre land. They need a little care and give you eggs and meat. When you raise chickens at your small farm then you can easily meet the egg requirements of your family.
They eat vegetable and fruit scrap and your garden will get organic compost from them. At the outset, you only need half a dozen chickens and a rooster.
They will produce a significant number of eggs for you. Within one year, the number of chickens will increase. Most chickens start laying eggs between 3 to 5 months. Each chicken can produce 300 eggs per year.
When you raise chickens for meat, you should buy meat breeds of broilers. This breed of chickens grows faster so you should choose them. This species is ready to butcher within 2 to 4 months. It is better to butcher the chicken yourself, this will save money.
Just like humans, animals also need shelter for protection. You must build a coop for your chickens where they will be protected from predators such as cats and dogs.
You can easily build a simple coop without any skills. Ready-made coops are available; you can also buy them. But when you make it then it will be according to the area you have for your chickens. Water and food are the basic needs of chickens.
You should arrange fresh and clean water with food for them so you will get healthy eggs. There are different water systems available in the market or you can easily make them. After using some simple tips and techniques you can make a perfect water system for your chickens.
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2- HONEY BEE
Honey Bee is included in the second number on our list. They not only provide honey for you but also play an important role in the process of pollination.
If you raise honey bees on your farm they will cost you little. This animal is very profitable but you should do research before raising them. For your hive, you should buy a queen bee.
The size of the hive is about 22 x 16 inches. For every hive, you need 5 feet of space. You can increase the number of hives according to the space you have allocated for raising bees. The distance between each hive must be 3 feet.
The best time to install the beehive is in spring when flowers are blooming. You have to work hard for young colonies of bees. For feeding the bees you need nectar.
For making nectar, you need equal parts of sugar and water and fill it in the jar. Now invert the jar into the holes, and the bees will drink it from the lid.
You should inspect the hive but less often because opening the hive stresses the bees. They will take about one day to recover. It is better to examine the hive once a week and keep the outside of the hive clean.
Keep an eye on larvae, eggs, and the health of the queen. If there is no evidence of a healthy queen then you should ask for an expert.
3- GOATS
Goats are the perfect animals for your 1 acre of land. You can easily raise goats and get milk and meat from them. You can easily raise 6 to 8 goats in one acre of land.
If you have crops on your farm, you can use goat manure as fertilizer. For keeping goats, you need heavy-duty fencing and adequate ground for grazing.
Goats are very profitable animals besides selling them you can also sell their milk and meat. Their milk can be used for making cheese, soap and other products. There is a demand for goat meat and people love to eat it.
Just like human beings goats also need shelter. You can build a three-sided structure for your goats. After building the structure you need strong fencing so goats can’t climb over.
Your fence must be at least 4 feet high so they can’t climb up. For building the fences you can use wood, stock panels, or a chain link fence. You can also make a strong fence by combining a wooden rail fence with woven wire.
Goats can escape so the holes must be tiny in the fence otherwise they will find the way. The latch of the gate should not be loose because goats chew almost everything.
4- RABBITS
Rabbits are profitable animals that can be grown for their meat. The important qualities of rabbit meat are that it is very healthy, is lower in calories, and is high in protein. The cost of raising rabbits is very low and they reproduce very quickly.
Rabbits don’t need much space so they can easily raise 1 acre of land. Each rabbit needs 45 sq feet of land.
2 bucks and 20 does are enough if you are a beginner. Wire cages for white perfect shelter two rabbits. Cages will help to keep rabbits secure from predators.
If your cages have a pull-out tray then you can easily clean the cage. Place your cage in that shady area where it receives fresh air.
They need feed for perfect growth. You can give them hay and grain to fulfill their nutritional requirements. Besides that, they also need clean and fresh water daily. You can install an automatic watering system for a continuous supply.
5- PEKIN DUCKS
Pekin ducks are perfect for growing on farms. 8 to 10 weeks old Pekin ducks are 7 to 8 pounds. They are very profitable because the size of their eggs is very large.
Their two eggs are equal to 3 eggs of chicken. Pekin ducks also produce healthy meat and you will earn more profit than selling chickens. The meat of the duck has great flavor and it is more tender.
Packing loves to swim in water like other ducks. They need deep water to swim. Make sure you have a pool that is deep enough with a drip system.
Like chickens, ducks also need shelter to protect themselves from predators. You can also allocate a protected grassy area on your 1 acre of land with electric fencing. You can also keep a guardian dog at night to keep them safe and protected.
Duck feet contain 18 to 20% protein but too much protein can cause deformities. It is recommended that you should use feet formulated according to the specific stages of their development.
Pekin can easily adjust to hot and cold climates. If the weather is very hot and the temperature is very high then you should keep them in the pool so they can easily drink water and take baths.
This will keep their feathers cool and wet. On cold days, you should keep them in freshwater this will help them to clean their nostrils and eyes.
6- SHEEP
You can raise sheep for meat, milk, and wool. When you choose sheets for growing on your 1 acre of land then you can more easily handle them than horses and cows.
They eat grass and weeds and don’t need perfect pasture land. If you have a garden then you can fertilize the soil with their manure.
You can easily train and teach them. For instance, you can teach them to come when you call or follow and stand when you order. The amazing thing about raising sheep is that they don’t need much space. Even on one acre of land, you can raise a small flock of 3 to 4 ewes and their lambs.
200 breeds of sheep are available in the world. Before selecting the breed of sheep you should consider why you are raising them whether you want meat or wool or milk or raise them as pet lawnmowers.
The quantity of milk produced by the sheep is not enough as cows or goats but most people like the taste of sheep’s milk. From this milk, you can make cheese and yogurt.
The second thing you should consider before choosing the breed is your climate. You should choose such a breed that can easily adjust to the weather in your area.
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7- QUAIL
This beautiful feather bird needs little maintenance. You can raise them for their eggs and meat. They are also used in the training of dogs for hunting. 4 eggs of quail are equal to one egg of chicken but they contain high protein.
The other quality of quail’s eggs is that they are allergen free so if you can’t eat chicken’s eggs then they are perfect for you. The other advantage of raising quail is that they are small in size and need less feed.
You can use wire catches for keeping them. Each quail needs 4 square feet of space; this is the half-space you need for a chicken.
Wire cages are perfect for keeping them safe. Quail fly well so they can easily escape so you should be careful. The life span of the quail depends upon the breed. Light plays an important role in expanding their lifespan.
The most productive period for laying eggs is in the first 2 years after that the quantity of laying eggs will be decreased. At the start, you can only keep the trio.
You will get 450 eggs per year besides selling eggs and hatching the eggs. You can make more money but it depends upon the hatch success rate.
8- WORMS
You might be thinking about how worms can be profitable and suitable for growing on your 1 acre of land. The best species of worms for growing on your farm are red wigglers and red worms. You can raise worms with little endeavor and they need a little cost to set up.
You can sell them to gardeners as they use them for the improvement of soil. Worms make your soil richer. The fishing industry also needs the right worms. Using worms is a traditional way of catching fish. Fish can’t resist herself to eat a juicy worm.
Chickens, turkeys, ducks, and other birds like to eat mealworms. Most people like to buy worms for their pet birds such as parrots and sparrows. It means worms can be used for more than one purpose.
This is very profitable because you can sell them to different kinds of people for different purposes.
For growing worms, you just need some cheap containers. Make sure the location of your container must not too hot or too cold. If the weather is very cold then it may be possible that your worms can due to low temperature.
On cold days, it is better to place your containers in your garage. If the weather is very warm then you should place your containers in the shade, not in the sunlight.
As you are raising worms for selling purposes so keep an eye on that other animals can’t get into the container otherwise they will eat them.
9- FISH
Modern homesteaders are also interested in fish farming. This is a great way of getting healthy fish meat that contains protein. By spending little money you can earn a good income.
Different types of fish can easily be raised. For raising fish, you don’t need a large pool or pond; you can also raise them in old bathtubs and barrels. Make sure the water you are using for filling your pond should be clean and fresh. You should use drinking water for this purpose.
When you decide you want to raise animals on your land then you should consider three things.
- The first and most important thing you should consider is what type of fish you want to race.
- According to the size of your pool or pond, you should choose the size of fish. If you buy fish according to the size of your pond then you can easily handle the fish.
- How many fish can you easily raise?
10- COWS
Cows are the best source of milk and meat. According to the space you have you can raise cows. They need shelter to protect them from harsh weather. Fence the area where you want to keep cows and other animals.
For raising cows on your land your budget must be high. As a cow is an expensive animal you should make a perfect plan to raise them so you can utilize your investment. Generally when the cow is two years old and gives birth to her first baby then starts producing milk.