3 Best Animals For A Small Homestead, Or New Homesteaders

New to homesteading? In this video, Lindsay shares the top 3 animals she would choose as a beginner homesteader, or a homesteader on a small plot of land.
#homestead #farm #growyourownfood #goat #homesteading #ohio #diy #selfsufficiency #duck #turkey #geese #farm #goat #chicken #rabbit #sustainability #sustainable #frugal #garden #smallfarm #smallhomestead #urbanfarming #selfreliance

[@Rae-yv7md]

I envy you Lindsay. I always wanted a dog but can barely afford a goldfish at the moment 😂 but still dreaming.

[@storybrookefamilyfarm]

@@Rae-yv7md dreaming is where it all started for me ❤️

[@jenniferwagner-rl6sr]

Dippy eggs craziness. It's eggs over easy

[@storybrookefamilyfarm]

@@jenniferwagner-rl6sr to each their own!

[@hillockfarm8404]

Agree with the rabbits, prefer chicken over duck. Ducks are messy creatures and some people are allergic to the eggs. So before you get a laying bird for eggs, check that you can eat them. Had quaill, but messy birds, small bones and not very usefull to turn kitchen scraps into compost. Another reason to prefer chicken over duck. On needing water, for breeding they need to be in water and to raise them for meat you need fertile eggs (and a broody duck).
I am on the fence over goat vs sheep for milk & meat, i'd want small breeds either way and small milk goat or sheep breeds are not a thing in Europe anymore. Means the option is to crossbreed towards your own animals. And in sheep i want a shedding/rooing coat i.e. soay in the mix.
If you start a mostly closed breeding flock/herd know what system to use to keep your genetics as diverse as you can. Plenty wil tell you that linebreeding and even inbreding are just fine and no risk, but i do see probems with both fertility and health. Plus if you start on that track when you do still have access to fresh bloodlines you may end up in a corner genetics wise if you can't get outside livestock (no money, can't find your breed, ... ). You can look up a system known as spiral matings (daughters stay in mothers breeding group, best son moves on to the next one). There is a conservation breeding method with one unrelated male and 3-4 unrelated females, but more tricky. If you breed closer together, you can see inborn problems show up from recessive genes (needs both parents to have them and pass them on), so you may be eating a lot of your breeding results. And usually among those are the favorites of the children or they have other wanted traits. Breeding is not easy in that regard at least.

[@storybrookefamilyfarm]

@hillockfarm8404 thanks for your comment! Breeding can become complicated after several years if new genetics aren't brought it from time to time. It can be fun to selectively breed in order to add in different traits or colors, while also creating more genetic diversity

[@user-fc9zf7wj1t]

We have pets.. 4 ducks and 2 chickens. I also don’t like to eat a duck egg unless it’s in baking. We have 2 chickens for that reason, I fortunately our chicken bully one of the ducks 🤦🏻‍♀️

[@storybrookefamilyfarm]

@user-fc9zf7wj1t we've had our fair share of chicken bullies too. Our turkey's used to get picked on by the chickens, until they outgrew the chickens. It didn't take long before the bully hens were no longer bullies lol