Barn cats always seem real popular. I don't think they offer any benefits that a few weasels couldn't accomplish.

You win!

Only trouble with sheep is they taste bad....

Not bad when it hot gets pasty when it cools off just smells like old socks when it cooking. LOL

Barn cats are tasty, weasels not so much.

Don't kill off the males too early. Setting eggs after for incubation will not work. Of course you knew that!

For sure.

quote=nvwrangler]Rabbits[/quote]

Aren't you suppose to eat lamb with mint jelly so u can't taste the lamb?

Rabbits produce more meat per pound of feed than any other animal, or so Ive been told.

I looked it up, rabbits are same as pigs at about 3:1 ratio. Chickens can get down to 1.5: to one. I always thought farmed fish were the best conversion of meat animals

Rabbits are very good and clean to fool with. You can produce a lot of rabbit meet with just a few does and a good buck. Lots of good by product from them for trapping too.

We have dairy goats, rabbits, chickens for meat and eggs, cats, dogs, and bees. My daughter also raises and breeds ball pythons.


Rabbits are quiet, easy, breed fast, take little space and produce good fertilizer, meat, and can be profitable.
Bees also Are quiet and don't take much space( well the equipment can) they have a learning curve produce a great product that can be profitable (so I hear lol) and are fun.

My daughter's snakes are the most low matainance. Yu have to be interested in learning genetics and its a long game but can be very profitable in a few years.

Cats and dogs are just enjoyable and keep pest down and away from the house and garden.

You can't not have chickens and consider yourself a homestead.

The goats provide weed control, milk and cheese and mostly pay for themselves through kid sells and cheese sells.

Noticed no one mentioned geese, taste ok if you like eating goose, can free range, 1 egg equals 2 chicken eggs, and are a good intruder alarms

Rabbits can get nervous and kill their whole litter. There goes profit.

I like my cows but they're the most work.

I'd say hogs bought at 50# to 60# in spring and fed out till fall then butchered

Probably pigs, but rabbits might be even better for small places.

It probably depends on your location. Where I live anything that eats hay is a no go. Hay is more expensive than meat.

I've heard that the best feed to meat conversion ratio, is fish and rabbits. But, I'm not a farmer so I wouldn't really know.

Pigs.

Hands down, beaver. You don't have to feed 'em or house 'em. Provides fur, food, skulls, castor, oil sacs, dogfood (if you need it) and blood meal for the garden. The near-perfect homestead animal.

Jack

gnaw the bark off willow for making charcoal too