Selecting an animal

Selecting the right breed for your needs is important, as well as managing animal waste and protecting your animals from predators. 

Species and Breed

A key decision to make is which livestock species to grow to meet your needs. Would you prefer poultry, beef, lamb, goat, pork, rabbits, or fish? Would you like a species that also produces milk? Eggs?
After you have decided on a species, you will need to select a breed. There are large differences between breeds of all species. These include docility, growth rates, mature size, carcass quality, and many more. Research these differences well to select the breed best meeting your needs and situation. For example, some breeds may be better suited for indoor versus outdoor management systems. Nutritional requirements  may vary between breeds. You should also consider safety and animal health issues if you are housing different species together.

Animal Waste

Where there are living things, there is waste. You will need a plan to contain animals’ urine, manure, and soiled bedding, whether your plan is to compost the waste or remove it from the premises. Waste management helps reduce threats to water quality and minimizes nuisance factors for neighbors, such as smells and flies. An underappreciated purpose is to retain nutrients on the property of origin so fewer nutrients (i.e., fertilizer) will need to be purchased and applied. Your county’s extension educator, nearest conservation district, or local health department may be able to help you with this effort.

Predators

All livestock must be protected from predators. In urban and suburban situations, the main predators are dogs, raccoons, opossums, and crows. These can do significant and rapid damage to rabbits, poultry, fish, sheep, and goats and can also injure or kill calves. Raptors, cougars, bears, weasels, and other predators are concerns in some areas as well. Even humans could be considered predators. How will you protect your animals from these risks? The Prevention and Control of Wildlife Damage handbook from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is one good resource.