🐓 Best Backyard Animals to Raise + 10 Uplifting Truths to Live By

NOTICE: Formerly known as The Steady Homestead, we’ve rebranded to The Homestead Movement! Same great content, just a fresh new name. 😊 

IN TODAY'S EDITION

1. Homestead Tip 🌱

2. Poll Results From Last Thursday 📊

3. All Things Homestead: Choosing the Right Livestock for Your Backyard Farm 🐓

4. Personal Development: 10 Truths We Learn Too Late 💕

5. Today's Top Picks 🛍️

6. Let’s Keep It Reel 🤣

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

Grocery Prices Are Up. Herbal Remedies Are Overpriced.

But nature’s medicine cabinet is growing in your backyard.

Honestly, I used to walk past “weeds” on my morning walk, never knowing they were edible… or even medicinal.

It wasn’t until I started learning about wild plants that I realized:
I was surrounded by food, healing herbs, and natural remedies, for free.

The problem? Most of us were never taught how to identify or safely use them.

That’s why I love the Wild Plants Guide! It’s a beginner-friendly, beautifully illustrated resource that teaches you how to spot, use, and benefit from over 400+ wild plants growing all around you.

If you’re ready to:
1. Save money on groceries and medicine
2. Feel more confident in nature
3. Take your homestead skills one step deeper...

👉 Grab the Wild Plants Guide here and start learning what’s already growing right under your feet.

POLL RESULTS FROM LAST THURSDAY

What part of homesteading do you want more confidence in?

🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️ Animal care

🟨🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️ Garden planning or soil health

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Food preservation

⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ Tools, repairs & infrastructure

via @beehiiv polls

Feel free to participate in fun polls in our next newsletters! 😉

Also, follow us on our social media accounts for daily homesteading inspiration and updates.

ALL THINGS HOMESTEAD

Choosing the Right Livestock for Your Backyard Farm 🐓

If you’re working with a small homestead, choosing the right animals can feel confusing. You might wonder: What can we realistically raise without overwhelming our land, our time, or our budget? Many of us feel pulled between big dreams and limited space.

The truth? You can raise livestock on a small scale… if you pick animals that fit your land, your lifestyle, and your goals. Below, we break down the top small-homestead-friendly animals.

Chickens: The Starter Livestock for a Reason

Chickens are one of the easiest and most practical animals for small homesteads. They don’t take much room, they eat kitchen scraps, and they give you fresh eggs.

• Space Needs: A secure coop and small run are enough. About 2–4 square feet per bird inside, and 8–10 square feet outside.

• Benefits: Daily eggs, garden pest control, natural fertilizer from their droppings.

• Challenges: They need protection from predators. Broody hens stop laying. Roosters can be loud.

• Tip: Try dual-purpose breeds like Buff Orpingtons or Australorps for both eggs and meat.

Ducks: A Messy but Productive Option

Ducks are hardy, gentle, and lay rich eggs. They do well in wet or cold areas and eat tons of slugs and bugs.

• Space Needs: Similar to chickens, but they’ll need more water access (even just a kiddie pool).

• Benefits: Larger eggs, fewer health issues than chickens, great for pest control.

• Challenges: They’re messy with water, so the yard gets muddy fast.

• Tip: Keep fewer ducks than chickens unless you enjoy mud maintenance.

Rabbits: Quiet, Clean, and Easy to Process

Rabbits are great meat animals for smaller lots. They stay in hutches, breed quickly, and don’t need pasture.

• Space Needs: A hutch or stacked cage system in a shaded area.

• Benefits: Fast growers, little noise, manure is great for gardens.

• Challenges: Sensitive to heat and stress. Butchering can be emotional for some.

• Tip: Choose meat breeds like New Zealand Whites or Californians.

Goats: Small But Mighty Milkers

Goats can be a strong addition to small acreages if you have time and fencing. They give milk, clear brush, and can be bred for meat.

• Space Needs: At least 200–250 square feet per goat, with solid fencing and shelter.

• Benefits: Fresh milk, brush control, high feed-to-yield ratio.

• Challenges: Escape artists. Loud. Require consistent milking.

• Tip: Nigerian Dwarfs and Mini Nubians are great for small homesteads and easy to handle.

Quail: Tiny Birds with Big Payoffs

Quail are a fantastic choice for folks with barely any space. They produce protein quickly in a small setup.

• Space Needs: You can raise a covey in a large rabbit hutch or small indoor pen.

• Benefits: Fast-growing, lay early (about 6 weeks old), low feed use.

• Challenges: Eggs are tiny and fragile. Birds startle easily.

• Tip: Coturnix quail are beginner-friendly and less flighty than other types.

Sheep or Pigs: Possible, but Risky for Small Lots

Some homesteaders try sheep or pigs in small setups, but it takes experience and solid planning.

• Sheep: Hair sheep like Katahdins need less maintenance, but they require pasture and strong fencing.

• Pigs: Smaller breeds like American Guinea Hogs or Kunekunes are calmer and easier on land—but still root up soil fast.

• Reality Check: Both can damage land quickly if not rotated. They also need a lot of food and water.

• Tip: Only try sheep or pigs if you’ve already mastered smaller animals and have a strong fencing plan.

📌 So, What Should You Choose?

Start with what you can manage now. If you have a tiny yard and a full schedule, quail or chickens are smart starters. If you’ve got some pasture, try goats or a few ducks.

Build slowly, observe what works, and keep notes. One well-cared-for animal is better than five you can’t keep up with. Every homestead is different, and there’s no perfect animal. But there is a perfect fit for your space and season of life.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

10 Truths We Learn Too Late 💕

Let’s be honest, most homesteaders and homemakers wear a hundred hats and still go to bed thinking they didn’t do enough. They hold the house together, manage the animals, cook the meals, grow the food, and try not to burn out. But here’s the kicker: much of what makes this lifestyle rewarding doesn’t come from doing more, it comes from learning what really matters.

If you’ve ever felt behind, overwhelmed, or unsure if you’re “doing it right,” these 10 lessons might feel like a breath of fresh air.

1. The Less You Say, the More People Hear

Talking less makes your words stronger. It’s not about being quiet, it’s about knowing when to speak with purpose.

2. Not Everything Is About You

People think less about us than we imagine. If your neighbor didn’t wave or your post got no likes, it probably wasn’t personal.

3. Problems Multiply When That’s All You See

Focusing on what’s wrong only brings more stress. Try noticing what’s working, it opens up more options and lightens the load.

4. The Hard Seasons Change You (in Good Ways)

Pain stings in the moment, but later it shapes you. Losing a crop, butchering your first animal, or failing at bread-making… it all teaches you strength.

5. People Come Into Your Life for a Purpose

Some help you grow, others test your patience, and a few stay for the long haul. Every visitor, neighbor, or online friend can bring change if you let them.

6. Trying New Things Keeps Life Fresh

Repeating the same tasks can turn joy into a chore. Plant something new, bake a different recipe, or raise a new breed. Curiosity brings life back into the work.

7. Moments Matter More in Hindsight

You often don’t notice how special something is until it’s gone. Think of the first egg from your hens or a quiet morning with coffee by the garden.

8. Gratitude Shifts Your Mind Fast

The more you count your blessings, the less you worry about what’s missing.
Keeping a list, even just three things a day, can change how you feel in a week.

9. Your Mind Shapes Your Life

What you think about, you’ll start to see more of. If you dwell on failure, you’ll find more of it. If you picture peace, you’ll start building it.

10. You Are the One You Wake Up With

At the end of the day, it’s not what others say, it’s what you believe. Look in the mirror. That’s the person you need to trust, love, and take care of.

Why This Matters for Homesteaders

Homesteading looks dreamy online, but it’s hard in real life. The eggs break. The kids scream. The garden fails. These truths help you stay grounded when it all feels like too much. They remind you to pause, shift your thoughts, and give yourself a little grace.

These lessons aren’t just quotes… they’re guideposts. Let them sink in. Share them with your daughters, your friends, or that new homesteader trying to figure things out.

You don’t have to wait until “later in life” to learn them. You can live them now.

THE STEADY HOME’S GIGGLE CHAMBER

What’s the best way to lose weight in June? Chase a goat uphill in 90° weather.

TODAY'S TOP PICKS

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Small steps = big progress. Let’s make those homestead dreams happen. 🐓💚

LET’S KEEP IT REEL!

I've put together some fantastic farm videos that are sure to make you laugh. Take a look and enjoy the fun!

1. Sometimes you just know how to get your priorities straight like this! 😂

2. Here’s a little chicken joke to brighten your day! 🐔

3. When the topic is chickens, my ears go pro mode! 👂

ENGAGE WITH US

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