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Every Farm Animal You Can Raise, Ranked by a Farmer

Gold Shaw Farm | August 31, 2026



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Join us on Gold Shaw Farm for a heartwarming farm vlog as we check in on our beautiful highland cows. This update features our adorable miniature highland cows and a special focus on a new baby animal. It’s a peaceful glimpse into country life and the daily happenings with our farm animals.

Learn the best strategies for raising farm animals by ranking them on a tier list. Discover which species fit your homestead goals.

This guide breaks down the process of selecting livestock for your property. Whether you are interested in apiary work like beekeeping or looking to add larger animals to your pasture, having a clear plan is essential. We use a structured ranking system to help you evaluate the difficulty and benefits of different species, making your planning process much simpler.

By organizing your options into an animal tier list, you can visualize which creatures align with your available space and time. We cover the basics of livestock management, from initial setup to day-to-day care requirements. This breakdown is designed for beginners who want to start hobby farming without getting overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices available.

Subscribe for weekly livestock breakdowns, and comment which animal you want to see categorized next.

Written by Gold Shaw Farm

Comments

This post currently has 48 comments.

  1. @theAndromedaStrainiscoming

    August 31, 2026 at 6:28 pm

    I read Michael polka ‘s The Omnivore’s Dilemma about 29 yrs ago and seem to recall a chapter on an Amish farmer in Ohio that made a fortune raising deer-particularly, for their antlers. The profit he was making per acre was staggering-I don’t know what an Amish person would want to spend all that money on , but more power to him. I think it mentioned something about a 28 point buck.

  2. @wallsofgab

    August 31, 2026 at 6:28 pm

    Take back that quail slander! 😤After raising chickens, quail was a breeze! LOL I was honestly surprised with how much meat I got and it takes me like, 30 seconds as a newbie to harvest completely strip one into something that looks edible. It looks small in your hands, but in the pot you're like "Oops, that's a lot!" I don't even raise jumbos exclusively, so that's even MORE meat. An Aviary setting isn't possible for everyone, but it's possible for me and my birds quite like it.

  3. @Logan-ed4pu

    August 31, 2026 at 6:28 pm

    I watch Cross Timbers' channel actually, but I'm also from Kansas so we know about bison, and I have a cousin that works on one of Ted Turner's bison ranches. I will fully agree that bison is a dangerous animal to work, and should only be handled by brave people that have a team lol.

  4. @harpintn

    August 31, 2026 at 6:28 pm

    Alpacas, lamas donkeys, camels and horses were bred as working animals. Alpacas and lamas were pack animals in the Andes mountains, their fur can be used for yarn. Lamas and donkeys are also sometimes used as livestock guardians with cattle. In the case of Goldshaw farms, he has dogs to fulfill that role, and let's face it, the long horns of his highland cattle are also great weapons against coyotes, I doubt that a pack of the would make the mistake of attacking them twice.

  5. @chakra4735

    August 31, 2026 at 6:28 pm

    I will say this about pigs. If you get a couple feeder pigs, you will only need to take care of them for five months or so before they become meat. If you decide you don't want more pigs, you dont have to deal with a long commitment.

  6. @presidentbyamendment

    August 31, 2026 at 6:28 pm

    my late great uncle tink had a half dozen bison in PG county. The seller told him they make great family pets. They got out. He had to hunt them all down. The calves didn't even bother to go out the same holes in the fence the adults made. They didn't get barbed wire fence at all.

  7. @BIGTJS88

    August 31, 2026 at 6:28 pm

    I would put ducks. Particularly Khaki Campbells and Indian Runners above chickens for many reasons.

    1. They lay more eggs than chickens.
    2. Their egg production lasts longer than chickens.
    3. They live longer than chickens.
    4. They’re are cheaper to take care of than chickens.
    5. They’re hardier than chickens and can survive well in hot, cold and wet climates.
    6. They’re better foragers than chickens.
    The list goes on.

    Chickens are good for eggs and meat depending on the breed and they can reduce your waste bin and their feed costs by feeding them kitchen scraps so they’re beneficial to have but not as beneficial as ducks and geese in my opinion. Ok yes ducks and geese are messy and they poo a lot but there are ways to reduce the mess and their poop is good fertiliser.

  8. @dawnmoriarty9347

    August 31, 2026 at 6:28 pm

    A friend of mine had to stop keeping guinea fowl because they bullied the sheep. They repeatedly used to creep up behind the sheep and YELL at the sheep which would then gallop away. Obviously that's bad for sheep.
    Gotta admit that watching the guineas literally snigger was funny though

  9. @BrianRandolph-jt5vp

    August 31, 2026 at 6:28 pm

    Murder cows 🤣! Glad I wasn’t drinking anything at the time. I still think you should do a double perimeter fence and let the goats to town. You could also use them to control growth in the alley and around the pond and west side of the property. But that would take a lot of fencing.

  10. @SunDogDeb

    August 31, 2026 at 6:28 pm

    I loved this breakdown and the mention of Cross Timbers Bison. I think the only thing you missed was vet availability and cost for the larger animals – emus, bison, camels, etc. There's a saying about raising horses "How do you make a million raising horses? Start with 10 million!" Love you, Morgan! 😇❤️

  11. @tommihawk

    August 31, 2026 at 6:28 pm

    Sheep's are great, especially the Icelandic Sheep's but of course it matters were you raise them up, at least in Iceland they are great. They give you meat, milk, wool and in Iceland there are barely any predators apart from the fox and the raven. They live alone in the mountains during the summer so no need to take care of them during that time.

    I would love to see Morgan raise some Icelandic sheep's.

  12. @aquaticma

    August 31, 2026 at 6:28 pm

    I think if I ever end up living on a farm, the only animal I'd have is barn cats lol I've met plenty of farmers in Florida and their most difficult animal is the pig. They're escape artists and don't care how great their enclosures are, they cost a lot to feed (I'm talking meat pigs, not your yard ornament/pet pigs), and they like to invite wild hogs to their late night parties. 😂 My aunt had pigs down here before she retired to the Philippines and one got out before he got processed and joined a wild hog gang. Probably what happened to your pig, Morgan! 😂

  13. @mimi-yt7gq

    August 31, 2026 at 6:28 pm

    Thank you! I agree with all but one a camel is not a farm animal. I will not eat camel or drink their milk. I have tried their milk but it is not for me. A farm animal needs to provide something to the farm and camels don't do that.

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