Livestock and even exotic pets can be a great way to generate extra profit. Meat, milk and fur are all assets that can be sold. Some are even pretty cheap to raise. Here are the best livestock to raise to earn a profit.
Rabbits
Rabbits are no doubt adorable and can make a great, fuzzy pet, but did you know they are also profitable animals? Because of their small size, they require little room and eat cheaply as they can subsist on extra vegetables from the garden or non-expensive, store-bought feed. Rabbit meat is becoming increasingly popular and it can be difficult to find. Raising rabbits for meat will surely earn you a nice penny. They breed multiple times a year and females can become pregnant again within hours of giving birth.
Much like the meat, rabbit pelts are currently in high demand and supply is low. People use the pelts for their craft projects or make them into clothing such as hats or coats. You won’t make a fortune, but a pelt might sell for roughly $10, depending on your area of demand.
Pigs
Most people will shy away from raising pigs as they have a bad reputation for being dirty, smelly livestock. On the contrary, they are actually clean animals and won’t have a pungent smell as long as they have enough room to move around. They have a low cost of raising because they can be fed table scraps and housed in a makeshift pen or yard.
The more land you have the lower the cost of feed. On average, you will get around eight to 10 piglets every four to six months and they take around six months to mature. Pork is currently running around $2 a pound and depending on the type of pig you raise you can get around $100 for a whole pig.
Honey Bees
Bees? That’s right! Honey bees are categorized as unique livestock and the best part is they are free! All you need to start raising bees is a shelter, like bee boxes; a water source such as a birdbath, and a suit for when it’s time to harvest honey. People love to buy honey for allergy and food purposes and it can easily be sold at local farmers markets.
Preventing the decline of bees has been a concern for over a decade now, but did you know most states will give you a tax break if you raise bees? You can find out the requirements of your state here.
Goats
Who doesn’t love goats? Goats are small, require little room and are generally inexpensive to feed. The benefits of goats for profit are endless. Not only are they adorable, you can earn money from their meat, coat and milk, which is used to make cheese and soap.
Caution: goats are skilled escape artists. A good fence to keep them in their intended area is a necessity.
Cows
Raising cows isn’t for the first-time farmer, but the outcome can earn you a pretty penny. Two acres of land per cow is what’s recommended with rotating pastures. Common uses for cows are milk, cheese and the obvious beef production. Cows are ready to be used for meat at around one year old and depending on the market can be sold for around $2,000 (dependent upon the weight of the cow and location). Be sure to do your research and find out the regulations for producing, slaughtering and selling your own beef.
If you’re not into raising cows for meat, consider getting a dairy cow. There are multiple breeds that are specially used for dairy purposes and can be easily found. People will pay extra money at farmers markets for fresh, hormone-free milk, making your profit that much better.
FAQs
Farmers can even increase product prices by producing organic beef and milk, which often fetch higher prices in niche markets. Other ways to profit off cattle include raising bulls, herd rentals for rotational grazing and breeding calves for market.
What are the benefits of raising your own livestock? ›
Farm fresh food
Goats or cows are excellent animals for a farm fresh milk source. If you get ambitious, you can also make your own cheese to add to your harvest basket. Many animals can also provide fresh meat sources for your family and those in your community.
Is there money in raising livestock? ›
In all seriousness though, raising beef cattle is an extremely low margin business dependent on multiple commodity markets and large processors. When the cattle market is high it can be profitable but typically the money that is made during those periods goes towards making up for money lost in others.
Is livestock farming profitable? ›
Raising livestock and farm animals can be very lucrative. Click here for a list of the most profitable livestock and farm animals to raise. Do you currently live on or are planning on moving to a lot with a couple of acres? If so, then it's highly advised you consider raising livestock and farm animals.
What is the easiest livestock to raise for profit? ›
One of the most common and easiest farm animals to raise for profit all around the world are chickens,because these animals are a great source of eggs and meat. They also are considered to be one of the cheapest farm animals to raise because they require very little to no maintenance.
What does raising livestock teach you? ›
Raising livestock teaches kids to care for something other than themselves. When kids are responsible for another living being, they quickly learn cause and effect and that their actions create reactions. The one-on-one time with their animals teaches compassion and patience.
What are the benefits of livestock on land? ›
Cattle play an important role in promoting plant diversity and abundance. Plants, like many organisms, compete for land, food and water. Desirable plant species can easily become overrun by weeds, but under rotational grazing, cattle regulate weed growth, which lets other species access these essential resources.
Why do humans value livestock? ›
Cattle have contributed to the survival of humans for many thousands of years, initially as animals our hunter-gatherer ancestors pursued for food, tools, and leather, and which farmers raised for the past 10,000 years or so as livestock for meat, milk, and as draft animals.
Why do farmers raise livestock? ›
Many People Rely on Animal Agriculture for Survival
Even in wealthy countries, livestock animals can provide the majority of a farm family's income due to location (surrounded by pastureland), amount of land owned (not enough to make a living on crops), and climate (grow crops in the summer, livestock in the winter).
How profitable is raising cattle? ›
Based on these assumptions and adjusted for the weaning rate, average calf revenue is $725 per cow. Cost-wise, the major changes for 2022 were significant increases in fertilizer and fuel prices. Nitrogen, potassium, and diesel fuel prices more than doubled between 2021 and 2022.
However, if you were to finish raising the calves as organic grass-fed beef, it is likely that each calf would become worth at least $2,200 for you (net). This assumes selling to consumers in urban markets. Often the prices are even higher than this and prices have been rising steadily over the past few years.
How much money can you make from livestock? ›
How much does a Cattle Rancher make? The average Cattle Rancher in the US makes $100,977. Cattle Ranchers make the most in San Jose, CA at $199,367 averaging total compensation 97% greater than US average.
What kind of farm makes the most money? ›
Corn, soybeans account for more than half of the 2022 U.S. crop cash receipts. Crop cash receipts totaled $278.2 billion in calendar year 2022. Receipts from corn and soybeans accounted for $148.5 billion (53.4 percent) of the total.
Why is livestock important? ›
Meat and dairy are excellent sources of protein, vitamins, and minerals, and when managed correctly livestock contribute to important ecosystem functions such as soil fertility.
How much profit do you make from raising cattle? ›
USDA's Economic Research Service provides annual cow-calf costs and returns estimates for the United States and key production regions. Annual U.S. returns over variable costs in the current cattle cycle have averaged $124 per cow, with a high of $391 per cow in 2014 and a low of $12 per cow in 2022.
How much profit from 10 cows? ›
The self-evident answer to these questions is “no.” It does not matter if you are milking 200 cows or 2,000 cows, 10 cows is a big deal when looking at the bottom line to your income over feed cost. In this scenario, 10 fewer cows results in $99 per day, $693 per week, $3000 per month in potential lost revenue.
