Interactive animals?

[safarichick101]

Okay. So I have narrowed my search for a new animal to raise on our small acreage of 3 acres. The animal must be something an inexperienced (more or less) person can breed on small scale. The animal must also be moderately quite and the noise they make must be non annoying for our neighbor's sake. I would prefer something that is loving and docile, but also has a personality.

Interaction is important to me. The animal may stay on 1 acre- 2 acres of land. Also it would be more enjoyable if I could make money off the animal in some way or another (without killing it).

SOO..

Nubian Goats
Ducks (pekins, cayuga, pied, and muscovy)
turkeys
white homing pigeons

I already have chickens so I was somewhat worried about blackhead disease with the turks. If you could please tell me more of this disease and how it is contracted that would be great.

Also tell me about your above animals and the amount of time it takes to feed them and things and also how much it costs as well as your experience

All advice greatly appreciated

Thanks!

 

[chickaddict]

I would choose rabbits

 

[SarahFair]

Yea... I think I read somewhere you need like 16 goats to make a profit, or some high number like that

 

[Beekissed]

Hair sheep!

I love mine and they are simply the easiest livestock I've ever had to care for and the funniest to watch and know. Water and grass, water and hay....can't get any easier than that. If you get a bottle lamb, so much the better and you will have a very affectionate sheep.

Mine play with my dog each evening and they have some wonderful games of tag, they follow me around and nuzzle me and they are very beautiful and quiet. Very rarely do they make any noise, they don't try to escape the perimeter fencing and their manure is pelleted and sinks into the grass.

They will have twins or triplets most of the time and each weanling lamb brings a market price of $80-$125 each, depending on their size/weight. The hair breeds can be bred up to 3 times in two years, so the profit adds up. They eat very little hay and are parasite resistant, their hooves are easy care and problem free and they shed their wool so you won't have to shear.

 

[saddina]

My understanding on blackhead, is that in small sites/flocks it's not much of an issue. But you wouldn't mix them on a commercial scale (tens of thousands of birds) as that can exponentally increase risks and damages.