Chickens are becoming a popular backyard farm animal.  One of my favorites.  Eggs are an obvious product.  Eggs can also be hatched producing more hens or roosters for the dinner table. 

As hens age, they will slow or stop laying.  At this point you will need to decide if you want to then eat the hen or keep feeding her as a pet.  Rehoming is also an option.

Another awesome product from chickens is all that poop!  When aged, it's great for your gardens.

So they say rabbits are fast breeders.  Given all the rabbits in my yard, I believe that. 

However, I was not as lucky with breeding above ground caged rabbits.  I believe the results would be different in a larger, on-ground rabbit pin. 

There is a need to reiterate my earlier warning here.... Due to cuteness, don't get attached if you are wanting meat! Otherwise, you will find yourself

raising rabbits to produce lots of beneficial fertilizer.  Again, let it age to prevent burning the plants in your garden.

There are so many products one can get from a beehive other than just honey!  The bee colony and all the hive products will require study and patience.  One can't just buy a hive, put it in the backyard and wait until time to harvest the honey.  Beekeeping requires a lot of hands on observations and work to protect the bees and keep them healthy.

Turkeys are mainly used for meat.  Can you eat their eggs?   If you are not focused on raising meat birds, yes, go ahead and enjoy eating the eggs.  If you are wanting meat the eggs are too valuable to eat as a turkey only lays one or two eggs a week.  If you choose to eat the eggs, you might want to blow out the insides and keep the shell to sell or decorate.

Before starting with goats, know they are herd animals and do not like living without one or two other goats around.  I had to give away my last solo goat as she was always jumping the fence looking for a companion. 

In addition to meat, some raise goats for the milk and cheese making.

A good backyard goat breed would be the Pygmy goat as it is small.  I hated breeding Pygmy goats as mine had lots of problems birthing naturally due to their small size.  That problem could be avoided by not keeping a billy goat.  As a backyard urban farmer, one should not keep a billy goat due to their strong odor and destructive behavior.  Definitely check the city ordinances on billy goats.  If you only want meat, buy a young goat from a farmer or auction to raise.

My favorite breeds are the larger Boer and Spanish goats!  Not the best choice for a small yard though. Remember, don't get attached.

Quail are much smaller than chickens.  Meat production would be greatly reduced.  However, if your city ordinances do not allow for chickens in the backyard, quail would be a great alternative.  Their eggs are considered a delicacy.  There eggs are about the size of a quarter or slightly larger.  Despite the small size, these eggs are great boiled, deviled, or pickled, making a great finger food or appetizer.  Some countries serve them raw. 

The beautiful speckled shells are great for use in decorations.

Aren't these faces cute?  Above is a Scottish Highland cow.  To the right is a Dexter cow.  These, as well as other miniature breeds, do not get large.  Miniature cows are good for both meat and dairy production.

Time for a breather from all the yard work! I'm sure the neighbors appreciate the fact that we are now beginning the process of mowing down the expired wildflowers from parts of our yard. Saving the pasture mowing until late June so the bees and butterflies can continue to take advantage of the variety of flowers found there. Though the yard looks wild and overgrown, there is still a beauty in the wildness. The birds, along with the bees and other insects, have enjoyed our beautiful mess. Some patches with a dense population of flowers can still be seen growing in the yard. We just can't bring ourselves to mow these beauties down when bees are found buzzing all about collecting pollen and nectar.