7 animals you can raise without spending big on housing

You don’t need a huge budget or elaborate barns to get started with livestock. Plenty of animals thrive with basic shelter, as long as it keeps them dry, safe, and protected from predators. By choosing the right breeds and building functional, low-cost housing, you can keep healthy, productive animals without sinking thousands into infrastructure.

These options are perfect for small farms, homesteads, or anyone starting out with limited resources.

Chickens

A small, sturdy coop with roosts, nesting boxes, and predator-proofing is all chickens need. Many people build coops from repurposed materials, keeping costs low. Chickens can handle a range of temperatures if they have protection from wind, rain, and predators. Mobile chicken tractors are another budget-friendly option that doubles as yard pest control.

Ducks

Ducks don’t need an elaborate setup — a predator-safe night pen and access to water for cleaning their bills will do. They’re hardy in all kinds of weather and can forage much of their own diet during the warmer months. Because they’re less sensitive to cold than chickens, you can skip expensive insulated housing.

Rabbits

Rabbits thrive in basic hutches, sheds, or colony setups, many of which can be built cheaply from scrap wood and wire. They need protection from predators and extreme weather, but heating and insulation aren’t usually necessary. As long as their housing stays dry and ventilated, they’ll stay healthy.

Goats

Goats are perfectly content with a three-sided shed that blocks wind and rain. They’re hardy animals that adapt well to basic shelter, as long as they have secure fencing to keep them in and predators out. Bedding like straw or wood shavings keeps them warm in winter without expensive heating.

Sheep

Sheep can handle a variety of weather conditions with minimal shelter. A run-in shed or lean-to is often enough to keep them dry and shaded. As long as they have a safe place to retreat during storms, they’ll thrive without high-end barns.

Guinea Fowl

Guinea fowl need little more than a simple roosting area to return to at night. Many free-range during the day, which reduces feed costs and makes housing minimal. They’re hardy, low-maintenance birds that don’t require fancy infrastructure.

Pigs

Pigs do well with basic housing like a three-sided shelter or hoop barn. As long as they have dry bedding and shade in summer, they’ll be comfortable. Their biggest need is secure fencing to keep them contained — not an expensive building.

*This article was developed with AI-powered tools and has been carefully reviewed by our editors.