So far, I’ve seen Oxfam, thehungersite.com and Plan Canada offer these gifts.

I’ve been looking at a pair of goats, a pair of pigs, or 3 hens & a rooster.

I figured a pair of goats could bred, could be used for milk (and of course cheese, and other dairy products), meat, and perhaps even plow small plots of land.

The pigs could bred, and provide meat.

The chickens could lay eggs, and produce more chickens as well.

BUT pigs eat almost anything and require a lot of fod, chickens could be fed corn and grains, they could just forage for food and would be fairly cheap. I’m not sure about the amount of water goats and pigs need but chickens definitely don’t need as much. And they all eat different types of food.

Also, I’d have to think about the space required to keep these animals. Obviously lots of space for pigs, less for goats, and even less for chickens. And about what about keeping them safe from wild animals and thieves?

And if a family is given livestock, would they necessarily have the means to sustain it AND themselves long enough to profit from this gift?

Can you help with the pros and cons of each animal gift?

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