Compare Animals
Which animal actually needs the most space, land or vet budget? Every figure below is a real number already used on this site's own calculators — pick two to highlight, or just scan the table.
| Animal | Indoor space (per animal) | Outdoor / land (per animal) | Vet & health (per year) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pig | 0.90 m² | 12.0 m² | £263 |
| Chicken | 0.11 m² | 2.00 m² | £19 |
| Goat | 2.25 m² | 1,011.7 m² | £41 |
| Sheep | 1.30 m² | No defensible figure | £38 |
| Rabbit | 6.00 m² | No defensible figure | £45 |
| Duck | 0.50 m² | No defensible figure | £94 |
| Horse | 13.3 m² | 5,000.0 m² | £488 |
| Alpaca | 1.86 m² | 1,011.7 m² | £150 |
| Donkey | 4.70 m² | 2,000.0 m² | £203 |
Indoor space for pigs is shown at a reference weight of 50kg — actual space scales with weight, see that species' own calculator. Rabbit figures are a pair minimum (the official welfare standard, since rabbits shouldn't be kept alone), not a true single-animal rate. Indoor and outdoor/land figures are UK; switch Region to US in the header for the US pig figure. Vet & health figures are US-sourced estimates, converted at an approximate exchange rate, and vary a lot by area (see the cost of keeping calculator to work them out for your own situation).
- Pig calculator — Schedule 8 legal minimum (indoor)
- Chicken calculator — UK legal minimum / RSPCA Assured coop space
- Goat calculator — RSPCA indoor housing guidance
- Sheep calculator — DEFRA Code of Recommendations (ewe, no lambs)
- Rabbit calculator — APGAW Good Practice Code (compatible pair minimum)
- Duck calculator — RSPCA indoor housing guidance
- Horse calculator — BHS stable size guidance (horse, up to 16.2hh)
- Alpaca calculator — Cornell Cooperative Extension barn minimum
- Donkey calculator — The Donkey Sanctuary stable size guide
How to read the comparison
The table puts the nine species side by side on three things: indoor space per animal, outdoor land per animal and a yearly vet and health allowance. Indoor space uses each species' housing standard; pigs are shown at a 50 kg reference weight because their space scales with weight.
The figures aren't perfectly like-for-like, and the table says so. Rabbit space is a pair minimum, since rabbits shouldn't be kept alone, not a true single-animal rate. Land is left blank where no defensible figure exists. Vet allowances are US-sourced estimates, converted for UK mode at an approximate rate.
Common questions
- Which backyard animal needs the least space?
- Chickens, at roughly a ninth of a square metre indoors per hen under the UK figure, followed by ducks. The table shows all nine so you can compare against the space you have.
- Which needs the most land?
- Horses, using the British Horse Society's grazing guideline of 0.4–0.6 ha per horse. Goats and pigs also need meaningful outdoor space; some species have no defensible single figure.
- Are the figures directly comparable?
- Roughly. They come from different standards for different species, and some are minimums while others are guidance, so use the table to compare scale rather than to decide on the last square metre.
- Can it tell me which animal to keep?
- Not on its own. The quiz asks about your space, time and goals to suggest a starting point.
Related
Want to see what keeping a backyard animal is actually like?
Try My Backyard — a simple interactive simulation. Adopt one, feed it, play with it, keep its bedding clean, and see how it gets on.
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