The present cattle dont keep it eaten?
Sheep need to be shorn at least annually and a shearer may be hard to locate in some areas, their feet need to be trimmed regularly and they need adequate fencing, they are also prey to roaming dogs and coyotes.
mini horses are fun, easy to handle and dont require a lot of fancy accesories if just kept as pets.

You can also get hair sheep - breeds that don't produce wool and do shed in the spring, thus not needing shearing. Barbados black belly is one, and I believe there are a couple of others.

Cattle should keep the grass down, maybe a couple of steers, or a cow/calf combination. I am not sure of the best ratio of animals to acreage in your area, but your county extension agent should be able to tell you. He could also advise on the best animals to keep. Whatever you get, you should provide at least a 3-sided shed for winter, rain, insect and sun shelter.

If you don't want to butcher and eat the meat, then steers would be your best bet (there is a steer, now huge, nearby that has been kept as a pet for the past 6 years in a 5 acre field with a donkey) - cows in heat can be rather vocal..., and if you want calves, the cow has to be bred. Steers could also be bought at auction in the spring, raised over the summer, and slaughtered as the grass declines in the fall - thus not needing winter feed. This would not be the cheapest meat you've ever had, but you would know the inputs while the animals were under your care.

While mini horses are less work than the big ones, they do have many of the same needs - vets, feet, worming, etc., which need to be done on a regular basis. You could keep large horses as pets, with the understanding that you would still have to have shots, feet trimmed, worming, etc., etc. In the summer, no extra fed would be needed, probably, but hay in the winter would definitley be needed. There would also be pasture maintenance - trimming for optimum grass growth and utilization, fence upkeep, manure management, etc. That said, around here, people are frequently looking for a place to retire older or unsound horses to pasture, so people in your area might be willing to pay a small boarding fee.

I can't really think of ANY animal that doesn't need some level of care, so it's up to you and your husband to decide what you want to do, at what level of care.

Good advice, all. That said, have you considered mini cattle? Read an article recently about them. It noted that if you raise them for meat it is the perfect amount for two people.

"I can't really think of ANY animal that doesn't need some level of care, so it's up to you and your husband to decide what you want to do, at what level of care."

Well put. Llamas or alpacas are another suggestion, although if fencing is not good enough for goats, IMO you're probably asking a lot by keeping anything else contained other than cattle.

I grew up around cattle and would recommend something many folks missed. Look for a cow with calf at side that has been bred back. With this purchase you will hopefully be getting three for the price of one and a half! What you do is keep the calf, if it is a heifer, and bred her around 18 months. (Some folks go earlier, but it doesn't allow the heifer enough time to grow large enough to calve easily.) If it is bull calf, have the vet castrate it, and look at him as meat waiting to grow up. Then plan on doing the same thing with the calf being carried by the cow. After the cow has calved, you can either breed her back or plan on selling her or butchering her if she is getting too old to keep in a cow/calf operation. If you do not have a neighbor who will let you turn your cow in with his bull your vet can arrange Artifical Insemmination. AI is relatively inexpensive when you stay with grade semen from a specific breed. Where the cost can kill you is when you are trying for a herd improvement breeding program using Champion and Grand Champion sires.

I would recommend building some sort of corral and shelter for your stock. While it isn't absolutely necessary it does make handling the stock easier, and gives them a more healthful environment to live in. I would also recommend buying or hiring a tractor and bush hog to cut the field at least once in the summer. The reason is that the dry grass stems irritate the eyes of the cattle and can cause abrasions which encourage pink eye. Pink eye in cattle is also attributable to lack of minerals within the diet. Use of mineral/protien blocks have helped us with this problem. You will also want to have a fly rub to allow the cows to coat themselves with oil and insecticide, otherwise they might become infested with lice, horn worms, warbles, or just be aggravated by flies and gnats. You should consider having the pond fenced to prevent the cows from getting into it. A self waterer installed below the pond dam, with a supply pipe pushed through the dam, helps cut down on problems, and provides much cleaner water. (I've seen cows get stuck in the mud, cows die in the pond, and ones that spend so much time in the mud and water that it looks more like a hog wallow.)

I think cattle are a good option, especially if you are interested in raising beef. We partner with 3 (or more) other families to raise 3 beef on about 2.5 acres each year. The acreage is ours and DH does most of the work, but everyone pitches in for the costs involved. We buy them at auction, keep them six months (our pasture season here), then ship them to a local butcher. We end up with a side (or more) of beef in the freezer by Nov. that lasts almost until the next Nov. Very economical and excellent beef. I also like knowing exactly what went into the animals (no drugs except insecticide drench in spring) and that they've had a good life (not feedlot raised).

Maybe you could ask around your area to see if anyone is interested in a partnership. Or some friends from the "city"? DH got a couple of fellows from his work involved last year.

Skip, this morning I got thinking about my response, and I forgot to also mention that you ought to divide the pasture into two lots, that way you can rotate your grazing from one to another, and hopefully have 3 acres you can have cut and baled. A good patch of hay on 3 acres will yield more than enough forage for two cows and calves. If you need to have water on one half, and it is higher than the pond, you can install a waterer and what is called a Hydralic Ram Pump. The Ram Pump uses the natural forces of gravity to lift the water back up to a level higher than its source. You can either buy one premade or you can make one with simple tools and readily available plumbing fittings. Otherwise you can install a windmill or solar powered pump.