About Caring for Chickens as Pets

People with everything from country acreage to apartment balconies are discovering the benefits of keeping chickens as pets. Watching a chicken peck and scratch the soil can be very relaxing, and there is nothing like eating a fresh egg that just came right from the hen.

  1. Types

    • Chickens come in many varieties of types, colors and sizes. There are show chickens with feathered feet, large laying hens with speckles and bantam chickens who weigh less than a pound, to mention a few.

    Benefits

    • Hens can lay eggs from five months old, and can continue to lay for several years. Roosters and hens can have a lifespan of up to 15 years.

    Roosters

    • Roosters will keep you supplied with chicks, or fertilized eggs for eating, if they are allowed in with the hens.

    Feeding and Housing

    • Feed laying mash and scratch feed twice daily. Table scraps can be fed whenever they're available. Proper housing is important, as they need protection, roosting and nesting areas, and room to roam (see Resources).

    Considerations

    • Chickens will eat insects in your yard, and love to help trim weeds as well as your prized plants, so make sure to protect the plants you want to keep. Roosters can be exceedingly noisy, so check your area's zoning laws in order to avoid a lawsuit.