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Why are Pet Chickens becoming more popular?

We see a lot of people are starting to keep chickens in their homes as pets.  We were curious about this topic and wanted to search what are people thinking of this topic.

We found some interesting answers on the web that we would like to share with you.

Carlos Allende, former Cackleberry Farmer (2001-2015)

Speaking for my wife and I, we initially rescued some ex-battery hens, destined for who knows where, at an auction, they didn’t cost us much, one little lady had no feathers on, and we didn’t buy them expecting any eggs, that was the whole reason the commercial egg farmers were auctioning their girls off in the first place, they weren’t laying.

But, we thought we’d give them a good life, for what they had left of it. My wife found a wooden fruit crate and got one of those cat warming tablet things you pop in the microwave oven for a bit, then wrapped it in an old Terry Toweling bath towel and after the sun had gone down fetched “the naked lady” inside for the night and put her in that fruit crate on the towel covered heat pad, draping another (old) towel over the crate. After about a month of this treatment the pink lady sprouted more feathers, we think the fresh air, running space, dirt baths, fresh lawn bugs, food and grains all contributed to her regrowing her feathers.

All of our non layers began laying again, some just not everyday. We just loved coming home from our jobs in the city, settling back with a hot brew, and watching our girls busying themselves. It was therapeutic for us, to de-stress and unwind, so relaxing.

That was our motivation for having pet hens, when they eventually ceased laying eggs again, we didn’t care, that wasn’t the reason we got them, just an added bonus.

We loved the way they’d follow my motor mower as I converted the grass into lawn, catching bugs and keeping our gardens snail free, we didn’t mind sharing our cabbages with the girls either, we never had to spray the veggies for pests, the girls were only too happy to chip in with that, and they themselves didn’t eat much. After all, they had plenty of grain and fresh fruit and veg that we’d have left over, (I was working at a fruit and veg market and would bring home surprises for the girls everyday).

Our hens would follow us around in the garden supervising our every activity out there, we loved having them around. One of them, we named her “Ginger” after the heroine in the “Pixar” film “Chicken Run”, if we sat on the lawn next to our persimmon tree having a sandwich and a cuppa, Ginger would sit on one or another of our laps, (mostly my wife’s) while we were doing so.

So, eggs may be some of the reason chickens as pets are becoming popular, maybe it’s because it’s so relaxing/refreshing to watch them gadding about, they certainly amused us on many occasions.

Bridget Swain, Chicken enthusiast but no expert

Well I can think of a few reasons.

They can be really pretty.

They give back. I mean who doesn’t love the fun of going out and finding your breakfast supplied happily by your well fed and well cared for pet hen. I picked these up out of the chicken run 30 minutes ago. The tiny one? My new pullets are starting to lay!

They are really self sufficient. A hen won’t fall apart if you don’t cuddle her, she probably won’t even care as long as you give her a few dried mealworms and some fresh fruit and corn to nibble on if you never handle her at all. But when you do? It’s a quiet thrill that Betsy was willing to sit in your lap and croon at you.

They can be provided for automatically with the right equipment and not worried over if you have to go away for a few days.

They’re funny! Watching a chicken interact with her environment can be a riot of good fun. I had a little fluffy orange safety cone, a Buff Orpington hen, who’d chase moths and butterflies around the yard any time she sees one. Wings flapping, beak open wide, squawking, running as fast as she could, trying to catch the flutterby.. I never did see her catch any but she’d chase them any chance she’d get. Why did I call her an orange safety cone? Because most of the time all I’d see of her was her pointed orange tail feathers, which looked just like one of those road cones, sticking up through the grass as she clucked and scratched her way around the field hunting bugs.

Tristan Brown, Former owner of a pet rooster

Because they’re very good birds. They’re very intelligent and can even be very cuddly. They’re also extremely cheap and comparatively low maintenance.

By cuddly, I mean; mine used to sit in my lap like a cat to be petted. And purred like a cat when I did. And got along surprisingly well with my actual cat.

I miss him so much.

Andrew Kelly, J.D. from Lewis & Clark Law School

Probably due to the concerns of poor bird treatment in the egg industry. Having a pet chicken ensures you a supply of eggs and the knowing peace of mind that the birds are being well cared for.

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