Tips for Keeping Pet Chickens

While most people keep chickens to raise for meat, or eggs, some people enjoy keeping chickens as pets.  When keeping pet chickens it is usually hens who are kept, as roosters tend to be loud, and can be mean,  however some people will keep hens and roosters together for the purpose of raising chicks.  In this case the birds are often of the bantam (smaller) variety, which are typically fancy or ornamental breeds.

 Hens start laying eggs around five months of age and do not even need a rooster in order to produce eggs (although they will not hatch).  As she gets older she will lay fewer eggs each year, and many hens stop laying in the winter.

Certain breeds of chickens are friendlier than others, so breed selection when you want a pet is key.  Note that it might seem nice to rescue former battery hens (those used for massive egg production) however these hens have limited human contact and were not bred to be "pets" and as such wont be as relaxed or friendly.

The friendliest chickens tend to be those of quieter breeds that were raised in incubators where they may have been regularly handled.  Chickens are easily befriended by offering them chicken scratch only when you are with them - of course they need proper laying ration at other times - and do best when allowed to free range in the day.  The do need protection at night - in the form of a chicken coop, with roosting areas, and a laying box.

©by Brenda Nelson

For keeping chickens as pets I strongly suggest getting 3 or 4 hens, or if you are getting a rooster and want to raise chicks you may want 1 rooster and two hens.  

Be sure to check the laws in your area to make sure chickens are allowed as pets.

One of my favorite breeds of chicken for pets and for chicks, is the Silkie.  For a friendly hen with good egg production consider a ISA Brown or Red Sussex.  Look for Easter Eggers if you want a mix of colored eggs (even blue).

Cute Pets:  The Silkie Chicken

Why Are Exotic Pets Banned in Some Areas

One struggle prospective exotic pet owners face is that the animal they may wish to keep is banned from where they live.

There are many reasons for this, depending on the animal, and the area, and the law makers.

When my husband asked why Fennec Foxes could not be kept as pets here in Alberta, he was told by somebody at the Fish and Wildlife department that it had something to do with a stripper having a tiger at a bar and people petitioned for a blanket type law against all exotic pets.  Over time a few exotic pets (such as wallabies) have been allowed, and people have been able to apply for zoo permits to own other certain exotic pets.  This may, or may not, be the real story, but this is what we were told by somebody who should know.

©Brenda Nelson

It is easy to understand why some areas would not allow dangerous exotic pets, but what about the seemingly harmless exotic pets, ferrets, hedgehogs, chickens?

Many exotic pets are not allowed due to the risk of them escaping and destroying native species, or due to the considers of them spreading disease to native species, or the risk they pose to humans.  In most areas keeping animals that are native to the area is not allowed as it is hard to determine if an animal has been legally bred - or illegally snatched from the wild. 

The livestock industry has been held to blame for protesting against allowing city people from keeping pet chickens.  Indeed if people could raise their own eggs, a whole industry would suffer.  This is a pity, since pet hens would have better lives than battery hens, and some chicken breeds make terrific pets!

In some areas it is simply too hard to enforce proper care of certain animals, so it is easier for law makers to ban the animal all together.

The public holds a large role in creating bans for exotic pets.  Public outcry is even held to blame for bans on certain breeds of dogs.

If you are in an area where a certain exotic pet is banned, you will have to apply for a special permit, lobby to have the laws changed, or move.  Keeping a pet where one is not allowed, not only puts you at risk for getting a fine, but the animal may be removed and euthanized immediately according to the laws in your area.

Are you Ready to Own an Exotic Pet?  Click here to find out!
Read about Concerns when Keeping a Pet Illegally.

This does give me the idea for writing something in regards to How to Lobby Against Exotic Pet Bans in Your Area.

Fluffy Pet Chickens, the Silkie Chicken

Silkie Chickens look more like bunnies than like chickens, but indeed they are birds.  Silkie Chickens (sometimes spelled Silky Chickens) are exotic chickens, as they have blue - black skin, flesh, and bones. Another unusual feature is that silkie chickens have an extra toe on their feet. 

Silkie Chickens are one of the most popular chicken breeds for pets.  They tend to be friendlier than most other chickens and often enjoy being carried around, particularly if handled from a young age.  One of the things that make them so popular as pets is the fact they are friendly, even the roosters are not usually as mean as the roosters of some other breeds. However it should be noted that they are gentle even among other chickens and as such tend to be bullied if in with other breeds. 

Silkie chicken hens are terrific mothers and are noted as being very broody hens - often used to hatch and/or raise chicks from other chickens, or even game birds.

photo source - House Chicken, Sweet Treats, having a day at the Park.

Silkie chickens are soft to the touch, and although their feathers look like fur, they should never be brushed.  Their feathers lack barbicels which lock feathers together neatly.  Although most chickens can fly a bit, silkies are considered completely flightless because their feathers are so poor.  Additionally the loose feathers mean they are less able to cope with cold weather. 

 

Silkie chicks can be purchased from Hatcheries, local farmers, exotic livestock auctions, and bird shows.  Some people enjoy buying "hatching eggs" which are eggs that need to be incubated in order to hatch.  Other people do not want the trouble and buy week old chicks.  Still others prefer to buy more mature birds.

At five months of age the hens start laying light brown eggs, and, like all hens, will lay eggs even without a rooster.  Laying does tend to decrease after two years, but a well cared for pet Silkie can live for more than 8 years.

Our silkie rooster and a chick.

Silkies are small chickens, even their standard size is small, but they also come in a bantam size as well.

When buying Silkie chicks, or chickens, always check to see that the vent area is clean when selecting any bird.  Never buy birds from a farm if you see other sick looking birds around.

Read about what happened to us when one of our hens hatched 9 chicks and one hatched late!