Chickens: Pets with Benefits

Blackjack and Goldie, in their early days, having some treats (Photo by Darienne)

Dogs can make your life healthier as you walk them at least twice a day. Cats bring you comfort with their purring and relaxed mood. But nothing surpasses chickens' gifts:  They give you eggs! And if you're lucky, they make you laugh a lot with their quirkiness. Guaranteed. For some children, they are the perfect pets, especially for those who are willing to have a special friend who is definitely not the average pet.

Blackberry 

My friend Darienne, mom of 2 boys, raises four chickens and is happy about their choice:  "The kids love them. They enjoy watching them and letting them out in the yard to play. We can't have a cat, due to allergies, and a dog was more responsibility than we could manage at the time. Chickens seemed like a reasonable alternative (more so than the requested pygmy goat!)."

I was very curious to understand how they interact with the cute birds. Would they respond to names? "My older son says they know their names, but I am not convinced. They come running when we open the door by their run because they are hoping for treats. My younger son trained the chickens for his science fair project: Over a week or two he conditioned them to go running to the door when they heard the song Everything is Awesome. It was very entertaining", she remembers. 

Shadow and Blackjack sharing love

I witnessed some hilarious moments with the chickens, while one of them ran from the coop to the bathroom, which has a door to the backyard looking for more breadcrumbs. Feeding  is actually the best way of interacting with them: 'Our hens will put up with almost anything if it gets them some worms or beet greens. Some are more willing to be held than others.", she tells.  So there's the answer of how to make a chicken as friendly as any other pet: "They are motivated by food: They will happily come to you and be held if there's food involved. My son brought our most mild-mannered one to school to share with his classmates. She was terrific and managed being a pet and passed around by 30-plus fourth and fifth graders with style", says Darienne. 

But like every other pet, chickens also need responsible ownership. Darienne adds that if your are considering to have chickens as pets, some reading is recommended. Darienne and children lost two hens in the process of raising them, and it was not easy: "Chickens aren't great at communicating when they are feeling poorly, and even when it's clear something is wrong, treating them can be difficult. There aren't a lot of chicken vets out there. If you get into chicken-keeping and fall in love with your birds, brace yourself for heartbreak", she observes, remembering about Blackberry (on the middle photo who died all of a sudden).

One more little and important note:  the feathered friends also won't be able to give "benefits" for their whole life. They are mostly laying eggs for 2 or 3 years and some people try to re-home them when they retire from egg production. And then they will know if they were really considered real family pets!

For more valuable info about chicken as pets, visit the following sites:

My pet chicken - Delivers very good advice of how to make chicken pets and treating them well.

Backyard Chickens - They have lots of tips and even a gallery of cool hens!