Are chickens good pets?

Question

Where could I find some baby chicks in A.Z.

Answer 1

Bantam chickens (mini little versions) make good pets if you raise them right. If you're looking for a big leghorn for a pet, I don't think so, but some banties can be as small as a cockatiel, and kept in much the same way. Baby banties are the size of REALLY small finches and are ADORABLE.

They can be smart, friendly, and they make eggs for breakfast. It's probably the only pet that will make your breakfast every morning.

Check around for a hatchery such as Mcmurray hatchery. Silkies are soft and fluffy, frizzles are fuzzy and funny looking... there's LOTS of choices for bantams.

Good luck.

Answer 2

We have had free range chickens for over 15 years now. They're let out of their coop every morning and locked up just before sundown every night. This is because if a varmit can get into the coop, they will be afraid to stay there and will try to roost in a tree or anyplace off the ground they can get to. We encourage the chickens to hatch out new chicks each spring to keep the flock going, but some generations will not sit on their eggs so I will occasionaly hatch out baby chicks myself with an incubator. Chickens are social animals and have a definite pecking order within the flock. Mot chickens will not allow you to even get near them let alone touch them, however a few years ago I had this red hen that was very friendly. She would eat from my hand and seemed to like to have her neck scratched behind her head. One day she disappeared and was gone for over a month. I assumed a hawk or cyotee got to her. What a surprise when she came out of the field with a dozen baby chicks. I would take a pitchfork and dig up some worms and she would call all her chicks to come and eat. I could never get her to bring her chicks into the coop so she would always be on the move to find some place to spend each night. When the chicks were about a month old I think it was just too much for her to handle keeping them all safe and she moved to a part of the property that was covered with more brush and then they all disappeared and I never saw her or any of those chicks again. It was a wonderfull experience for me and I miss her and I havn't had any other chickens become so friendly since. Under excellent coditions a chicken can live up to 14 years but egg production starts going down after 3-5 years

Answer 3

My family had chickens. They're not good inside pets, that's for sure :), but outdoors they're not bad. Once they grow up, they don't require a lot of care--just make sure they have a shelter for bad weather. AZ is probably a good place to raise chickens. (I'm from TX.) Their eggs are great, too, and their food isn't expensive. Just make sure you have a well-fenced yard.

You can actually order chicks online or from a catalogue--we did that. Just be sure you're ordering from a reputable company that ships the chicks in humane conditions (not too hot, etc.). Alternatively, go to the nearest rural area. Someone's always selling chicks, especially in the springtime. Chicks do require some care, so be sure to read up on that before you get them. You have to have special waterers and feeders, etc.

The cons about chickens as pets: They're not particularly loving. They're really dumb, honestly. So they won't get attached to you. I would compare them to goldfish: they look cool, and there's something soothing about watching them peck around your yard. They're so random. :) Another con: they're messy. If you have a sidewalk/patio/porch, be ready to clean some droppings. You don't notice the stuff as much in the grass. If you like pets that live a long time, chickens aren't a good pick, either, since they don't last that long--especially if you have hawks or coyotes, dogs, etc. in your area.

Good luck, and enjoy the chickens if you get some! :)

Answer 4

Yes they are good pets. We have had all kinds of animals and several different kinds for pets for one reason or another. We had a pet chicken named Chicken George and he would have to Sit with us and be following us if we were doing anything outside. He even would sit on the back of the seat in the truck and go to town with us. No I am not making this up, he hatched earlier than all the other eggs and so by the time the others hatched he had already bonded with us and thought of us as his family. If I were you go to a local feed store and ask if they know of anyone and/or usually farm stores carry chicks. Good Luck and have fun. My favorite is barred rock's.

Answer 5

I've spent some years living with chickens in the past, and I suppose if your standards aren't very high you could keep a chicken for a pet.
Advantages include:
- They're fairly large, not like mice or budgies, so it's difficult to accidentally injure them.
- They're not very picky with their food at all, they'll eat just about anything you put in front of them. In fact, if you keep them outdoors you can supplement a good portion of their diet with your own food scraps (orange peels, carrot tops, apple cores, etc).
- Some kinds will frequently lay eggs.
- They become tame more easily than less developed animals such as lizards or insects.
Disadvantages include:
- They're fairly large, not like mice or budgies, so they eat correspondingly more.
- Like all birds and probably most reptiles, they require some grit in order to grind their food.
- They're not very clean and as far as I know essentially impossible to toilet-train, so it's a better idea to keep them outdoors where this isn't much of an issue.
- They don't tame as easily as most mammals.
- They seldom live for more than about four or five years.
You should be able to find livestock dealerships in your area that sell chicks by looking on the Internet or in the phone book. If you decide to get a chicken, I would suggest that you get a hen because one, it will generally be less aggressive than a rooster, and two, it can lay eggs. If you get more than one chicken it is a good idea to get a lot of hens and preferably no more than one rooster at a time (having multiple roosters can often end up with some roosters fighting and killing each other). Also, in my experience the best variety of chickens for pets are the silkies, because they tend to be very amiable and easy to tame and also feel nice to the touch because of the strange way their feathers are formed. However, keep in mind that silkies do not lay very many eggs, are smaller than most varieties, tend to have more health problems than other chickens and cannot fly (in fact, only a few small varieties of chickens CAN fly with any degree of proficiency).

Answer 6

In my experience, chickens have been excellent outside pets with the right upbringing. It all depends on what kind you get, really. Silkies and cochins are usually calmer and friendlier than most species of chicken. Very rarely are silkies found to be violent, at least to my knowledge. True, they do carry lice, but that's easily taken care of. Farm supply stores usually carry a dust that you can put in the bird's feathers and living space. My silky had terrible lice, but it was gone within about a week with the daily dusting.

Answer 7

Pros and Cons about chickens:
Cons:
1. They are MESSY!
2. They carry fleas and lice
3. They need to have space to exercise and still be protected from cats, dogs and large birds (owls, hawks, eagles)
Pros:
1. They are quite sweet once they get used to you
2. The females lay eggs you can eat (no rooster needed)
3. They are pretty hardy and easy to feed
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In Arizona, you can find baby chickens in just about any feed store. They usually become available in March, so only a couple of weeks away

Answer 8

Yes they are easy to raise but you can't train them like a dog.You have to have a house with protection from the weather and food and water daily. We have chickens but they tend to get in my vegetable garden and flower garden in the spring,summer and fall. They also come up on our porch and mess all over the place. But we have done this for 5 years so we just put up with it.

Answer 9

I had some chickens when I was younger.....up until I was a senior in HS actually......they are kool...I guess...roosters are all fiesty.....ours would chase my sister around......she couldn't turn her back for a second....here would come that rooster.....they are nasty though.....if you don't have at least an acre or two......I would advise against having some chickens......if you do have enough space...ducks are even better!!!

Answer 10

I've heard chickens are good pets...& if they misbehave you can eat them. Tasty!