Keeping pet chickens is in vogue all of a sudden. More people in town are keeping chickens in their backyards as a recessionary hedge, and a reliable food source. The logic is that building a chicken coop and keeping a hen or two in the yard could be a real asset if the economy continues to go downhill. As long as you don’t actually eat your pets you could have a nutritious, renewable food source for hard times.
But wait! Chickens are more than a survival hedge. Keeping chickens confirms you are getting back to basics with your life. No more store-bought eggs with who-knows-what in them. Fresh home-grown eggs are more wholesome and organic, and they certainly taste better. So why shouldn’t everyone have egg-laying hens?
Well, there are a couple points to be considered, and I’m gonna put my two cents worth in because I have had some experience with poultry and I feel it’s important to know what you are getting into before you leap on the notion of fresh eggs in the morning and contented hens clucking in the backyard.
Pause and consider what hens are; and what they aren’t. It’s a simple but important concept. Chickens are not like dogs or cats. They are poultry. They have their own agenda. But they do get to know you and depend on you for their existence. And they know where home is. That’s a start.
A pet hen is best left to her own devices: scratching around, making chicken sounds (clucking,) eating this and that – and laying eggs. Admire your hen for what she is: a marvelous food gift to mankind. Be very kind and caring of your hens keep their nesting boxes in good condition and, in time, you may develop a special- but not too close- relationship with them.
You can hold your favorite hen. You can name her. You can talk to her. You can even express affection. (Happy hens do in fact lay more and better eggs. Trust me on that.) But don’t expect a lot of emotional return (bonding?) until you really get the hang of chicken raising.
Hens are not exactly pushovers when it comes to relating to people, but as I mentioned earlier, there are some really sound reasons for wanting them as pets. Thank heaven kids are really good with chickens, so if you have a compassionate, caring child in the house you are in a lot better shape for keeping pet chickens than if you have to go it alone. That’s how I managed things and it worked out fine!
