Chickens- Barnyard Animal or Pet?

But are Chickens pets? Not my preference but I have been introduced to quite a few at client’s homes and have been pleasantly surprised. Chickens are definitely social. I enjoyed having the hens keep me company as I measured gardens, with them following at a polite distance as I did my work. I have seen them carried around like a cat and being petted lovingly by their owners. They come when called, whistled or clucked to and easily return to their coops to roost for the night.

Some fun Coop Designs from homes of clients

Couple of things about chickens: they eat bugs, slugs and snails. They will peck out every weed you have as they emerge but this also includes any seedlings and low plants in your garden. Their poop can be used as fertilizer but it needs to well composted and leached before use. Manures can burn plants easily, if directly used from coop to planting beds. Compost or let decompose for 1 year and let rain wash the pile to leach out the excess ammonia. The can be subject to predators just like the old saying of the fox in the hen house. Coops should be predator proof and I would be wary of the larger predatory birds too i.e. hawks, eagles and owls at dusk. Chickens are sensitive to stress and excessive noise which effects their egg laying – keep construction and barking dogs away from the hens!