Jake Harper
Chickens are rewarding, fun, and therapeutic pets to have. They are social animals, so you will need to get more than one. They can be comfortable around humans, especially if they are handled gently from a young age. Many chickens come to enjoy being petted and being around their caregivers. Some are even comfortable with being picked up. Before getting chickens, it is important to check your local laws and regulations on keeping them. They require a lot of space, time, and money, and you will need to ensure that they are well-protected from predators. You will also need to be able to commit to regular feeding, water checks, coop cleaning, and egg collection.
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What You'll Learn
Provide food, water, shelter, love, and attention
Providing food, water, shelter, love, and attention are all essential to keeping your pet chickens happy and healthy.
Food
Chickens are not fussy eaters and will eat almost anything you give them. However, they should be fed good-quality poultry pellets, worms, insects, and kitchen scraps like fruit and vegetable cut-offs, cooked oats, rice, and pasta. They should not be fed rhubarb, avocado, chocolate, onion, garlic, citrus fruits, lawn mower clippings, raw green potato peels, or dried or undercooked beans. Chickens like a variety of food, so try not to feed them the same thing every day.
Water
Chickens need access to clean, fresh water every day.
Shelter
Before getting your chickens, it is important to have a coop or shelter ready. Chicken coops should be thoroughly washed out at least once a year. They should be fully enclosed with a fence made of wire mesh to protect the chickens from predators. Fences should be at least 6 feet high and buried at least 6 inches underground. The coop should be kept within the ideal temperature range of 65–75 °F.
Love and Attention
Chickens are social animals, so you will need to get more than one. They can learn to be comfortable around humans, especially if they are gently handled from a young age. Many come to enjoy petting and being around the people who care for them. You can expect to spend at least a couple of hours per day with your chickens on feeding, cleaning, and interaction.
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Keep them safe from predators
Keeping chickens as pets can be rewarding, fun, and therapeutic. However, as a chicken keeper, it is your responsibility to ensure their well-being and safety. Here are some detailed guidelines on keeping your pet chickens safe from predators:
Firstly, it is important to be aware of the predators in your area. Common chicken predators include foxes, weasels, raccoons, rats, ferrets, and even neighbourhood dogs. If you are new to the area, consult your neighbours or local agencies to identify potential threats. Additionally, aerial predators such as hawks, eagles, and owls pose a significant risk to free-ranging chickens.
To safeguard your chickens, providing a secure enclosure is essential. Electric fencing is highly effective against ground predators and can be moveable to allow chickens access to fresh grass. Burying hardware cloth, a sturdy welded wire, around the perimeter of the coop can prevent digging predators from gaining access. Ensure all openings in the coop are secured with hardware cloth, as chicken wire is not sufficient to keep predators out. For wooden coops, use fine mesh chicken wire to prevent rats from entering through ventilation gaps, as they can be a major threat to vulnerable chickens.
Regularly changing your protection methods is crucial, as predators can adapt to routines. For example, if you use a scarecrow, move it to different locations periodically. Keeping chickens securely enclosed, especially at night, is vital, as predators like foxes have been known to strike during the day and night. All chickens should be put to bed in their house at dusk to minimize the risk of predation.
Lastly, be vigilant about any signs of distress or unusual behaviour in your chickens. Roosters, in particular, may sound an alarm and gather their hens in a safe place when they perceive danger. Remember, keeping your chickens safe from predators requires constant attention and adaptation to ensure their well-being.
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Maintain hygiene and clean their coop
Maintaining hygiene and a clean coop is essential for the health and wellness of your pet chickens. Here are some detailed steps and guidelines to help you keep their coop clean and hygienic:
Coop Design and Setup:
Before bringing your chickens home, ensure their coop is well-designed and set up to facilitate hygiene and easy cleaning. The coop should have solid walls and a roof, with attached runs or a secure outdoor area that allows chickens access to grass, dirt, and sunlight. The floor should be made of a material that is easy to sanitize and drain, such as concrete or non-slip wood treated with a pet-safe waterproof coating. Install windows on each side of the coop to promote good ventilation, and ensure the coop is fully enclosed with a fence made of wire mesh to protect against predators.
Daily and Weekly Maintenance:
Daily maintenance is crucial to keep the coop clean and hygienic. Each day, provide your chickens with clean, fresh water and food. Regularly remove any leftover food, feathers, or debris from the coop to prevent attracting pests and creating a breeding ground for bacteria. Clean and refill their water containers to ensure they have access to fresh water at all times. Additionally, collect eggs daily to maintain a clean and tidy coop.
Parasite Control:
Regularly inspect your chickens for signs of mites, lice, and worms, as these external and internal parasites can cause discomfort, disease, and reduced egg production. Symptoms of parasite infestation include feather loss, weight loss, lethargy, and pale combs. Dust baths are an effective way to help control parasites. Offer your chickens dust baths by placing clean sand, peat moss, or diatomaceous earth on the floor of their coop or in a shallow container. Remember to remove the dust bath after 12 hours to prevent it from becoming a source of bacteria.
Deep Cleaning:
Thoroughly clean and disinfect the coop at least once a year. Move your chickens to a temporary enclosure, turn off the electrical power, and remove all bedding, accessories, food, and feathers. Check for any cracks or crevices, and use caulk to seal them to prevent drafts and keep out small animals. Use a hose to rinse the coop, then scrub all surfaces, including nest boxes and perches, with hot, soapy water or a commercially available coop cleaner. Rinse the coop again, ensuring no residual cleaning agent or vinegar solution remains.
Nesting Boxes and Perches:
Keep nesting boxes and perches clean and hygienic. Place nesting boxes in a dark, quiet area of the coop, providing at least one nest box for every three to four chickens. Clean and disinfect the nesting boxes regularly, and replace any bedding or nesting material as needed. Install off-the-floor perches in the coop, providing each chicken with a 12-inch-long perch for roosting. Space the perches 14 inches apart to maintain cleanliness and provide separation between the birds.
Remember, maintaining a clean and hygienic coop is crucial for the health and well-being of your pet chickens. By following these steps and staying vigilant, you can help ensure your chickens live in a safe, comfortable, and healthy environment.
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Regularly check for parasites and health issues
Regular health checks are essential to keeping your pet chicken healthy and happy. As chickens are prey animals, they can be susceptible to stress and injury, and they can also carry harmful germs that can make people sick, so it's important to be vigilant about their health.
One of the most common health issues for chickens is parasites, both internal and external. Internal parasites include worms, such as roundworms and flatworms, and protozoans. These parasites can cause major internal organ damage and steal nutrition from the chicken's diet. Roundworms are the most common type of worm in chickens and can grow up to 4.5 inches in length. They live in the intestines and can migrate to other organs if their population becomes too large for the chicken's body to handle. Flatworms, on the other hand, are ribbon-like or leaf-like in shape, with ribbon shapes called cestodes and leaf shapes called trematodes. Tapeworms and flukes are further categories of flatworms, with tapeworms infecting the intestinal tract and requiring an intermediate host. External parasites include mites, lice, and worms, which can cause discomfort, disease, and reduced egg production. Symptoms of external parasites may include feather loss, weight loss, lethargy, and pale combs.
To prevent and manage parasites, regular health checks are crucial. Dust baths can help keep external parasites at bay, and cleaning the chicken coop regularly will help prevent internal parasite problems. You can also use natural dewormers during the spring and fall when internal parasites are most prolific. Additionally, keeping the coop dry and with composting litter will help prevent droppings from building up, reducing the risk of parasite infestation.
Other common health issues to look out for in your chicken include egg-laying issues, foot injuries, fungal and bacterial diseases, and cuts and peck marks from other chickens. Chickens can also carry germs that can cause illnesses in humans, so always wash your hands with soap and water after handling your chicken, its environment, or eggs.
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Ensure they have enough space to roam
Before getting chickens, it is important to ensure that you have enough space for them to roam freely. While chickens can be kept in outdoor coops with attached runs, they need space to exercise, forage, and dust bathe. It is recommended that each chicken has a minimum of 3 to 5 square feet of space, with some sources recommending up to 10 square feet per chicken. This space should be enclosed with a fence made of galvanised wire mesh to protect them from predators, and it should be at least 6 feet high and buried at least 6 inches underground.
If you plan to keep your chickens in a free-range area, they will need an enclosed space in your garden where they can roam, eat snails and slugs, and dust bathe in the dry dirt. Free-range chickens require more space to roam and should be kept away from other household pets, such as dogs and cats, that may cause them stress or injury.
In addition to space to roam, chickens also need a safe place to rest, lay eggs, hide from danger, and be protected from weather conditions. Their coop should be fully enclosed and equipped with nest boxes, perches, feeders, and waterers. The coop should be made of solid material, such as concrete or non-slip wood, and be able to maintain a temperature between 65-75 degrees Fahrenheit.
Before getting chickens, it is important to consider the time and financial commitments involved in their care. Chickens require daily attention, including feeding, water checks, coop cleaning, and collecting eggs. They also need to be protected from predators and regularly checked for parasites and other health issues.
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Frequently asked questions
Chickens need a safe place to rest, hide from danger, and be guarded against weather elements. They also need space to roam and cannot be housebroken. It is recommended to have at least 3 to 5 square feet of space per chicken. Each chicken should also have a 12-inch-long perch for roosting.
Chickens eat almost anything you give them, but they should be fed good-quality poultry pellets, worms, insects, and kitchen scraps like fruit and vegetable cut-offs. Foods to avoid include rhubarb, avocado, chocolate, onion, garlic, citrus fruits, lawn mower clippings, raw green potato peels, and dried or undercooked beans.
Regularly inspect your chickens for signs of mites, lice, and worms. Symptoms may include feather loss, weight loss, lethargy, and pale combs. Dust baths and regularly cleaning the coop will help keep parasites down. Chickens should be seen by a poultry-savvy veterinarian once a year for an annual examination, blood and stool testing, and parasite control.
