are chickens pets?

[Back2MyRoots]

The chickens at the farm down the road are not pets. They have tiny pens and are thrown feed and water and left to lay or die. They are listless with no personality and no spark.

Our birds, on the other hand (as you can see) are total pets. They just happen to be pets that make me breakfast! We adore our birds. They have individual quirks and personalities. Can't go out the door when they are free-ranging without having a chicken entourage! I think they are like any other animal---some people make their dogs farm workers and nothing more---some people treat them like fuzzy children---it's all in what you make them!

 

[Chickenfan4life]

Mine are pets. Even though most of them will barely let me touch them, I know (and call) the all by name, and if anything harms my chickens, it faces severe and extreme punisment!

 

[Mr MKK FARMS]

I would say yes because there so fun to be around and most chickens you don't see them as pure money makers!
But crosses I would say they are not pets because they are not real chicken there Hybrids!!
Good poll by the way!

 

[GardenGal]

I think chickens can be pets - mine sure are - but they are livestock as well. We've had a wide variety of pets over the years, but no other animal has taught me what it must be like to be a real farmer. I have a whole new respect for farmers!

 

[PrairieChickens]

I never understood why anyone would consider a chicken a pet. I'd grown up around chickens and though I liked having them around, I'd always seen them as unaffectionate bird brains that responded to humans only as a source of food. Even when we got a flock of our own, I didn't really see the potential until our second year when we added several new chicks to our flock. Among them were six Polish crested chicks who completely changed my attitude about chickens.

Before Chicky Gaga and her flockmates, I had never met a chicken who just wanted to be close to me, who wanted pets instead of snacks, and who would come when she was called. Such a range of diverse personalities presented themselves in our new flock that it was downright startling to me, and within a few months, I was completely chicken obsessed. Now I can't fathom living without chickens, even without the benefit of their eggs. They're just such wonderful, rewarding companions. It just took me a while to realize it.

 

[Frizzle13]

Nope I love my birds but they are birds not pets. I have a couple which are reasonably quiet but that's only caus they are the ones which go broody.they come and live in my guinea pigs hutch.

 

[blackbirds13]

I do get attached but no mine are not pets. Laverne, my first chicken is a hatchery Plymouth Rock and she will retire with me (she already costs more to keep than she's worth) but I don't consider them pets even when I get emotional when they get sick, die or disappear. I keep my mindset on them being poultry/livestock. There's too much that can go awry and too much culling necessary for me invest in them in that way.

 

[PuffyChick]

I hold each of my girls atleast once a day. They all take turns. I feed them seeds from my hand. They are very trainable. I have them trained to come when I call them.
I have them trained to go home when I need them to.
It's amazing how you can teach them once you find a treat they just lov love and would do anything for. LOL
I get my Silver Laced Wandotte to come up on my picnic table for her teat. She just coo's away and sings to me when she is comming for a treat.

Pet's all the way, we will be heart sick when one dies from old age. **finger crossed**

 

[CSYohman]

My troop are definitely pets. They all have names and I love spending time with them! We'd keep them even if they weren't laying.

 

[sezjasper]

My girls are pets, too. All different personalities and quirks...we love them all!


This is our boy Chipmunk on his last day with us...we are not allowed to have chickens here, so we had to re-home Chipmunk when he turned out to be a roo

My younger daughter had a bit of fun at her sister's expense, but we really grieved when we had to give Chipmunk up.