I appreciate this. However, having two, or three chickens as pets is doable with restricted commercial feed. What may not be is trying to keep a flock in conditions that are not sustainable without commercially produced feed.More true for those who keep chickens as livestock, have the space to free range, and live in warmer climates. Im fortunate enough to fit the bill except the warm climate, but now that spring is here, we are in good shape.
For those who see their birds more as pets, its going to be hard for them to consider eating their feathered friends
Quite a few people where I live keep two or three hens and a rooster on small town plots.
The rooster and hens in this picture free range around the plot. They get a few eggs during the laying season and when a hen goes broody and hatches they get a few chickens to eat. They have never provided commercial feed and the chickens live on what they can forage and scraps from the kitchen.