Strictly pet chickens! Anyone??

[Chickiezz]

keep my chickens as pets. So far we have 9,but 6 are still chicks. My chickens love perching on my arms and hands like parrots. Why can't you keep chickens as pets? It's pretty much like having any other pet bird. My chickens aren't old enough to lay eggs, though, but I'm very excited because 2 of them will be at the "age of lay" soon!!! They grow up so fast!

 

[dftkarin]

I have 4 pet chickens that lay eggs and I would never eat. They do come in the house (supervised) sometimes and the cat and dog are respectful of them. Our chickens are very sweet and snuggly - they come running when I call (I think because they are hoping for a treat). I'm all for people raising and eating their own animals - I think that is the way it ought to be and its a lot better for the animals and the environment. I live in a city though, so its not an option for us (I buy locally raised meat though!)

 

[Brandi_H]

I have 14, they are all pets and all have names. We eat the eggs and give them away, although they are bantams so it's pretty funny when I give someone a carton of little blue eggs.
They have a coop that is insulated and heated, there's 2 skylights with insulated doors to close up during winter, and there's a big bubble window with a big sill, which is where the chicks always like to sleep. It's sooo cute to walk by in the evening and see them snuggled up against the glass. Outside, they have a big pen that is totally enclosed to keep out predators, and they have access to that all the time, unless it's stormy, then I close the inner door to keep the wind out. At least once a day I open up the doors to the coop and they get to roam the yard. I don't let them free range though because I love them too much to risk a hawk or something getting them, so they only get yard time when I'm gardening or working with my horses and can keep an eye on them. But they do enjoy that time of day when they get to roam wherever they please and do chicken-stuff.

 

[Warfrost]

Quote:
Just curious why you won't eat the eggs your chickens lay. They are far healthier than the ones you buy in the store, and they haven;t been sitting around for two weeks. Also, you know your birds are being treated very well...most people don't even know what breed of chicken lays their store bought eggs. Not a big deal- just thought I'd ask=)

 

[HennysMom]

My chickens are my pets.. with the added benefits of giving me eggs

They will live out their natural lives as such - and if, God forbid, something should ever happen that I had to give my flock away - they would only be housed with someone that would never ever ever eat them.

 

[HennysMom]

Quote:
Just curious why you won't eat the eggs your chickens lay. They are far healthier than the ones you buy in the store, and they haven;t been sitting around for two weeks. Also, you know your birds are being treated very well...most people don't even know what breed of chicken lays their store bought eggs. Not a big deal- just thought I'd ask=)

I think it was meant that they'd never eat the chicken... not the egg

 

[eggsrcool]

I keep my chickens as much as pets as possible. I like to breed from them, I have only ever had to cull two of my chickens, but that was because we got the wrong breed and they put on weight like anything, if we had not have had them culled they would have been in pain from legs etc.. I make sure I can treat as many illnesses as possible- my oldest hen lived for 8 years, she only died a few weeks ago.

 

[1acrefarm]

I respect anyone's choice to be vegetarian. I think if you want to make your chickens strictly pets it is best to buy them already sexed and not let them hatch their eggs. If you give away your roos someone will likely eat a number of them. If you don't cull or get rid of your roos they will eventually cull each other.

 

[Sjisty]

I love chicken - it's my favorite food - just not my chickens! I have 20 chickens, all with names, and would/could never eat them. Maybe someday I will "toughen up" but for now they are all my babies, hatched from an incubator I won on eBay. We also have two cows, one a pet Brahma bull named Sir Loin we will never eat, but Filet Mignon (Minnie) the Angus will end up on the table some day. There are turky eggs in the 'bator now, so probably more pets for our personal zoo!

 

[Shared Acres]

I would imagine that most all of the Silkie people keep theirs as pets, mine included.

If you are raising animals for food, I also don't think you'd be raising many bantams.