When most people think about pets, they think about dogs, cats, goldfish, and the occasional lizard. However, the best pet by far is the chickens. Now you may be thinking, “Chickens? Chickens are for farms. All they do is lay eggs.” In actuality, our chickens are good for much more than eggs. (Although that is a great reason to keep them.) Chickens are sweet, rewarding, and fascinating pets as long as you treat them well.
Now, this may seem all well and good, but there are several problems that one may automatically come up with in response to this claim, such as they are smelly, they require a lot of work, or they are too loud. Fortunately, I have answers for all of these questions.
First up: smell. Chickens do not smell, and they stay as clean as they can. If you have dirt in the area, they will take a dirt bath, which, contrary to popular belief, does not make them dirty but cleanses them as much as water might. Their smell originates from the area they inhabit, which depends solely on whether you clean up after them. It is rather like a cat’s litter box. After a bit, you have to clean out the litter box or it will smell rather bad. Chickens are the same. You have to clean out the old shavings in their coop and replace them with new ones around once a week.
Some complain that they don’t want to pay for new shavings once a week; however, many cat owners buy their cats litter once every couple of months. Poultry shavings are relatively inexpensive (depending on the brand), and a 20-30 pound bag might last two months if used conservatively and properly. I usually get a 20-30 pound bag from Evangelos Feed and Seed, and pay around 20 dollars. The shavings are packed very tightly, so you can pull out a chunk and break it apart, covering a much bigger area than you might expect. Depending on the season, I might use up the bag anywhere from a month to three months. Their run will not retain smell as long as you rake it out periodically.
Now, the work is involved. This depends completely on how many chickens you keep and how much work you give yourself. I currently own 10 chickens, six hens, and four pullets (young hens that have not yet laid their first egg. Although 10 may seem like a big number, they are relatively simple to take care of. For the six grown hens, we have an automatic door on our coop’s pop hole so I don’t have to manually shut it. However, I do go out every night to shut the door to the run and make sure no chickens get locked out. This does happen. I have had several chickens come out to get food or water, only to find the pop hole firmly shut. We have a gravity feeder, which only needs to be filled up every two to three weeks or so. The food is very low-maintenance. As for water, we have a drinker hooked up to the hose, which automatically fills back up as hens drink from it. I have to clean this out every week, but only because our coop is in the dirt, for the moment. It gets incredibly dusty in the morning while the chickens are scratching around. I am in the process of growing grass, so that problem will soon be solved.
For the coop, I replace shavings every two weeks, as it can get very dirty. It is pretty simple, as long as you have the proper tools. I have a small shovel, like the ones for cat litter (without the hole, of course), and I reuse the bags of chicken feed once they are empty. After disposing of the old shavings, it is very simple to replace them with clean ones. Just sprinkle it around until the ground is completely covered and pretty cushioned. Also, be sure the nesting boxes have a good amount of shavings in them. Then, all that has to be done is raking out the run, and you are done.
The noise chickens make is generally pretty quiet. Yes, roosters make noise, but not super early in the morning. They crow whenever they feel it is necessary. Anyway, there is no need to have a rooster around. The hens like it, as it makes them feel safer, but they will be perfectly happy without one. Also, having a rooster makes it impossible to collect eggs for food, as a dead chick may pop out when you go to make some scrambled eggs. No, it will not be alive. Hens cluck softly to each other, and sometimes squawk loudly when frightened. I have been told by a couple of people that their hens will cluck excitedly when one of them has just laid an egg, but mine never do that. Chickens are as different from each other as people are.
Alright, there’s my excuse. Let’s get on to the pros, shall we? Chickens are very good for fresh eggs, a good project, and your mental health. My favorite thing about going out to visit the chickens is finding some beautiful eggs. They are dark brown, or light brown, or a creamy beige. I have also just purchased two silkies, which lay small white eggs, an Americauna, which lays blue and green eggs, and a buff orpington, which lays brown eggs. Most eggs in the store are pretty old, and none of them taste as good as an egg laid the day before. As your chickens aren’t under as much stress as the factory chickens, their eggs will contain much more protein and nutrients. Also, they are great for the garden. When you let them wander around, taking care they don’t eat everything, the fertilizer they poop is fantastic for the garden, and boosts plant growth.
Chickens are also a fantastic project. They are great for taking your mind off work, as you slowly build up your chicken kingdom. I first heard about chicken math from a friend of mine who breeds chickens, and I was very skeptical. This is how it goes: You get three ordinary chickens, which lay brown eggs. However, you see some silkies for sale, and you decide to get one, as they are a very sweet breed, and they are pretty. However, you have to get two, because silkies get lonely easily. Then you hear about easter eggers, and of course, you just have to buy three, because one lays blue eggs, one lays green eggs, and one lays pinkish-purple eggs. But of course, right after that, some olive eggers pop up from a breeder in Idaho, and they only sell in boxes of ten chicks each. You keep the two and sell the rest. Then you hear about the Lavender Orpington, which is a beautiful bird, and happens to lay lavender eggs. You need to get at least one, but Tractor Supply only sells two at a time. You use the leftover money from the sold Olive eggers to buy the incredible black chicken, the Ayam Cemani, imported from Indonesia, which lays glossy black eggs. You now own 13 chickens, and your egg storage is overflowing, but it is great fun to crack a black egg to make cookies. I did not believe I could ever be hoodwinked by this ridiculous math, but I just bought two silkies, a buff orpington, and an Americauna, so I own 10 chickens. Chickens are a great way to keep you busy, and by regularly upgrading their corner of the yard, you have a project to keep you busy for the rest of your life.
On weekends, or whenever I have a quiet day, it is great fun to go out and add potting soil, or water the grass, or just sit out and read and listen to soft clucks from the girls as they hunt around for treats. It is very calming, incredibly peaceful, and a great time to get work done. Scientists have found that caring for chickens has a profound effect on mental health. In the early hours of the morning, when the light is still blue and green, before the sun is visible, it is just the most peaceful feeling to tromp out to the coop and hear the excited clucks from the ladies as you spread homegrown greens and chickens scratch around their yard. I highly recommend chicken keeping, and it is a very rewarding project for all, young and old.