Chickens being kept as pets have increasingly become popular in suburban and urban domestic zones, often kept for the chicken’s natural capacity to be in-house pest exterminators.
The 2000 animated comedy Chicken Run told the comedic tale of chickens who were intent in not becoming part of the poultry section of a grocery store, saying a lot about how smart chickens actually are, which in turn contributed to the rising popularity of chickens being kept as pets over the years.
Contrary to most assumptions, chickens can be readily tamed via regular hand feeding regimen and proper handling, with most breeds generally docile by nature.
However, not all states in the US accept chickens being kept as family pets, mostly due to the early morning crowing of roosters, which is considered as form of noise disturbance to some.
Generally, states which allow pet chickens are also strict when it comes to regulations, with stipulations generally touching up on zoning rules, ideal habitat/environment conditions and health and sanitation conditions or considerations.
For example, restrictions pertaining to a pet chicken’s “space” are closely guarded, with most rules noting that they should not be allowed to just roam around wherever or whenever they want to.
Also, the ideal condition of a chicken coop is also monitored, and of course, the actual treatment of chickens kept as pets is one which a number of agencies are closely looking into, given the popularity of fighting cock gambling circles.
But as daunting as the “watchdogs” and regulations of pet chickens are, a number of pet owners confess that they aren’t really all that challenging to have as pets, even rewarding as companions for those who are comfortable being surrounded by feathered friends.
Bottom line, if you feel that having a pet chicken is more rewarding than having a pet cat, look into your state’s rules, and ascribe by them when you bring your first pet chicken home.
