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I'm just curious why you would have chickens as pets? I mean.... having chickens to kill and eat is one thing... but who would consider those pets? I think that would just be depressing... killing your pets.... well I guess I see using them for eggs? If you have a rooster... I'm just confused by the idea.

You actually don't need a rooster to get eggs. I know it sounds weird but apparently hens lay eggs (generally 2 a week) without them.

lexixd, many people (in cities that are allowing) are now keeping a few chickens for eggs. You do not need a rooster for this, they lay eggs without coaxing. Chickens are also very sweet animals if given attention and can become great outdoor pets.

Lexixd, people who keep chicken generally don't eat them after they die. By the time a chicken dies of natural causes, their meat is WAY to tough to actually taste good. The chickens you get at a grocery store are generally only a few months old, while the natural lifespan of a chicken is several years.

jlyn2723, the idea isn't weird at all. Think of a chicken laying an egg in the same manner that women get their periods if our eggs aren't fertilized. Same concept, except hens lay 2-5 unfertilized eggs a week while women "lay" one egg per month.

Having kept chickens in the past I can say that chickens make endearing pets, and young healthy hens generally lay about once a day during the warmer parts of the year, producing excellent fresh eggs that are much better than the supermarket variety. They also happily eat many of your household scraps, and their manure is great for the garden.

I grew up with chickens. We originally got a few for eggs, but then starting got more and started showing them at fairs. They are really awesome pets and likewise have unique personalities!

I had chickens as pets growing up, and I loved them! They followed me around the garden, then loved to be held and pet, and let me tell you... nothing beats a fried egg that's less than 12 hours old. (My girls laid an egg a day like clockwork, by the way.) One even insisted on coming into the house through the dog door just to hang out in the kitchen with us!

abc123- why are some people so quick to "correct"? I don't need the concept explained to me- I already understood the phenomenon. My husband and I are going to be getting some hens soon and to many of our friends and family the idea of getting eggs without a rooster is "weird" to them. But not to me, and not to you.

I know this is a little late, but I came across this thread while searching. I'm the one who built the coop mentioned, and it's functioning perfectly as a safe haven for our chickens.

They're laying eggs now, and are terrific backyard pets. They come running as soon as we walk outside (probably due to the fact that my wife feeds them watermelon and plain yogurt on a regular basis). They follow my wife around when she's gardening.

Chickens do make wonderful pets, and while they don't respond to commands in the same way a dog would, they are productive in ways our dog could never be: they give us nourishment!