We live in an urban neighborhood, not far from from one of the biggest cities in the country. We don’t have a dog or a cat, but we do have chickens. Some people think it’s weird, we think it’s great.

Last spring, as soon as they passed the law allowing us to have chickens, we headed out to the feed store and got some baby chicks. We made them a little home in the garage where they grew faster then I could ever imagine. When they were old enough, we moved them outside to their new coop. All five of them feel at home in our backyard, and we love having them.

I have to say that I wasn’t too excited at first, but several months later I’ve decided they make great pets. It doesn’t work for everyone because you have to have the space. Ours stay in a fenced off area of the yard. They’re over with the garden. This way they don’t interfere too much with the kids play space. Although I must say that some days the kids spend more time on the chicken’s side of the yard than their own.

Everyday one of us lets them out to peck around and eat the bugs. Right now they are finishing off the leftovers from the summer garden. They work their way around tilling up the soil. It’s nice to have them do the work so we don’t have to. They also leave their droppings. We don’t have to clean those up, and it’s great for the soil.

The kids love to play with them. They all have a name and each one has a different personality. Just this morning our 4 year old was out playing “tag” with the chickens. He would chase them around, grab their feathers lightly, and then let them chase him. Our toddler is often found chasing them around shouting, “Bock, Bock!” I bet you can guess what she named her chicken.

They also give the kids some responsibility. Someone has to take care of them. I must say it’s mostly Dad because they were his idea, but the rest of us help too. As far as daily maintenance goes, they need food and water and that’s about it. Occasionally they need their coop cleaned out. That’s not too hard, but it does take a little more effort. At night they put themselves to bed. We just have to close the door and say good-night.

We’re looking forward to the day they start laying eggs. It will be so nice to walk into the yard to get fresh eggs. I’m sure there will be a sense of satisfaction knowing they came from our pet chickens. We’ll even be able to share with our friends and neighbors. On average a chicken lays one egg a day. Unless we have eggs for breakfast every day, we’ll have plenty of extra.

Some people eat their chickens after they stop laying eggs. Since they’re our pets, we won’t be doing that. We’ll probably give them to friends who have more space then us, and start raising new ones all over again.

Having chickens isn’t the same as having a dog or a cat, and it’s not the best option for everyone. But it sure works great for us.

image source: me’nthedogs

Originally posted: 10/2007.

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