Backyard Chicken FAQ

Ever wonder what it’s like to live with backyard chickens? Here are a few FAQs answered by a veterinarian to get you started learning!

Do chickens make good pets?

They certainly can! Many like to play, some like to be pet, and most can recognize their owner by both sight and sound. They aren’t legal everywhere, so it’s important to check first. They can live up to 15 years, depending on breed, although they lay eggs for only a few years.

Chickens can carry salmonella bacteria in their gastrointestinal tracts. Even though they are usually not infected even if they are carriers, they can pass the bacteria to humans who come into contact with their droppings. Humans can get very sick, so it’s important to wash your hands after being with your pets.

What housing requirements do chickens have?

Chickens have specific and very important housing requirements. Not providing what they require can cause disease and death of your chickens.

First, chickens need to be housed at an appropriate temperature. Chickens can start to become heat stressed when the outside temperature is greater than 75 degrees F and can become lethargic when the temperature is too far below 60 degrees F. They can even develop frostbite if too cold.

They also need sunlight. If housed inside during a cold winter, chickens lack exposure to ultraviolet rays, which are necessary for their ability to make vitamin D. When chickens don’t make enough vitamin D, they may not be able to lay eggs or may get eggs stuck in them (a life-threatening condition). So, if indoors, chickens need special UV light bulbs.

Chickens need nesting boxes and the proper type of litter. Chickens will lay eggs only if they have boxes to lay them in, at least one box for every four to five chickens. Boxes should be several feet off the floor, lined with pine shavings or straw, and kept clean. Litter in their coop, such as pine and aspen shavings, sand, or nut hulls, should be kept clean and dry, at around 20-25% moisture. 

Coops also need to be kept clean to help prevent spread of parasites. The entire coop should be raked up with the top layer of soil removed at least once a year to prevent chickens from ingesting parasite eggs. Coops should also be well-ventilated, to prevent unhealthy ammonia build-up and to keep the humidity level appropriate.

Chickens need plenty of room and a fenced-in area to exercise. Overcrowding can cause chickens stress, which then affects their egg-laying ability. Inside the coop, there should be at least 2 square feet of space per bird. Outside the coop, there should be at least 8 square feet per bird, with the fence dug deep below the ground and extending high above to keep out predators.

What should a chicken’s diet include?

Good-quality chicken food has the proper vitamins and minerals in the appropriate amounts. Feed should be given for whatever stage of life your chickens are (age, etc.). Human food is not good for chickens. Chickens also often need supplemental calcium. Small amounts of fruit and veggies and insects such as mealworms can be given as part of their enrichment (see below).

Chickens need approximately 2-3 parts water to amount of feed, and it needs to remain clean and fresh to ensure that bacteria are kept to a minimum. Feeders should be off the ground to help keep insects out, and water bowls must be heated in cold climates to prevent water from freezing.

Note that most foods that are toxic to other pets are also toxic to chickens.

Are chickens social?

In general, like most domesticated animals, chickens can become depressed without others of their own kind around. Unless they have grown up together, though, you will need to properly introduce them; if they are put into the same area without an introductory period, injuries or even death can occur. 

If planning on having both hens and roosters, you will most likely need more hens than roosters, usually around a 5:1 ratio. When roosters are young and their hormones kick in, they may become aggressive to hens. In most cases they will calm down after about six months, and you’ll just need to keep them separated until then. If it’s breeding season and some chickens aren’t getting along, you may also have to separate them temporarily. (Just make sure you reintroduce them properly again.)

Dogs, cats, and other naturally predatory animals need to be kept away from chickens. Even a friendly pet may pick one up and kill it by accident.

What kinds of enrichment are important? 

Just as with other pets, enrichment opportunities are a must! If bored, chickens may fight and pick out each other’s feathers.

As mentioned earlier, fresh fruits and veggies and insects can be given, and you can scatter them around their area, put them in a puzzle feeder, and offer in various forms (such as frozen or dehydrated) for texture variation.

Chickens love to dig. Sand, litter shavings, piles of leaves, cardboard, and other substrates can be put into piles or in boxes for them to dig in. Chickens also enjoy running through cardboard tunnels and on top of wood logs, hopping onto perches and platforms, swinging on ropes, and playing in hidey boxes. Some like to prance in front of mirrors or play with stuffed animals. Some even enjoy snuggling in your lap or being pet from head to tail.

What are some health concerns?

Trauma – limb injuries from becoming trapped in cages or doors or being stepped on, fight injuries, self-mutilation, and attacks from predators

Pododermatitis (foot sores) – from trauma or from inappropriate litter or nesting areas 

Egg issues – egg binding (when an egg or parts of an egg become stuck as the chicken is attempting to lay it), cloacal prolapse (when the chicken’s vent does not retract back into its body after laying an egg), and lack of vitamins causing soft or no shells

Skin diseases – such as fowlpox, mites, ticks, and ringworm

Respiratory diseases – due to a dirty environment or fungi, bacteria, or viruses

Gastrointestinal diseases – which can be caused by parasites, bacteria, and viruses

Neurological diseases – which often also have gastrointestinal or respiratory components to them

Copyright 2024 Amy “Brem” Bremers, DVM