do chickens make good "pets".......how much care is involved...

[mellyonion]

my dh is obsessive about getting some chickens...i know nothing at all about it!

exactly how much care is involved with them?

do they interact with people (the kids!) or like to be left alone?

any advice or words of wisdom most appreciated. thanks.

[vjg13]

Chickens make brilliant pets.

Ours are very social and follow you round scrounging for treats. As soon as I open the back door they charge up.

My kids love them and the eggs are delicious. They don't need too much care but have made the lawn a muddy mess.

I still love them.

[ProfYaffle]

My kids hate our chickens! They drew blood from dd2's fingers, she calls them 'chick chicks oww' and bellows 'away chick chicks!' at them. 4yo dd1 screams every time they come near her.

I still love having chickens though we see them as egg machines rather than pets. They're not terribly cuddly but they are entertaining. They make loads of poo which is a pita.

[reallybusy]

Chickens are fab! We have four and although the garden is covered in chicken poo (they were released from their penned off area after a few weeks), they look so pretty.

[jumpingbeans]

They make good.... pies

[mellyonion]

thanks everyone...i'm not so keen...wondering if it is a toally silly idea for us, but hubby and kids are keen....

will give it some more thought.

is there a good website or magazine or something for me to find out the absolute basics before we make any decisions?

ta.

[vjg13]

Amazon has some good basic books on chickens, have a look at the omlet website too.

[smellybunion]

fab...thanks very much for that.

i love on the omlet website that it gives you text signs for chickens....what more can a girl ask for!