Do hens make good pets?

Do hens make good pets?

I have a big Avery that i got from a friend that used to keep hens in.

I used it 4 my birds but they died.

It is really good and also cemented in the ground so i kinda can't get rid of it.

I have some more questions about hens, here they are.

1. What do they eat?

2. How long do they live?

3. Do they take much looking after?

4. Are they very loud?

5. Do they like being handled?

6. How many can i keep in a cage that is approx 210cm wide x 200cm high x 150cm depth?

7. How much do they cost?

8. What sort of bedding do they need?

Would i still be able to get one or more hens, because i have a border collie x staffy, she would not be able to go near or get to them?

She is fine with my rabbits, fish and Bird!

I have done reasearch and will continue.

Can you help!? 鈾?br>Do hens make good pets?-Myspace pets www.myspace.com

Do Hen鈥檚 make good pets?

This all depends on the type of hen that you choose. Bantams and larger breeds of birds can both make great pets but either one could not be right for you because they are completely different.

What do they eat?

Chickens will eat basicly anything? You could by chicken scratch which is a mixture of grains. The price of scratch depends on where you get it. At the feed mill that I get my grain at in Ohio they cost 14 $ for 100lb. Other places will cost more. Some people also feed their chicken鈥檚 rabbit food and since you already have rabbits this may be a better way for you. The larger the bird the more food it will eat.

How long do they live?

This really depends on the care of the chicken. If you let it live the life of a normal chicken it will most likely live 5-6 years. If you spend a lot of money on medicine for the birds and get good protein grain they should live longer.

Do they take much looking after?

Daily work includes 鈥揻eeding, watching them for awhile to see if there is anything wrong, and collecting eggs.

Weekly work- clean out the coop

Are they loud?

This all depends on the birds. My bantams are very noisy but my bigger birds like the Brahmas, Rocks and Cornish are usually silent. A hen can be very noisy after she lays her eggs.

Do they like being handled?

This also depends on the bird. Smaller birds don鈥檛 like to be held as much as the larger birds. My bantams will usually through a fit if you try to hold them but my Rhode Island Red鈥檚 walk up to you and seem to say, 鈥淗old Me.鈥?So larger breeds of chickens are more likely to allow you to handle them.

Space

So you cage is around 6ft wide but how long is it? If your cage isn鈥檛 as long as it is wide then I wouldn鈥檛 get any chickens because there isn鈥檛 enough room for them to stay healthy. You should keep two chickens because when you aren鈥檛 there your chicken is going to want company, and it should be with another chicken.

How much do they cost?

This depends on the breed or the bird that you are buying. A Polish bird is going to cost more than a Rhode Island Red. Chicks will also cost less than a full grown bird but, it is very hard just to get two chicks (most want to sell them in at least groups of seven and up.) My Rhode Island Red chicks were around 3 dollars each. So the cost will be depending on what you want.

What sort of bedding do they need?

For a nesting box I would suggest straw. As for a place to sleep I would suggest a roosting stick. Your hens will prefer to roost as they sleep then to lay in a box. Chicken鈥檚 go to the bathroom while they are sleeping so they don鈥檛 want to lay down in a box.

If you still wish to get a bird I would suggest a larger breed such as Cochin, Brahma, Rhode Island Red, Black Austrops, I have also heard that Silkies are great pets. These birds are usually calmer and you will find it easer to turn them into a pet that you want.

Hope this helps

Do hens make good pets?

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far to complex for simply getting a few chooks, chooks that are allowed to free range develop lovely personalities.. locked in cages, the are dull...t

Do hens make good pets?

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If your birds died, be sure to disinfect before using it for any fowl again. Hens don't make cuddly pets but are interesting to watch and observe. They eat corn or pellets especially made for poultry. They can live over 5 years, must be checked on at least once a day, twice in extreme cold or heat/ They can be as loud as a dogs bark. Young chicks or 'yellow fluff ' are usually bought in quantities, under $50. for a box of 50 to 100. They sit on horizontal poles to sleep/rest, only nesting when raising young. Nesting materials may be straw or other hay like material. Is this a trick question? How many hens do you think you could put in a 200cm space?
I used to live in the philippines about two years ago. My cousin raised some fighting cocks and he gave me a young one to take care of until it grew bigger so we could fight it. After getting it, i did not feel like training it and fighting it like the others do so i kept it as a pet.

They live about 6 or 8 years, are pretty easy to take care of and do not require much attention and do not make much noise. Firstly, you need to keep it in an area where no other animals, especially dogs and cats, will disturb it. The hen i had was tied to a string (by the foot) about two arms lenght and other end of the string either tied to a nail in the ground or a T.

A T is 2 pices of wood, one about 5 times longer than the other, placed on the ground in the form of a T. It is good for the hen so he can fly up on it and learn to keep his balance. If you have the space, this is preferable to the cages because they need space to walk around, strech their wings and fresh air.

They are easy to feed, mostly corn, cooked or uncooked. Depending on where you live you will be able to find small stores that sell specific feeds for hens which contain vitamins and stuff but it's not nescessary. Make sure their drinking water is not stale, change it often.

One thing you need to take care of properly is their feces. Just sweep it up or spray it with a hose, try to clean it whenever you can as often as you can, don't just let it sit there. Hens go a few times a day, obviously the size will not be as big as dogs or cats but are just as dirty.

Once it gets settled it should not be difficult to handle and pick up unless it is bred specifically to fight, then it might attack you.

Also try to bathe it every 1 or 2 weeks. Make sure the water is not too cold, mix in some shampoo and soap before putting it in a bucket. The water should not go higher than his wings, then just pour some over his head with cup.

Hope this helps.

Also the T should be about 1 meter of the ground.
1. Chicken feed. You can get these at COOPs or many pet stores if you live in a rural area.

2. This really depends on the breed. I've heard as long as 5-8 years.

3. They need to be fed and have their coops cleaned out every day.

4. Again, this depends on the breed.

5. Breed dependent! If you're looking for a lovey breed, go for a silky chicken. These generally cannot be used for meat or eggs, though.

6. I would only have around 2, especially since you are just starting out. Unless you want them to breed, get two females. Two males may fight.

7. Depends on the breed and where you get them from.

8. Dirt and hay should be okay. Check with the person from whom you buy them to see what they are used to!

So many things are breed-dependent. Sorry I can't be more helpful. Be sure to ask these specific questions to the person from whom you buy them. Also, go out to check on them at least in the morning and the evening to be sure they're okay.

Check your zoning laws too! If you are not in a rural area, many places have laws against barnyard fowl.
I've never had a hen as a pet...so I don't have any answers for your question. However, you can ask me any questions about budgies, finches, cats, dogs gerbils, hamsters, turtles, newts, snails, praying mantises, grasshoppers, fish, mice, and cockroaches and human beings...all of which I have had as pets and companions.
1. They need to have chick starter until they are 8 weeks old, then grower pellets until they are 20 weeks old, and then layers pellets.

2. Barring accidents, diseases and predators, the average backyard hen lives 5-8 years.

3. ~10 minutes twice a day, plus cleaning out time. Mine need cleaning out about once every week and a half.

4. Cockerels are, but hens aren't. They make a soft clucking sound, only getting a bit louder when they've just layed an egg.

5. Some breeds are flightier than others. Anyway, it is important to handle them regularly, just so that they continue being friendly.

6. You have about 45sq ft. Go to http://www.allaboutchickens.tk and click on coops to find the specific space requirements (it's a bit complicated, and it's explained well there). Don't forget they also need a coop, not just an aviary.

7. It's almost impossible to answer how much they cost, as the cost of buying a bird varies by breed, age, gender, closeness to breed standard, and your location. However, keeping them is very cheap. I once worked out it costs me ~6p/day per hen, but that doesn't include start-up costs.

8. Pine shavings are the best.

As for your dog, then if she would not be able to get into their cage, then you will be fine, especially given that she has never gone after any of your other animals.

Contrary to what another poster said, they never need bathing, unless you are taking them to a show.

My favourite chicken website has to be www.backyardchickens.com - without it, I never would have got chickens.