Family discussions around getting a pet have recently been fraught with stress, especially when it comes to purchasing a new puppy with prices sky-rocketing and scammers on the prowl. So what pets are recommended for a family’s needs and are chickens worth considering for your backyard?
My name is Poultry Pete and I’ve been rearing and showing purebred poultry for over 45 years. I’ve done a pet costs comparative and have concluded that keeping chickens is ideal for your family and the best value for money.
Today, I’ll be showing you exactly why chickens make great pets, as well as which breeds are best for getting started!
I’ll be going through the following:
- Cost comparatives between different pets.
- Way to consider your context & family needs
- Benefits for household sustainability.
- Getting practical- Council regulations
- Top 7 poultry breeds for egg laying
- Top 7 child-friendly and docile breeds
- Joys of keeping chickens
Pet Cost Comparison
Two of the earliest species domesticated by humans were dogs of course and you guessed it, chickens. Our canine companions were developed to perform a variety of work functions to benefit their human masters.
Chickens ironically were first used not for meat or eggs but sadly for cock-fighting an early form of gambling which fortunately has now been banned. The keeping of chickens is actually enjoying a resurgence as people desire fresh produce for their families.
Dogs remain the most popular pet and the reasons are completely understandable; they make beautiful companions. Recent studies in animal therapy show evidence that they confer many benefits for our mental health and are definitely worth the investment.
We have a therapy dog at our school where I teach. One of the most commonly purchased dogs is the Cavoodle. We purchased our Cavoodle for $850 a decade ago, But with prices upwards of $2000-3000, costs are becoming prohibitive.
Research suggests that other pets can be great for families. Rabbits for example are gentle, adorable creatures. However, they too have high costs with calicivirus vaccinations ranging from $45-$90 a pop depending on your postcode with Vets recommending that you vaccinate every 6 months for the rest of their lives.
Expensive to say the least!
So what are your family’s needs? Usually, I find that people are looking for a combination of affection, affordability and practicality.
I have produced below a cost comparison table of different pet types you may be considering.
This can provide you with an objective summation of the potential costs and benefits across the species to inform your choice of animal.
Pros & Cons of Different Pets
| Species | Price Range | Pros & Cons | Annual Ongoing Costs |
| Dog | $2500 – $5000 |
P: Companionship, affectionate, intelligent, provides safety. C: Difficulty to source due to demand |
$1475 Feed, vet, bills |
| Horse | $500 – $5000 | P: Highly intelligent, pony club community involvement, great confidence & skill builder. C: Risk of injury, needs a large space. |
$4000+ |
| Cat | $100 – $1200 | P: Affectionate, low maintenance, controls pests. C: Shedding, furniture damage, kill wildlife, allergies. |
$500 – $800 |
| Alpaca | $400 – $1000 | P: Highly intelligent animal, sustainable pasture-friendly, provide fleece, great herd guards for smaller animals. C: Require minimum of two animals, good husbandry and acreage. |
$500 Feed, vet, bills, shearing |
| Rabbit | $50 – $250 | Easy to keep, quiet, very family-friendly pet can cope with confinement |
$300 calici-virus vaccine every 6 months recommended |
| Cage Bird | $20 – $70 | P: Highly intelligent- train to talk, tricks, affectionate with loads of personality C: Birds are self-serving creatures. Their loyalties and trust may shift on a whim, if you don’t give them the time and attention they want. |
~$500 |
| Guinea-pig | $25- $150 | Easy to keep, quiet, very family – bullet-proof pet can cope with confinement. Fairly robust pet if feed is constantly provided & kept in good conditions |
$150 |
| Chicken | $25 – 100 | P: Come in a range of beautiful breeds. Provide you with breakfast for most of the year, come in a variety of breeds, keep down garden pests, make good companions, consume household scraps and provide fertiliser. C: Require minimum of 1 square metre per bird in housing. Can attract rodents if management is poor. Not allowed a rooster in suburbia. |
$300 maintenence $ 140 income in eggs per bird (based on average of 240 eggs at .60 cents per egg) |
Why Chickens Make Great Pets
They are Productive Companions
While admittedly chickens cannot match dogs for affection I believe they win hands-down for productivity. I have a little crew of Isa browns that follow me everywhere around the garden, sit next to me when I have my coffee outside and one who flaps up and nestles right next to me for a scratch on the hammock.
Secondly, they are sustainable; you can combine and convert your household scraps with a base supply of affordable standard chicken pellets into a daily omelette. They pump out eggs like crazy and we are never in short supply. They also keep down bugs and pests and are a great source of entertainment with their goofy personalities. There is also an amazing array of breeds to fit your needs. Many families who contact me are excited to know they can source a menagerie. So my suggestion is an emphatic YES,
They are Ideal for Families
An adult couple’s egg supply needs can be met with a couple of productive hens. A young family can enjoy the experience of hatching fertile eggs, rearing with the reward of egg production.
You can still go on Holiday
Going on holiday? There is equipment that is easy to set up that can keep feed and water supply up for at least a week. Too many eggs? Share them with family, friends and neighbours.
They’re easy to set up in your Backyard
Chickens are definitely good for your family but let’s get practical.
Chickens need room to roam, that’s when they are happiest and healthiest. So, you need a section of your backyard you are prepared to dedicate to your fowls. Each chicken needs a minimum of one square metre so a yard area of 4×4 metres would be a minimum requirement for 4 hens.
Councils allow them (for the most part)
The first thing you need to do is find out the local council rules for fowl-keeping. Most suburban councils allow 3-4 hens without a permit. The rules usually centre around keeping the pen free from vermin and sufficiently housed to prevent them interfering with the neighbour’s prize veggies.
They come in a Variety of Breeds
What about breeds?
Once you have established that chickens are for you it’s decision time to consider the breed type. Below are what I would consider to be the top breeds for your needs:
The Egg Laying Specialists
Isa brown/ Hyline brown
ISA Browns are prolific egg layers and are known to provide you in excess of 300 large, brown eggs annually- that’s a whole lot of omellettes! They are also bred to begin laying much earlier than pure breed chickens- you can expect eggs from around 20-22 weeks of age.
It’s hard to beat the modern hybrids as they are designed to lay most of the year.
Personality: great for families- they are easy to pick up as they squat, are chatty,
Productivity: robust and amazingly productive although egg laying while initially phenomenal reduces noticeably after their third and fourth year.
Egg colour: tinted brown
Australorps
Well looked after Australorps lay approximately 250 light-brown eggs per year. They have set egg-laying records! They are also known to be good nest sitters and mothers, making them one of the most popular large, heritage utility breeds of chicken.
Personality: this is a straight forward, ‘bullet-proof’ and all round breed,
Productivity: solid egg layer with good longevity with the added bonus of being good mothers if you want the joys of little chicks.
Rhode Island Reds
A good hen can lay 200-300 eggs each year, although other people put the egg laying at a more modest 150-250 eggs. In general, a Rhode Island hen will lay around 5-6 eggs/week. These eggs are medium to large and light brown in color.
Personality: another solid, dependable all round breed. Make excellent mothers
Productivity: more modest egg laying but good longevity. They pretty much rear themselves making good mothers.
Leghorns
Leghorns are egg-stremely prolific egg layers, one of the reasons why they were used as a foundation breed for the modern egg laying hen. They lay between 280-320 eggs each year, medium in size and white in colour. Fell out of favour as the public’s preference for brown eggs gained favour over white eggs.
Personality: strong, active forager- tend to be a bit more flighty and not given to affection unless handled a lot when young.
Productivity: often as good as the hybrids with greater longevity. As they are a ‘light breed’; do not go cluck so egg production is not interfered with broodiness.
Sussex
A Sussex is easily capable of laying 250 eggs a year. The colour of the eggs will vary from brown through to creamy white. Colour: The Sussex breed has eight different colours, the most common and striking one being a pure white body with black neck and tail known as the ‘Light Sussex’.
Personality: docile, slower-moving fowl- can be quite large as they are classed as a heavy breed.
Productivity: often as good as the hybrids with greater longevity. Tendency to go broody after a clutch of eggs. Make good mothers.
Plymouth Rocks
This chicken breed is excellent for those who don’t have much experience in growing chickens because they can easily adapt to a free-range lifestyle. These chickens are usually very tame and lay around 200 eggs per year, having a small to medium size and brown shell color. With proper care, they can lay up to 280 eggs per year. Plymouth Rock chickens are grey with white stripes.
Personality: docile, slower-moving fowl- can be quite large as they are classed as a heavy breed.
Productivity: often as good as the hybrids with greater longevity. Tendency to go broody after a clurtch of eggs. Make good mothers.
Barnevelder
Credit goes to the Dutch breeders who aimed for robust, productive breeds well suited to the yard with long term laying staying power. A Barnevelder henlays some 175–200 brown eggs per year, with a weight of about 60–65 g.
Personality: strong, active farm=yard bird with staying power. Striking is the double-laced colour pattern and the dark brown egg colour.
Productivity: what you lose in comparative productivity you gain in egg size and longevity
This is all great info Pete, but what about the kids- which breeds are kid-friendly.
My 7 top kid-friendly chicken breeds
Isa brown / Hyline brown
Isas romp it in at number one as they have a very docile personality around humans and are easy to catch as they ‘squat’- they like human company, hover around and are easy to feed by hand.
Pekin / Cochin bantams
These delightful little ‘waddlers’ are easy to keep with minimal space, make great mothers and are easy for kids to catch.
Polish Bantams
Polish are becoming increasingly popular- as they have a big tuft of feathers called a crest they do not have peripheral vision so are very easy to catch. They stand confinement very well, come in a range of colours with loads of personality.
Silkies
You can’t go past Silkies with their amazingly profuse silk- they make excellent mothers – Another chicken breed from China. Marco Polo described this breed in the thirteenth century after a visit there.
They are lightweight, small and easy to handle. They are polydactyl meaning their feet, which have more than the usual 4 but five toes, and black skin.
Faverolles
This french breed usually comes in what is called the ‘Salmon’ colour -see picture. However, they are being bred in an increasing range of colours ranging from cuckoo, to ermine and black.
They have very maternal personalities. Like Silkies they have 5 toes but also a muff and beard or whiskers they are very good for kids because of their incredibly docile nature. They can be a good layers producing around four eggs per week with a light, creamy brown color.
Wyandottes
They are a beautiful breed of chicken that was developed in the U.S. These birds come in many colors and there is a hard-core group of breeders concentrating on some very complex colours.
The partridge colour in particular is a favourite. You are spoiled for choice with this docile, friendly and maternal breed.
Araucanas
A South American breed whilst a bit skittish in temperament the provide unusual green & blue egg colours and are very popular particularly around Easter time.
If hand-reared and regularly handled Araucanas can become quite tame- they are hardy and cost-efficient fowls.
And more…
Other breeds to consider are Buff Orpingtons, Plymouth rocks, Japanese bantams.
There are some really helpful websites to help you get inspired about the breeds available.
What now?
Next time we will be showing you…..
….the next step
Where, I’ll show you how:
- To source your fowls
- To set up a pen in your yard
- To locate a reliable feed supplier
- Source the required equipment
- Manage Health
May I encourage you in your next family conversation to look at the beautiful array of fowls on offer. Once you’re fired up we can put you in touch with the birds themselves.