Chickens make great pets, but there are hundreds of different breeds to choose from, so picking the best chickens for pets can be a bit of a challenge. To make things easier for you, we’ve narrowed down your options to the three very best chicken breeds. Keep any of these three chicken breeds, and we guarantee that you won’t regret it.
So without further ado, let’s get started on our list of the three very best chickens to keep as pets.
Silkie Chickens
Silkies are one of the friendliest chicken breeds of all. They love being cuddled and held by children and adults alike. Silkies are well-known for their friendly nature and tend to want to snuggle on people’s laps.
Silkies aren’t very productive when it comes to laying eggs, but their cuteness and friendliness more than makeup for it. These are some of the sweetest chicken breeds, celebrated for their calm and loving temperament.
Another reason to love Silkies is their soft feathers that don’t have stiff quills, unlike other bird species. So they are much fluffier and softer to hold than other types of chicken. The silky feel of their feathers when you stroke them is where Silkies get their unique name.
However, their soft, quill-less feathers mean that Silkies can’t fly at all. Other chickens can’t fly like other birds, but they are able to get airborne briefly to escape a hungry predator. Silkies can’t even do that, so you’ll have to make extra sure there aren’t any predators in your Silkies vicinity if you want them to be safe. But thanks to their inability to fly, you don’t have to worry about them escaping into a neighbor’s yard.
These cute chickens are also much smaller than others, so they are easier to house in smaller spaces. Another advantage to keeping Silkies is that they don’t make as much noise as other chicken species. So if you want to keep a pet that won’t bother your neighbors, Silkies are a good option.
Silkies are beautiful birds with lots of distinctive features compared to other kinds of chicken. Silkies have black skin under their thick feathery coat, and they also have earlobes that are bright blue. Another unique feature that Silkies have is five toes on each foot. As you can see, Silkies really stand out from other chickens. So if you’re looking for a chicken breed that will impress your friends and family, Silkies are a great choice.
Rhode Island Red
Rhode Island Red chickens are great for people looking for a chicken that lays lots of eggs. Apart from being very productive, these chickens are also friendly and sweet-natured, so they’re great pets if you have children who want to play with them. These friendly layers are considered by some people to be the best chickens for pets.
Rhode Island Reds were first bred around 1800 on Rhode Island – which is where they get part of their name from. The other part of their name – red – comes from the chicken’s bright red plumage that can vary from deep rusty red to bright maroon. The legs of these chickens are bright yellow, which brings out the red in their feathers nicely. The eyes are bright, lively orange, and they usually have a comb of their heads. All in all, Rhode Island Reds are a beautiful chicken breed that is a delight to look at.
Rhode Island Reds are also very hardy birds, and they thrive well in all kinds of climates. People keep them as pets all over the world, from the hot equatorial regions to the snowy north. So if you live in a place where the weather is a bit extreme, you needn’t worry that your Rhode Island Red will be bothered much by the weather.
As far as temperament goes, Rhode Island Reds enjoy people’s company and will love being cuddled and petted by the entire family. If you want to be extra sure that your kids are safe from irritating pecks, you should buy these chickens when they’re small, so they’re used to being stroked and held by people when they’re older.
Speckled Sussex Chickens
Speckled Sussex Chickens are another good option when you’re looking for the best chickens for pets. These friendly birds like to follow their owners around and appreciate being held and caressed. Just be a bit wary of the roosters as they’re not as gentle as the hens.
Speckled Sussex Chickens are one of the larger chicken species and can weigh up to 8 pounds. The appearance of these birds is rather beautiful. They have a deep mahogany coat with white spots. The pattern of these white spots is unique for every bird, and you can easily tell each one apart by their variation.
If you want a chicken breed that will give you lots of eggs, then the Speckled Sussex Chicken is a good choice. If you feed these chickens properly, they can lay 4 or 5 eggs every week. These eggs have a light brown color and are of medium size. So if you want to enjoy fresh eggs for breakfast almost every day, these chickens are the ones for you.
Speckled Sussex Chickens come from Sussex in England, which is where they get their name. First bred in 1845, they are now kept as pets all over the world. Apart from being good layers and very friendly, another reason for the popularity of this breed is that they are great foragers.
As efficient foragers, Speckled Sussex Chickens are good at finding their own food if they’re allowed to run free. If you’re having any kind of insect infestation in your area, you can rely on these chickens to sharply reduce the threat. The coloring of these chickens also acts as effective camouflage, so they’re safer from predators when they’re running free.
Although Speckled Sussex Chickens prefer roaming free, you can keep them in cages. Just make sure that the cages are at least 8 feet long, and there are plenty of toys and perches to keep these intelligent birds from getting bored.
Final Thoughts
In this article, we have discussed some of the best chickens for pets. And honestly speaking, there are a lot more breeds available on the market that would make great pets as well. But these three stand out from all others for several reasons. If you’re going to buy any of these breeds, make sure you can take proper care of them. If you can, then you have found the best chickens for your pets!
