How to Care for a Pet Chicken

Some might view chickens as strictly farm animals. But its relatively common for homes in the suburbs and cities to have pet chickens as well as long as local ordinances permit them. There are many chicken breeds to choose from including Silkies Rhode Island Reds Easter Eggers and Brahmas. The breeds range in coloring and size. Chickens make for fairly quiet and lowmaintenance pets. They do need some space for their housing but their diet is pretty straightforward. And they typically offer you fresh eggs in return for your care.

Chicken Behavior and Temperament
Chickens are social flock animals so you will need to get more than one. They can learn to be comfortable around humans especially if theyre gently handled from a young age. Many come to enjoy petting and being around the people who care for them. Some are comfortable with being picked up while others prefer not to be contained.
They typically arent aggressive but might peck or scratch if they feel threatened or uncomfortable. Moreover because they are prey animals they typically should be kept away from other household pets such as dogs and cats that can cause undue stress or injury. 
Expect to spend at least a couple hours per day with your chickens on feeding cleaning and interaction. They are largely quiet pets though they do make several soft vocalizations. 
Size Information
The size of chickens can widely vary by breed. In general they are less than 2 feet long and weigh around 5 pounds on average.
Housing
Chickens need space to roam and cannot be housebroken. This is why people commonly keep them in outdoor coops small structures with solid walls and a roof with attached runs secure areas that allow chickens access to grass and dirt where they can forage. Its recommended to have at least 3 to 5 square

feet of space per chicken 1
Coops should be insulated from extreme weather but still have ventilation. And both coops and runs must have protection from predators. Fencing and walls must be free of holes that predators could access and fencing should be buried down into the ground to prevent predators from digging under it. Chicken runs also should have roofs made of wire or netting to protect from hawks and other predators. 
Inside the coop there should be a roosting spot off the ground as well as at least one nest box per every four hens. Depending on your climate you might need a heat lamp in cold weather. Also always have feeders and waterers accessible.
Specific Substrate Needs
On the floor of the coop add a couple inches of straw for bedding. This will cushion the floor and add some warm in the winter. Spotcheck your chickens enclosure on a daily basis. And roughly once a month remove all the bedding in the coop scrub the floor and walls wait for it to dry and then add fresh bedding
What Do Chickens Eat Drink?
Chickens are omnivores meaning they eat both plants and animals. In general that consists of grains fruits veggies herbs and insects. 
Offer a balanced commercial chicken feed to meet your chickens nutritional needs. Consult your vet for the proper amount as this can vary based on age and other factors. Chickens tend to graze throughout the day so most owners add a daily serving each morning to a specialized hopper feeder that goes in the enclosure. Chicken feed should always be available. 
You also can offer a variety of fruits and vegetablesas well as a limited amount of grains such as cracked corn and oatseach day. Again discuss the proper feeding amounts with your vet. Fresh foods should go in