Raising Pet Chickens for Your Backyard

Cackle Hatchery® offers a diverse range of chickens so you can find the right backyard birds for your needs. If you are looking specifically for pet chickens and you are new to raising chickens, this guide helps you find the perfect fit and raise a chicken as a family pet.

Backyard chickens can be surprisingly affectionate, and many people who are new to raising chickens are shocked at how loving they are. When you find the right breed for your backyard flock, you will know it — you will love your chickens, and they will love you.

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How Many Chickens Should I Get?

Chickens are social birds and do best in a flock, but a flock does not need to be large. Even two chickens can satisfy their social needs. When deciding how many to get, account for space, feed, shelter, and time to spend with your birds. If you are raising backyard chickens for eggs, two or three hens per family member usually provides plenty. If you plan to sell eggs, raise a few more.

Cold Weather Chickens

Many breeds were developed in cold climates and handle freezing temperatures well. If your area sees regular freezes, lean toward hardier breeds and avoid others. Standards are hardier than bantams, and heavier breeds endure cold better. Prefer birds with small combs and wattles — large combs and wattles are more prone to frostbite.

Especially cold-hardy breeds include Plymouth Rocks, Wyandottes, Chanteclers, Orpingtons, Langshans, Sussexes, Easter Eggers, Marans, Cochins, and Brahmas.

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Hot Summer Chickens

Other backyard chickens are adapted to heat. If you regularly see temperatures above 100°F, avoid heavy, fluffy, feather-footed breeds. Smaller bantams are often better suited to hot climates (except Cochins and Brahmas).

Heat-tolerant breeds include Leghorns, Fayoumis, Hamburgs, Polish, Sumatras, Dominiques, Columbian Rocks, Welsummers, and most Bantams.

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Egg Colors

There are no significant nutritional differences between eggs with different shell colors. Nutrition is driven mainly by diet — farm-raised or backyard eggs are often healthier than factory-farm eggs regardless of color. Cackle Hatchery® offers layers for white, brown, blue, green, olive, and chocolate-brown eggs.

• Blue eggs: Ameraucanas, Legbars, Super Blue Egg Layers, Cuckoo Bluebars
• Green/blue eggs: Easter Eggers, Favaucanas, Ameriflowers
• Medium dark, reddish-brown eggs: Welsummers, Brahma, Dominique, New Hampshire Red, Orpington, Rhode Island Red
• Very dark, chocolate-brown eggs: Marans, Penedesencas
• Pinkish-brown eggs: Plymouth Rocks, Salmon Faverolles
• Cream-colored eggs: Polish, Sussexes, Sumatras, Cochin, Old English, Silkie, Wyandotte
• Olive eggs: Olive Eggers
• White eggs: Leghorns, Polish, Whites, Hamburg, Lakenvelder, Sultan

Best Breeds for Kids

If your pet chickens will be around kids, choose gentle, non-territorial breeds that tolerate high energy. Strong kid-friendly choices include Cochins, Orpingtons, Brahmas, Silkie Bantams, Easter Eggers, and Golden Buffs.

Chicks or Chickens?

Decide whether to raise birds from day-old chicks, order pullets, or start with laying hens. Raising chicks is rewarding and builds a strong bond, but it demands more care and the right environment. Many hatcheries require orders of 25 or more chicks — too many for most backyard flocks. Cackle Hatchery® can ship as few as three day-old chicks so you can order the breed and quantity you want.

Other Considerations

Before choosing a pet chicken, consider time, care, upkeep, and environment. Plan on at least 10 minutes a day plus a few hours for semi-annual chores. Baby chicks need more care to grow strong. Space matters too: if birds live only in a coop, allow at least 10 square feet per bird. With outdoor range, they may need about 2 square feet per bird in the coop plus 10 square feet outside. Free-range space is always best when you can provide it.

Does Your Town Allow Chickens?

Before ordering, confirm that local health and zoning rules allow chickens. Some municipalities limit flock size or prohibit coops in town limits — check the rules so you do not run afoul of the law.

Caring for Baby Chicks

For the first four weeks, chicks need close care and a climate-controlled, predator-safe area. A large cardboard box works; avoid plastic totes or kiddie pools that are too small or poorly ventilated. Drill ventilation holes on all sides for airflow.

For the first week, mail-order chicks need floor temperature under the heat source of 100–105°F, with room to move into a cooler zone. Drop to about 90°F the second week, then reduce about 5°F each week until they are ready for outdoors. Use a quality infrared heat bulb under 250 watts, placed carefully so it cannot overheat or ignite dry bedding. Provide absorbent bedding — ideally wood shavings about 1 inch thick. Avoid newspaper; it can deform chicks’ feet.

Use a quart or gallon chick waterer for at least the first two weeks, with warm water on day one. After two weeks you may switch to a drip-style waterer; bowls are unsanitary and risky. Use a chick feeder (not a bowl) and starter feed formulated for baby chicks.

For the full arrival checklist, see our Chick Care Instructions.

Pet Chicken Coop Requirements

Chickens need shelter from predators and weather. When building or choosing a coop:

• Block predators from entering or burrowing up from below
• Ventilate well to reduce respiratory disease
• Shelter against cold drafts
• Make cleaning easy to limit bugs and bacteria
• Provide roosting poles for sleep
• Offer one nest box for every four or five chickens
• Raise nest boxes off the ground but below the lowest roost
• Keep nest boxes dark and sheltered so hens feel safe
• Allow at least 2 sq ft per bird with daytime range, or 10 sq ft if permanently confined
• Mount feeder and waterer off the ground
• Use removable dropping trays under roosts for easy cleaning

Regular Upkeep

Scheduled upkeep greatly reduces disease and other problems.

Daily

• Keep feeders and waterers full and clean
• Check your chickens’ health
• Collect and refrigerate eggs, pointy side down for freshness

Monthly

• Change bedding in the coop and nests

Semi-Annually

• Scrub the whole coop clean

Browse baby chicks to start your flock, or contact us / call 417-532-4581 with questions.