The Suburban Farmer: Chicken Companions

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The Suburban Farmer: Chicken Companions

by Shawn Schuster (Subscribe to Shawn Schuster's posts)
May 9th 2008 @ 4:29PM

Filed under: Food, Home

This marks the final installment of The Suburban Farmer's chicken series, but don't fret! The Suburban Farmer will be back with many more topics to come in the near future.

So for this last piece, I'm going to talk a bit about what other animals can get along with chickens, typically. Now remember, as with any animal, they all have their own personalities and traits. Cats and dogs are said to traditionally not get along, yet many pet owners know this isn't the case.

The most obvious companion choice for chickens is other chickens. Even though they may peck at each other sometimes, they're a social animal who thrives in numbers. Also, there's rabbits. Technically, rabbits are considered poultry, so it only makes sense. Rabbits are sometimes messy eaters, getting their feed all over the ground, and the chickens are more-than-happy to come along and finish up the crumbs!

Another obvious choice for chicken companionship is ducks. They're very similar in nature, and they tend to treat each other as equals. Sheep, goats and pigs are also common friends for chickens, as they mostly tend to nonchalantly ignore each other.

Larger animals like horses and cows shouldn't really be a concern for a suburban farmer, but rest assured that for the most part, these animals can get along with chickens. Horses tend to be a bit skittish, but if introduced slowly over time, they can adapt.

As for unfriendly animals, turkeys and geese are the biggest offenders here. In general, both of these animals tend to be aggressive towards anything, so keep any eye on your chickens when they get around either of these.

I hope everyone enjoyed this chicken series, and please feel free to leave any comments or questions for me.

Comments [3]

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

5-09-2008 @ 6:13PM

Femme Verve said...

Thanks for all the information. I'm not a suburbanite and not ready to become a chicken farmer yet but found your articles very fascinating on a topic I have never considered. Now, you have me checking out that online store and eyeing those little cute Bantam chicks (I like the ones with the feather on their feet!) It will be a while before I can give it serious thought but I have to credit you with 'hatching' the idea.

I do not recall if you already stated it but how long do the chickens usually live and produce eggs (I'm sure it varies but a range would be helpful)? Do people eat the old ones (sorry vegetarians)? How much feed $$ per chick(en) is needed per month if they do not have a lot of 'free range' food sources like only a tiny urban back yard (just trying to work out the economics of such an operation separate from the other fun benefits.) Bet you can tell I do not get out of the city much.

Thanks for putting together such a comprehensive intro. I look forward to your next series.

5-10-2008 @ 4:09PM

Shawn Schuster said...

Thanks so much for the questions, and for the kind words regarding the series! Let me see how well I can answer your questions :)

Chickens can live up to 15+ years if living in ideal conditions. They will produce most of their eggs in their first year, then progressively slow down through the years. For this reason, most people who raise them in larger flocks for both eggs and meat tend to slaughter them after the first year.

As for feed costs, of course it depends on how much free range area they have available, and the conditions of that area. Ideally, they could free range for all of their nourishment, but the commercial feed simply assures that they're getting the proper amount of supplements they need like calcium for proper egg shell strength. I did some quick guestimating for what I spend in feed a month (and again, this can change depending on several factors such as location), but it comes out to around 2 US dollars per chicken per month. Over a year's time, that chicken will cost around 24-25 dollars to raise, but you'll get around 200 eggs (which includes the first 5 months of a chicks life when they're not laying. The year after that, you'll get about 360 eggs). With the inclusion of the chicken as a meat source after a year, that's not a bad deal for healthy, hormone-free food.

6-03-2008 @ 7:22PM

Femme Verve said...

Thanks very much for your answers. You've got me expanding my little mini urban farming idea (with dwarf fruit/nut trees with a herb and vegetable garden) to consider including a little 4 hen (max in my city) chicken coop (kind of a tri-level chicken condo to save space and make it roomy when they can't be free in the mini garden/farm.)

Anyway, thanks again for all your info and inspiration.

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