Know the Facts

Expect to get dirty. Chickens eat like teenage boys, stand on every available surface and poop wherever the mood strikes.

Expect to give tours. For neighbors, friends and family, your hen’s house will become a small attraction.

Expect to make a lot of scrambled eggs.

Expect to commit. A chicken may live up to 10 years. While the first two to four years are the most productive egg-laying years, most layer breeds will lay for up to seven.

Expect your lifestyle to change. Whether it’s sharing a backyard or traveling a bit less, bringing home any pet warrants compromises.

Expect your chickens to take a break from egg laying every once in a while for their health. A hen’s reproductive system waxes and wanes.

Egg laying naturally declines in winter as the days grow shorter. Other annual events, such as molting, will also put the brakes on laying for a little while.

Expect to be entertained. Chickens are, in a word, ridiculous. They have a waddle that’s slapstick comedy, they make funny noises, and their antics never cease.