Chickens, Ducks, and Geese

Photo by Anton Malanin. https://unsplash.com/photos/brown-and-white-hen-on-ground-RSW0UMbIkz8

These are all birds that are usually kept on farms or in the wild and often kept outside in the city. A big plus of having these birds is that they make eggs that you can eat. These aren’t “free” eggs. It costs a lot for the care and feeding of your pet bird. But it is a kind of cool side benefit.

Before you think about rescuing any of these birds, be very sure that it is legal for you to have them in the city, and what restrictions there are. Some cities will allow chickens and ducks, but not geese. You might need to keep your chicken coop a certain number of feet from other houses or yards. If you have to keep your chickens at least 100 feet away from anyone else's property and your yard is only 25 feet across, you can not keep chickens at your place. Be sure you understand the laws in your city, county and state for the exact kind of pet that you are getting before you give that pet a home. If you are not careful, you will get hefty fines or your pet will be confiscated. You can always work to change the law, but you should do that before you have the bird, not after.

Photo by Bernard Spragg. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:On_Golden_ponds..Pilgrim_geese._(18072502303).jpg

It is illegal to have Canada Geese as pets just about everywhere. A pet Canada Goose that is being rehomed should go to a sanctuary where it has the possibility of being rehabilitated to be released in the wild. Geese that make good pets include Toulouse, American Buff, and Pilgrim.

Good duck breeds for backyard pets include Pekin ducks, Welsh Harlequin, and Muscovy.

Photo by Tom Ungerer on Unsplash. https://unsplash.com/photos/brown-hen-on-brown-wooden-fence-ej5XXS8_2B8

They all need some sort of shelter from the elements and predators. Rats, racoons, dogs that get loose, and hawks are all common predators for these birds in the city. Your pets should have a safe place to be locked up in at night. Chickens need a place to roost, so a chicken coop should be tall and have perches and some boxes for them to sit in.

At the very least, you need a run for the birds outdoors. This could be a sort of tunnel that is enclosed with chicken wire or some other barrier to predators. Many people allow their birds to roam free in their yard. As long as they are safe, this is the best option.

Photo by Zachariah Smith. https://unsplash.com/photos/white-and-brown-chicken-on-green-grass-during-daytime-ZSHYFvNN8hg

These birds are in flocks in the wild, so you should have at least two, or more. Having friends of the same species is often important, but if you only have one, you can give your pet tons of attention and interesting things to do. Sometimes having a mirror helps the bird feel less alone!

Letting them outside to poke around in the dirt is always great. The chickens like to take dust baths. The geese will like to eat the grass. Letting them out on concrete too much may hurt their feet. You can hang vegetables like cabbage from a tree and they can have a good time pecking at it. Vary where you feed them so they have to look around for their food.