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Photo provided by Katherine Ke and Wendy Lo

CRADLED CHOOK: Ke’s younger sister demonstrates the proper way to hold a chicken.

Why did the chicken cross the road? A shop had a limited time coop-on for National Poultry day on the other side, but the nest bus had already left. In this fowl-lowing interview in honor of that s-peck-cial day, sophomores Katherine Ke and Wendy Lo chirp in about their eggs-perience with pet chickens…

The Howler: Could we get an introduction of your chickens?

Katherine Ke: I had three chickens. My siblings helped name them, and their names were inspired by the color of their feathers. There’s Pinkpink, because she’s orange which is kind of like pink, and my sister’s favorite color is pink so that’s why. And there’s Blackblack, and the third is kind of a mix so Blackpink.

Wendy Lou: I had two chickens before Katherine gave hers to me.

TH: What’s the backstory behind getting your chickens?

KK: My siblings wanted to raise pets, but there’s three children in our house and my mom felt that we would be too busy. So we thought, maybe we can raise chickens instead because they’re smaller and more convenient. Also, they’re really cute. And then we just got them from the farm.

TH: How did your chickens end up with Wendy?

KK: My mom became too busy, so we gave them to her since she already had chickens as well.

WL: We actually got them together at the same time. 

KK: And our houses are actually really close. We’re neighbors in the same community.

WL: For me, it was my mom’s idea because she wanted organic eggs.

TH: And do you think their organic eggs are better than the grocery store? 

WL: I definitely think so. It tastes really good. But also how they lay eggs is not consistent, it’s not like when you have a hen they will have eggs every single day, but generally you can expect them pretty often.

TH: What is it like, raising them as pets?

WL: They’re kind of different from other pets because they’re actually giving you something: eggs.

KK: And it’s really fun to see them grow.  My siblings and I built something for them. Like a little house. We even put grass in there, for when they were young. 

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WL: You can keep the chickens inside when they’re young and small.

TH: What are the responsibilities of being a chicken owner?

WL: There are definitely a lot. You have to feed them often, though when they’re small, you don’t have to feed them that much. Along with feed you can add lettuce as well.

KK: And now they’re bigger, so you have to add a lot for them to eat. Usually they stay outside in our garden because we built a certain area for them that’s surrounded by the fence and all of the soil and grass is theirs. And during the night, we chase them into their house so they can sleep there. 

TH: What advice would you give to anyone who’s considering chickens?

WL: If you want chickens, then you’re going to accept how they look when they grow up. Yeah, they’re definitely cute, like all of the time, but there’s a big transformation in how they look. And then cleaning is a big part. It might not be the most fun part, but it’s a responsibility you have. 

KK: You have to do a lot of chores each day, which initially me and my siblings agreed to do, but then it was all my mom. We still did a little to clean them, to feed them, and also sometimes play with them. Mental health for chickens is also important. It’s best to get them in groups. More than three would be best.

WL: At least two so they’re not lonely.

TH: Are there any other things you would like to add about your experience of owning chickens? 

KK: It’s really fun because the only pets I had before were fish and turtles. So this was completely new. When I was young in China, the countryside, I went there every year during the New Years and I often played with the chicken in the farms. So raising chickens now was similar but different because you can build a connection with them.

WL: Also make sure your neighbor is okay with it because sometimes they will make some sort of noise. 

Perhaps after reading this you’ll pluck up the courage to decide feather or not chickens are the right pet for you. Be sure to keep in mind that some areas have municipal codes regarding keeping poultry.