 Frequently Asked Questions
Do chickens make good pets?
City Chicks chickens are hand-raised in small flocks so they're used to people and noise. However, the more you interact with your chickens, the more trusting they will be of you and your children. Pretty soon they'll all be the best of friends and they will be 'egg-cellent' pets! - Top- Should we get baby chicks instead of older chickens?
Day-old chicks are sexed at birth so you can be guaranteed of getting a little 'Ginger'or 'Ruby.' Starting with baby chickens allows you to develop a close bond with them. If your children handle them from an early age, your chickens will literally follow you around the yard and eat out of your hand. You will need to keep them in a special warm box until around 3 months of age and then they go into your coop to begin socialising. They also require special chick starter crumble food which can be ordered through our Online Shop. These City Chicks will not start laying until approx 20 weeks. For more information about what is involved in caring for these little ones, please email or call us. If you can't wait for eggs and don't want the hassle of nurturing these littlies, we recommend going straight for the 6 month old chickens or point of lay chickens which can be ordered through our Online Shop.
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Can I give them anything to eat?
The only thing chicken experts don't recommend is food high in protein, such as meats and milk products. Also, never allow your chickens to peck at spent egg shells as they may get the taste and destroy their own eggs in the laying box. Medium egg grit is supplied to the chickens for them to assist with egg production and is available through our Online Shop.. - Top- Do I need a big backyard?
Your chickens will be 'eggs-tremely' happy in your yard even if it's only a minimum of 6m2, as long as there's some grass and garden area for them to scratch around in. - Top- What if the children don't like them?
Most children will love their feathered friends, but if you are not sure whether they will or not, we recommend renting for the first month. At the end of this period we will collect the coop and chicken package for a collection fee if noone is getting along with each other. See our Service Agreement for fees and charges. - Top- How many chickens should I get?
For a family of 4, we recommend 2 or 3 chickens. If you want enough eggs for a bigger family or if you decide to share your eggs with your neighbours, an extra chicken for every 2 people should suffice. - Top- Do chickens make much mess?
Chickens are clean creatures as long as their coop is kept clean however they do poo a lot! To clean out your coop, you should scrape the poo out and clean it out thoroughly once a week. Your girls will keep themselves looking their best if they can fluff around in a dusty patch in your backyard. Doing this also helps them get rid of any lice or other bugs from their feathers naturally. If you don't have a dusty patch in your yard, a clay planter dish filled with fine dirt and sand is fine. Chickens can make a huge mess in your yard much like a scrub turkey, so if you have new garden beds, we recommend covering these as they can get very excited about the newly laid mulch and the prospect of worms under it. - Top- Are they noisy?
Roosters are, but chickens aren't really noisy at all. This is why Brisbane City Council allows each household to have up to 6 chickens in a yard up to 800m2 or 32 perches. Roosters are not allowed in Brisbane. See www.brisbane.qld.gov.au and type 'Poultry' to search for more information. If situated outside the BCC, please see your local council website for any restrictions. - Top- Why do chickens drink so much water?
Chickens use a lot of water in the production of eggs and you will notice your girls constantly sipping water throughout the day. That is why it is important that fresh water be checked every day so that they have a plentiful supply. See Other Products for our range of poultry drinkers. - Top- When will my chickens start laying?
Your chicken will be at least 20 weeks old - when she's known as a laying pullet or at point-of-lay. She should start to produce eggs for you within a month of arriving in your backyard, however City Chicks does not guarantee a chicken's laying capacity. See our Renters and Purchasers Terms of Agreement. - Top- Why do I need dummy eggs?
Using dummy eggs are an 'egg-sellent' way to help your chickens get used to having eggs around as they get familiar with their new home. Just don't try to boil one up for breakfast! - Top- How many eggs will I get a day?
This varies depending on the temperature, time of year, age of the chicken and its diet. Most will lay between 180 - 320 eggs a year, with some laying an egg a day all year round. As your chicken becomes older, her eggs will become larger. - Top- When do they stop laying?
She will be productive until she reaches approx 1.5 - 2 years of age, at which time her production of eggs will decline. However, it's not uncommon for chickens to continue laying happily into their 3rd and 4th years. After this, laying will decline drastically, and the girls will enjoy retirement, with their average life span being between 5 and 7 years. Once laying stops, you might choose to replace your chickens using our convenient Chicken Retirement Service also known as our Chicken Swap Service - see Special Services for more details. - Top- What about our other pets?
Chickens work in well with existing pets. If you spend time with your dog or cat when the chickens are introduced, they will soon begin to get on with life as normal. It's not uncommon for dogs to become protectors of chickens. - Top-
Where can I get more information?
If you want more information about raising backyard chickens, there are many websites available to help. Click here to see the sites we recommend. - Top- Can I have ducks and chickens together as pets?
This is a tricky one. Ducks want to create a muddy mess by 'billing' the ground with water to make a mud bath. Chickens on the other hand do not like large amounts of water and can get a chill from being around too much of it. If you want to put the girls together, it will be difficult. If you want to have 2 separate sleeping areas, then it would work better. For ducks, simply put a baby bath on a concrete slabe or on gravel so they can access their water.
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