Hens And Other Pets: Keeping Them All Happy

Nothing makes us chuckle more here at the British Hen Welfare Trust than a photo dropping into our inbox of a cat looking disgruntled because a hen has stolen its bed, or a dog sunbathing alongside an ex-bat.

A primary concern when thinking about adopting hens is whether they will get along with existing pets. After all, no-one wants to end up with bad-tempered animals who can’t be friends. Thankfully, with a sensible approach, hens will get along just fine with dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs as well as many other pets.

A key consideration is your pet’s temperament. Just like hens, every dog, cat, rabbit etc has a different personality and may be more likely to strike out at a hen. If you know you have a dog who likes to chase birds and squirrels when out on walks and, particularly if he or she has ever caused another animal harm, then re-homing hens may not be such a wise idea. If, however, your pet is merely playful and gets a bit excited at the thought of making a new friend, then all you need is a bit of patience.

As with any new animal it is necessary to introduce hens to your existing pets slowly. If you have a permanent run for your hens then this is the perfect setup to let them to see your pets without allowing physical contact. Let your birds get used to your pets and vice versa for a minimum of a week before letting them have supervised contact.