The Trend Of Keeping Chickens

Whether it's for sustainability or companionship, the trend of keeping chickens, ducks and quails is on the rise in Singapore. Meet six individuals who have made these birds a part of their everyday lives.

- Chelsia Tan

A small community of poultry hobbyists have cropped up in a sleepy Siglap neighbourhood over the last two years, where several households have welcomed various breeds of chickens, and even a duck, into their families.

Chia Su-Mae, founder of local skincare company B-Skin, is one such enthusiast who is now keeping a mix of nine Brahma and Silkie chickens as pets in the garden of her landed property. Across the street, her one-year-old white Pekin duck, which she named Smol, lives on the sprawling front lawn of her father's house.

When we first started keeping chickens in 2019, and then our duck in 2021, there weren't that many other chickens in our neighbourhood. But in the last year or so, many of our neighbours have started keeping chickens too, she says.

Su-Mae remembers when she and her family set up a chicken photo booth in their garden to support their neighbour's charity bake sale in November 2020, which was held to raise funds for local charity Willing Hearts. It was a hit among the neighbours, who brought their children to pet the chickens and have their photos taken with them. Some of her neighbours fell in love with the chickens after the event, which inspired Su-Mae to organise a talk on keeping chickens as pets at the neighbourhood park. However, it was cancelled because of Covid-19.

Instead, we started an informal group chat on Whatsapp where neighbours could ask questions about rearing chickens. There are currently 25 neighbours in the group chat, she says.

Over at the Animal Concerns Research & Education Society (Acres) Wildlife Rescue Centre, a larger-than-life rooster has become a public relations mascot of sorts for the animal welfare organisation. Diggle, charismatic red junglefowl, is a regular star in the group's Instagram stories, endearing followers with his curious and friendly nature.