Adopt a chicken The chicken as a domestic pet still pales into insignificance next to its farmyard counterparts, of which there were more than 13 million in Switzerland in 2022; about four percent more than in the previous year. At the same time, a growing number of ‘retired’ laying hens can be found pecking and scratching around people’s gardens, having been adopted. Laying hens for fattening are of no commercial use during the four to six weeks spent moulting, as they do not lay eggs during that time. This leads to them being culled after about a year, whereas their normal lifespan can easily last four to six years. After moulting, hens return to laying an egg a day, as Samuel Furrer stresses. He approves of such initiatives as “Adopte une cocotte” (a chicken adoption programme in French-speaking Switzerland) or a similar programme called “Rettet das Huhn”. “That way the chickens can enjoy their autumn years.” However, they would have to adapt to their new environment, as they come from a factory farming background of being fattened with high-energy feed. Animal awareness Is the chicken currently Switzerland’s ‘in’ pet? “We can’t really say, as we don’t have the comparative figures,” says Furrer. Nonetheless, there does seem to be something of a craze for the animal. Moreover, such outpourings of affection are not restricted to chickens. Social media abounds with heartwarming stories of cute mini pigs, although they don’t belong in their owner’s bed any more than the chicken. Veterinarian Bernd Schildger, former director of Dählhölzli Animal Park in Berne, which also includes Bern Bear Park, considers this a fundamental point. Schildger says: “The key is to look after the animals’ interests. They aren’t there just to please people – it’s the same whether you keep blue whales, honeybees or chickens.” Schildger passionately supports the idea of people keeping animals, in principle. He believes people have grown estranged from nature and animals and have banned them from their environment and consciousness. “Why are slaughterhouses surrounded by barbed wire?” he asks. In other words: what people don’t see leaves them cold. If bringing animals into households would make people more aware of them, that would be better for the animals. Chickens sometimes live in the worst conditions for the sake of commerce, he says, therefore “private owners are doing something good”. Of course, hens are more than just Chickens renew their plumage after a year and stop laying eggs, making them commercially unviable. People often adopt these unproductive chickens. Photo: iStock Why take a chicken as a pet? Mainly for the eggs, hardly ever for the meat. Photo: iStock “More and more people want chickens. That may well have something to do with the Covid pandemic.” Sarah Camenisch, FSVO spokesperson egg providers. They have their own charm and personality. These amusing animals, who watch us alertly with tilted head and make us smile, are also communicative and thus rather noisy. That’s why it is advisable to talk to the neighbours before getting one, says FSVO representative Camenisch. Given that Swiss people have been known to go to court over church or cow bells, she makes a fair point. Still, chickens seem to be well-liked, adding a touch of rural Switzerland to all those urban gardens. There is no flip side either, unlike cats with their penchant for terrorising birds. Animal welfare advocate Samuel Furrer also has an answer for those who would blame the cats: put collars with bells on them, and having more hedges and shrubs in private gardens would also provide a safe place for birds. Closeness to nature seems again to be the way forward. Swiss Review / January 2024 / No.1 11
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