Hen pals: do chickens play nicely with other animals?

From dogs and cats to rabbits and even llamas, hens can slot surprisingly well into a mixed-animal household – so long as you're patient, and pay attention

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Hens, notoriously, don’t stand on ceremony. Your family dog is supposed to be, well, top dog. The cat is obligated to prowl about with imperious indifference. Your hens, on the other hand, are meant to flutter nervously in the background, grateful for their new home. Right?

What actually happens, as any BHWT adopter will attest, is rather more entertaining. The hens arrive. They look around. They decide that your garden - and, why not, the kitchen too - belong to them now. The other pets? They’d better get used to it.

This is the platonic idyll played out daily in households all over the country. But such harmony should never simply be assumed. Our adoption guidance is clear: hens can live happily alongside cats, dogs, sheep and even llamas, but introductions must be supervised. Pets should never mingle freely, at least until you are confident they will get along. The goal is a sort of animal treaty, a furry entente cordiale if you will. Not a chaotic day-one free-for-all. Here’s what to expect, when you're expanding your menagerie.

WHEN PETS MEET POULTRY