Backyard Chickens in the U.S.: A Survey Investigation

Keeping backyard chickens has become increasingly popular in the U.S., but few studies have attempted to provide information about these flocks. An online survey of backyard chicken owners was conducted, advertised through Master Gardeners' websites, social platforms (blogs, Facebook, Twitter), and other sites. The survey consisted of 56 questions about flock history, husbandry, health care and owner attitudes and demographics. Results from the 1,487 surveys received indicate that respondents came almost equally from urban, suburban and rural areas. Most respondents (71%) owned fewer than 10 chickens and had kept chickens for less than five years (70%). Major reasons for keeping chickens were as food for home use (95%), gardening partners (63%) and/or pets (57%). Owners thought that eggs/meat from their chickens were more nutritious (86%), safer to consume (84%) and tasted better (95%) than store-bought products, and also that the health and welfare of their chickens was better (95%) than on commercial farms. The majority (59%) of respondents indicated that they had not had flock health problems in the last 12 months. However, backyard owners seem to lack awareness of certain poultry health conditions. Many knew either little or nothing about exotic Newcastle disease, or Marek's disease, and most (61%) did not vaccinate their chickens against Marek's. Respondents indicated a desire to learn more about various flock management topics, especially how to detect (64%) and treat (66%) injuries and health problems. The internet was the main source of information (87%) used by backyard flock owners, followed by books/magazines (62%) and feed stores (40%). Minimizing predation was the most cited challenge in chicken-keeping (49%), followed by providing adequate feed at low cost (28%), dealing with soil management (25%), and complying with zoning regulations (23%). The evidence obtained from this survey will help to determine what information and resources are needed in order to maintain good biosecurity and improve the health and welfare of backyard flocks.