Keeping backyard chickens has grown in popularity, offering welfare improvements over commercial systems, but birds face distinct challenges including predation, inadequate housing, and neglect after novelty fades.
Backyard chickens generally experience better welfare than their factory-farmed counterparts, but their care requires more knowledge and commitment than many new keepers anticipate. The most significant welfare failures involve inadequate predator protection, failure to provide veterinary care, and abandonment when egg production declines. Chickens are intelligent, curious animals that thrive with enrichment, dust bathing opportunities, and social stability.