The trend has gained massive traction on social media, with more than 3.1 billion views on content related to “pet chickens,” reflecting a growing interest among urban populations in unconventional and low-cost pets.
A resident of Guangdong Province, identified as Aguai, told the mainland media outlet 36Kr that maintaining her three pet hens costs less than 30 yuan per month, approximately 400 Indian rupees. She described the birds as quiet, gentle, and easy to care for when compared to cats and dogs, calling them ideal pets after raising them for ten months.
Aguai’s hens belong to the Taihe black-boned silky fowl breed, known for its small size and delicate plumage. Owners of such birds have increasingly expressed emotional attachment, often referring to them as “perfect pets.”
Veterinary professionals have reportedly reassured owners that keeping one or two chickens indoors poses minimal disease risk, especially when compared to large-scale poultry farming conditions. Some owners have even allowed their hens to sleep beside them inside their homes.
The growing trend has also introduced unusual lifestyle practices. Owners frequently transport their birds in baby strollers and dress them in shoes, scarves, hats, and other accessories. Custom diapers and leashes have also become common among pet chicken enthusiasts. In Jiangsu Province, a rooster nicknamed “Slanted Bangs” due to its distinctive comb has gained attention online, with its owner regularly sharing images on social media platforms.
Owners further claim that chickens demonstrate surprising intelligence, asserting that they can understand human communication and respond through behavior and eye contact comparable to traditional pets.
This shift has altered long-standing cultural perceptions of farm animals for many urban residents. While some owners continue to consume poultry products, others have expressed a change in emotional perspective. One owner noted online that her chicken is now regarded as “family, not food,” highlighting a profound transformation in the human-animal relationship within modern urban China.
The rising popularity of pet chickens underscores a broader cultural shift in urban China, where affordability, emotional companionship, and unconventional pet ownership are reshaping traditional boundaries between livestock and domestic animals.
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