Urban chicken farming has been on the rise for several years, but there’s a new twist to the practice: People are opting out of keeping a cat or a dog as a pet and choosing chickens instead.
Zem Joaquin at the Huffington post got rid of the family dog because of her son’s allergies and chose chickens instead, ‘Silkies,’ to be exact.
"Silkies are the Pomeranians of the chicken world - beautiful, cuddly, proud and somewhat useless," says Joaquin.
I happen to like the crested Polish chickens myself. I grew up on a farm and my mother had half a dozen or so crested Polish. They roosted in the holly trees, safe from marauding dogs, raccoons and opossums. We didn’t think of them as designer pets, but I guess we were just ahead of our time.
Urban Chicken Pets
Chic Poultry Breeds are Replacing Dogs as Pets
Trend Themes
1. Rise of Urban Chicken Farming - Opportunity to develop innovative chicken farming techniques and products for urban environments.
2. Chickens as Alternative Pets - Potential for creating specialized products and services catering to the needs of chicken owners as an alternative to traditional pets.
3. Growing Popularity of Chic Poultry Breeds - Chance to capitalize on the demand for fashionable and aesthetically appealing chicken breeds by offering unique breeds and related accessories.
Industry Implications
1. Agriculture - Disruption opportunity to develop urban farming solutions specifically designed for raising chickens as pets.
2. Pet Products - Innovative pet product development focused on meeting the needs of chicken owners, such as specialized coops, feeders, and health supplements.
3. Fashion and Design - Scope for creating trendy chicken accessories and products that cater to the growing demand for stylish poultry breeds.