Life with 20 Chickens: boat adventures and leash walks

Growing up, my family always had at least one dog and a few cats running wild around the house. After the passing of our last beloved dog, my parents were hesitant to bring home a new four-legged friend—which, of course, meant my dad went out and got twenty two-legged ones instead. I’ll never forget coming home from work one evening and being called over to the garage. There, under a glowing heat lamp, stood a flock of tiny baby chicks… that my mother had absolutely no idea existed. She eventually found out thanks to an Instagram story I posted (oops… sorry, Mom).

Since then, my dad has fully embraced his role as Chicken Dad. He handles almost all the chicken maintenance—from feeding them to collecting and selling their eggs like some sort of suburban farmer. And yes, he has named his favorites.

But it doesn’t stop there. My dad has actually trained a few of his chosen chickens to walk on a leash around our neighborhood. They attend family events like feathered VIPs, causing a mix of confusion and laughter wherever they go. In the springtime, it’s not unusual to see him riding around on his electric scooter with a small carriage attached to the back… filled with chickens out for a joyride. It’s part delivery service, part mobile petting zoo, and fully free entertainment for the entire neighborhood.

Jackpot the Rooster on the river

Recently, the chickens’ lifestyle has upgraded from backyard barnyard to full-on luxury vacationers. Now, instead of bringing a dog on the boat, my dad brings a chicken along for family days on the river. Believe it or not, they seem to love it—happily walking along the shore and even wading into the water. On our last trip, my dad boldly decided to bring one into a waterfront restaurant. The chicken was an instant celebrity, posing for photos with diners… right up until the staff kindly asked for its removal.

As unconventional as it sounds, chickens make surprisingly good pets—and fantastic conversation starters. Our whole family now sees them in a totally different light. Having pet chickens was never something I imagined for our household, but here we are… and honestly, we wouldn’t have it any other way.