Updated December 2021
(This post contains affiliate links)
Chicken-mania, or the irresistible urge to get more chickens, is a growing phenomena in many parts of the world and with good reason. Chickens are easy to keep, fun to watch, and provide bountiful food for our tables with relatively little effort on our part.
Spurred on by the Corona virus pandemic and a renewed interest in local foods and food security, it is estimated that over 8% of US households now keep chickens (1), and there are millions more chicken keepers world wide. That means the chances are increasing that someone on your gift list this holiday season is a chicken lover or will soon be one.
But what are the best gifts for chicken lovers?
You really shouldn’t be surprised if the chicken lover on your list is somewhat pecky (or is that picky?).
Certainly, there are the usual kinds of standby chicken gifts. You can go generically and settle for anything that has a chicken or chicken logo on it. Sure, that can work. Most chicken lovers will get a laugh out of a funny cartoon, a printed shirt, or a great chicken sign.
But if you want to truly impress the “chickenista” or “chicken tender” in your life, here are 9 unusual gift ideas that will speak to the heart of a chicken lover (or to their beloved flock – so in either case you’re golden).
9 Unusual Gifts for Chicken Lovers
Think Art!
Art therapy has many proven health benefits for both the body and the mind (2). What says ‘I love you’ more than a gift that can increase blood flow to the brain, reduce the physical symptoms of anxiety and improve someone’s emotional well-being . . . and that’s just the art part.
Now if you combine chicken love AND art – you have a winning gift combination that will have your flockster singing (er- crowing?) your praises this holiday season.
While there are endless ways to achieve a chicken art gift, my two personal favorites are the <a href="http://<a target="_blank" href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/163136765X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=163136765X&linkCode=as2&tag=rosehillfarm-20&linkId=6b3336929d10459f3c5d4ae06275a869">The Artful Chicken 2022 Wall Calendar: Brush & Ink Watercolor PaintingsArtful Chicken Wall Calendar 2022 and Chicken Coloring Books. The calendar has inspiring chicken art that you sample from month to month whereas the coloring book provides a mindful exercise that can release stress quickly.
Search for Chicken Art
Search for Chicken Coloring Books
Put Your Eggs in One Basket – really, it’s okay!
Chicken lovers the world over are notoriously worried about the freshness of their eggs. It’s a point of pride for many that their eggs are FRESH – really fresh.
But anyone with more than one chicken soon finds out that you can lose track of which eggs are the oldest among the ones you recently collected. That’s where an Egg Skelter comes in.
Popularized in Europe, these spiral racks hold eggs in the order in which they are collected. You always add new eggs to the top and take eggs to use from the bottom, thereby ensuring you are using up the oldest eggs first. This nifty system keeps track of egg freshness for you, and the racks come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and colors to suit any style.
Stay Cozy and Warm All Winter Long
Okay this is a two part idea. For your chicken keeper, why not package up some items that will help them stay warm while having to do those winter chores (like collect eggs that go in the egg skelter?). A warm heavenly vest, hand warmers, and gloves go a long way to making treks to the chicken coop more pleasant for anyone having to deal with birds in the cold part of winter. Who doesn’t love to feel cozy and warm?
Search for Hand Warmers
But because chicken lovers love their birds to a fault, you could also splurge for the flock and buy one of the new flat panel chicken coop heaters. Safer and more energy efficient than heat lamps, these new panels are a hit in places where the winter dips too low for chicken comfort. Of course not everyone needs a coop heater though – many chicken breeds are remarkably resilient and do just fine with no added heat. Check what is suitable in your area.
Feed the Hungry (Chickens)
Chicken lovers are ALWAYS worrying about what their chickens are eating. One of the big factors in quality egg production is sufficient protein. So what better gift for a chicken lover than a means of creating more protein for their darling chickens?
There are many ways to increase the protein available for chickens. One option is to grow some by turning your kitchen leftovers and coffee grounds into worms using a worm farm, like the Worm Factory 360. Or you can skip the ‘grow your own’ part and just order some chicken treats such as dried meal worms. Happy chickens laying lots of eggs definitely makes for happy chicken keepers! Chicken treats are bound to be a hit.
Defeat the Enemy
Nothing strikes fear in the heart of chicken lovers more than nightfall and the chance that a predator will kill one of their flock. That means you can give your chicken lover the gift of flock safety and be a hero this Christmas.
Two great predator defense gifts are automatic coop door closers, like Chicken Guard, and electric mesh fences and starter kits that work 24/7 to deter predators from approaching the coop. Automatic chicken doors close after the chickens have gone to roost and prevent night-time predators from getting inside. Electric poultry mesh fences use electric pulses to snap predators (and chicken hungry dogs and cats) that try to cross the fence. These devices can be a god-send for a chicken keeper, and can reduce the stress and frustration of dealing with predators.
Tantalize the Senses
It’s no secret that sometimes chickens can smell . . . . . bad.
But there is a gift that not only smells amazing, it also benefits the health of chickens and chicken keepers alike. Essential oils are not just for people! Turns out that essential oils have many important health benefits for chickens!
There are at least 20 different essential oils that are used in poultry production and at least 8 that have antimicrobial properties. That means not only do these products smell great but they actually reduce the risk of pathogens associated with chickens. Healthier chickens means fewer pathogen risks for the chicken keeper. It’s a win-win.
Float Like A Feather
Talk to a chicken lover long enough and you will learn all about feather colors and patterns. Part of the joy of owning birds is enjoying their amazing feathering.
Now you can delight in the beauty of feathers any time with the original designs in the Rose Hill Farm Feathers Collection. The intricate feather patterns are calming to look at and can complement most decors. Shop for unique products that you can customize on your favorite mug, bag, pillows and more.
Bet It All On A Dream (Bird)
Now this one requires you to do more than just click a link and hand over a credit card number. Here’s the scoop.
Pretty much every chicken lover has a dream bird they wished they owned. Maybe it is a blue laced Wyandotte. Maybe it is cute little Silkie or a wildly feathered Frizzle, or a fashion model of the bird world, like the Polish. Perhaps they dream of owning something truly exotic, like a black Ayam Cemani. Whatever their dream bird, you can be sure the cost is often what is standing in their way.
So why not make that Dream Bird a reality? How you ask?
Well you could gamble and place an order with a hatchery. But the simplest way forward is to give a hand-made gift card for the equivalent cost of hatching eggs, chicks or that special pullet. Just brace yourself because most specialty birds are not cheap! You could be on the hook for $60-120 for hatching eggs, and it goes up from there.
But let’s face it. Life is short. Why just dream about having that special bird? Give your chicken fancier their dream bird and share the joy of chicken keeping at its highest level. I can tell you that finally getting Blue Marans was a dream come true for me! Nothing feels better than going out to the coop each day and seeing those birds in my flock.
You can make your own gift card on Canva with a free account.
Go Back to Basics
Still not sure what gift your chicken lover will love best? You can shop for lots of quality chicken keeping gear from the Rose Hill Farm Shop page. There are reviews and links for incubators, brooders, kitchen and giftware, processing equipment and more.
Rose Hill Farm 