Chicken may be very low maintenance birds but they have survived longer than us and their population is several hundred folds over ours. True they are prone to diseases and pests but their population is a testament that chickens are survivors. More so with hands that care. Chicken will eat just about anything. You would know if the chick in uncomfortable or hungry when they peep loudly, when not, the chick chirps contentedly. As the chick grows, food consistency will be different. Starting from a starter mash, it will need crumbles and then pellets. This is no cause for worry though as the feed is basically made of the same mixtures and components, the differences accounts for the degree of coarseness of the milling only. Chicken runs should be secured and fenced around with the base of the fence buried at least 10" into the ground while the height should be at least five feet. Food and Water Chickens could live on yesterday's water but when the water has droppings it has to be cleaned. A steady supply of clean water is essential if the chickens are to be healthy. It's also a plus that your chickens feed on bugs and insects that incessantly wreak havoc on your crops. Chickens Make Good Pets. The hens, especially the "bantam" types, are docile in nature, not to mention that they are total beauts! Many types of breeds are beautiful in appearance, most notably Barred Rocks, Wyandottes, Orpingtons and Cochins. It could be a little droplet of water running across a wire, a territory that they are foraging even when there are no signs of potential food morsels, just about anything. The chicken sometimes could be cranky enough and peck at another sometimes to the death. This is sometimes complicated as when other chickens see blood, they could help peck the hapless chicken until most feathers fall or seriously wounded. In the country, they attract a lot, in the city they attract rats let alone cats. The hen house then is a good area to shelter and raise them. There are fanciful chicken pen designs that are available everywhere if you do not want to go through the trouble of building them. Fancy chicken pens are good and attractive accessory to your backyard.