I don't know ... As you can see by my avatar I love chickens, I think they are awesome.  Now, this isn't the type of chicken you would eat.  Indeed, they do have novelty chicken breeds, most of them are bantams (small chickens).  From what I understand.  The chickens you eat are either unwanted young roosters, layers a little older than a year, or the commercial breeds (which are inhumane, these chickens' bones can't even sustain them as they grow and they only live to a year probably because their organs can't handle their massiveness).

Here is a picture of a broiler pullet (a hen that is less than 1 year old) whose legs have failed her
[img]http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGA/Broil/BroilerDownLegs.JPEG[/img]

You can read about broiler chickens here: [url]http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGA/Broil/BRKMeat.html[/url]
The chickens I want, again, are novelty chickens.  These chickens are usually bantam (small) breeds.  That is, they are much smaller than normal.  Some are just minitures of larger breeds and some are true bantams, that is, they don't have a larger version.  One of the breeds I would like are the Japanese bantams and those are true bantams.

Here is a picture of Japanese bantams ... they have peculiar tails usually called "squirrel tails" and usually abnormal for chickens in exception to a few breeds like this one.
[img]http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGD/Japs/JapCockHen.JPEG[/img]
[url]http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGD/Japs/BRKJap.html[/url]

Japanese bantams are okay layers ... because of their size they lay smaller eggs.  It's not only that they lay eggs and are nondemanding, but they are beautiful. 

Among other breeds I want are Sebrights.  Sebrights are the only chicken named after the breeder who bred them to have their beautiful characteristics.  In fact, there is chicken portraiture for chickens of this caliber.

Here is a picture of a silver sebright (they also have gold version)
[img]http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGP/Sebr/SSBPullet.JPEG[/img]
[url]http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGP/Sebr/BRKSebrights.html[/url]

Here is an interesting CNN video on chicken portraiture:
[url]http://www.cnn.com/video/us/2001/07/18/jm.chicken.shots.waga.med.html[/url]

Note:  They also have a calender called Extraordinary Chickens, you can get it at Barnes and Noble and most other book stores.

And finally I would also like a small number of Silkies.  You have seen them in the CNN video and they are indeed furry.  Supposedly some people put food coloring in their food to make them odd colors like easter colors.

Here is a picture of silkies getting ready for easter, its absolutely hilarious ...
[img]http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGP/Silkies/EasterSilk.JPEG[/img]
[url]http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGP/Silkies/BRKSilkies.html[/url]

Speaking of easter.  The origin of easter eggs (the colored ones) might have indeed been the result of chickens.  There are indeed easter egg chicken breeds.  You cans see them here: [url]http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGA/Arau/BRKEaster.html[/url]

So you might think they might be a dull pet or even a very dirty one.  Chickens are very social animals, they like to live in small groups.  Their personality and how much they attach to you are a function of how you raise them.  If you spend a lot of time with them when they are chicks they will attach to you and you can even teach them a name and a few tricks.  They can be dirty,  it really depends how many you want and how you take care of them.  I only want 6 - 9 chickens 2-3 of each breed I was looking at.  This will be a lot easier to take care of and keep clean than say a very large flock.  You might also think that they are loud.  The hens are generally very quiet with a cluck here and there and the roosters are no louder than barking dogs.  I really don't want roosters, but to fool them out of crowing, you cover their coop or where ever you have them live so it looks like it's dark outside.  If you want to eat your chickens (I don't),  I've read that the best time to cull them is at night since they won't make a fuss nor a squeak since they are a prey animal and don't want to attract preditors.  I'll probably end up with a rooster anyways since all the online stores sell them straight run (unless I go to a farm), that is, you have no clue what gender they are.  There are some autosexing breeds where the color of the chick distinguishes the sex but they are awfully rare. 

Here is a picture of autosexing chickens and autosexing chicks
[img]http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGA/Auto/CreamLegbCkls.JPEG[/img]

Male chick
[img]http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGA/Auto/CreamLegbChikCkl.JPEG[/img]

Female chick
[img]http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGA/Auto/CreamLegbChikP.JPEG[/img]

[url]http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGA/Auto/BRKAutosex.html[/url]

Chicks are very hard to sex since they might display behaviour that is contrary to their true gender at a young age and completely change thereafter.  It takes specialists to examine the chick and determine their gender.  If you want to raise chicks check out feathersite's instructions on raising chicks.  They are very fragile and prone to disease and parasites at a young age.

Besides laying eggs, chickens can have use in the garden.  You can create a chicken tractor (or from what I understand, a portable coop) in which the chickens contribute to fertilizer (of course it needs to be composted over time first).  You would move the chicken tractor to the desired location to fertilize and leave it their over time.  Chickens also eat pests and weeds, but their scratching can be harmful to young plants.  Japanese bantams are particularly gentle to the garden since their legs are smaller than normal.

Regarding eggs.  Chickens can only lay at most 1 egg per day and as they grow older they lay less often (this is why egg farms cull their layers after their first year, they particularly lay significantly less after their first year).  You don't need to fertilize chickens to have them lay eggs as some people think and there are no special feeds to lower cholesterol in the eggs (there isn't much to begin with).  Speaking of our moderators, their are indeed green eggs (Dr. Suess), if you feed your chickens high iron diets their eggs generally are discolored and green, but they are perfectly fine.
You can read all about chickens and their eggs here at a University of Illinois's website [url]http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/eggs/res08-whatis.html[/url] and particularly this article about cholesterol which may shock and amaze you [url]http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/eggs/res06-cholesterol.html[/url]

If you're interested in chickens because of this post and you live in a city, have no fear you might be able to own a small flock of chickens.
Read: [url]http://www.thecitychicken.com/[/url]

You can also show your chickens (and win money and other stuff).  There are many clubs for specific breeds and shows year round.  Here is the American Silkie Bantam Club [url]http://www.americansilkiebantamclub.org/[/url]

Some other beautiful chickens I am interested in are the Rosecombs and Orpingtons

Rosecombs picture:
[img]http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGP/BRC/BRCHenDen.JPEG[/img]
[url]http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGP/BRC/BRKRosecombs.html[/url]

Orpington picture:
[img]http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGK/Orps/BuffOrpPsUK.JPEG[/img]
[url]http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGK/Orps/BRKOrps.html[/url]

A small note: Orpingtons are good layers and supposedly good meat chickens too.

Funny story and sad story
The story of a chicken called Boring:
[url]http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/ChickMixG/BRKBoring.html[/url]
This chicken kicked the crap out of a dog :o

Thanks to [url]http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/BRKPoultryPage.html#Chickens[/url] we have a lot of pictures and content on the various chickens.

Oh and by the way, chickens can live on average up to 15 years of age surprisingly!

Hope this is random enough for you :D

I like dogs.

Teh Female chick's are sooooooooooooooo cute :P :P

We raised chickens in third grade, and second grade.

Maybe what you want isn't a bantam chicken but a bonsai kitten?

[quote author=Adron link=topic=11419.msg110402#msg110402 date=1114775727]
Maybe what you want isn't a bantam chicken but a bonsai kitten?
[/quote]

No way, that stuff is a hoax.  Chickens are better than cats and dogs anyways ... they can lay eggs and fertilize your garden and even keep the pests away.  They also are more docile (the hens anyways).

[quote author=nslay link=topic=11419.msg110421#msg110421 date=1114794009]
No way, that stuff is a hoax.  Chickens are better than cats and dogs anyways ... they can lay eggs and fertilize your garden and even keep the pests away.  They also are more docile (the hens anyways).
[/quote]

Well, cats fertilize your garden as well, and they even dig a hole for their excrement themselves. They also reproduce rapidly, and I hear their fur makes great clothing.

Of course, most people would get a pet to play with, and I think you would find a cat much more fun to play with than a chicken. Softer to pet too.

[quote author=Adron link=topic=11419.msg110438#msg110438 date=1114805423]
[quote author=nslay link=topic=11419.msg110421#msg110421 date=1114794009]
No way, that stuff is a hoax.  Chickens are better than cats and dogs anyways ... they can lay eggs and fertilize your garden and even keep the pests away.  They also are more docile (the hens anyways).
[/quote]

Well, cats fertilize your garden as well, and they even dig a hole for their excrement themselves. They also reproduce rapidly, and I hear their fur makes great clothing.

Of course, most people would get a pet to play with, and I think you would find a cat much more fun to play with than a chicken. Softer to pet too.
[/quote]

No way ... softer than a silkie?
[img]http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGP/Silkies/Booblit.JPEG[/img]

I really don't like cats!  Dogs are okay but I really like Chickens ... I'd rather watch them than hold them anyways

[quote author=nslay link=topic=11419.msg110440#msg110440 date=1114805564]
No way ... softer than a silkie?
[/quote]

Do they stay that way?

[quote author=Adron link=topic=11419.msg110441#msg110441 date=1114805682]
[quote author=nslay link=topic=11419.msg110440#msg110440 date=1114805564]
No way ... softer than a silkie?
[/quote]

Do they stay that way?
[/quote]

Yes their feathers are furry ... that's just how they are

[quote author=nslay link=topic=11419.msg110442#msg110442 date=1114805746]
Yes their feathers are furry ... that's just how they are
[/quote]

Ah, well, would have to touch one to know.. And I still don't know if I'd want a bird sleeping on my bed...

[quote author=Adron link=topic=11419.msg110443#msg110443 date=1114806024]
[quote author=nslay link=topic=11419.msg110442#msg110442 date=1114805746]
Yes their feathers are furry ... that's just how they are
[/quote]

Ah, well, would have to touch one to know.. And I still don't know if I'd want a bird sleeping on my bed...
[/quote]

Hehe, I am sorry if I seem to have implied that they would live inside the house like a dog.  If they lived indoors it would be in a coop only.  They don't like to sleep on a bed, they like to sleep on perches that are somewhat high up.  They are a prey animal so they like to be high up to avoid predators.  Besides, they can't be house trained, or at least they are very difficult to house train.  I'd rather them live indoors in a coop (remember it's a small number of them)  because there are a lot of diseases they can get from the faeces of other birds outside and also they can get mites and other parasites.  Although, I suppose an outdoor coop wouldn't be much different since they have to get exercise outside daily from pecking and scratching anyways.  I really just want them because I have an interest in them, they are beautiful, and they lay eggs.

[quote author=Adron link=topic=11419.msg110443#msg110443 date=1114806024]
[quote author=nslay link=topic=11419.msg110442#msg110442 date=1114805746]
Yes their feathers are furry ... that's just how they are
[/quote]

Ah, well, would have to touch one to know.. And I still don't know if I'd want a bird sleeping on my bed...
[/quote]

Birds eat worms.  :o

[quote author=nslay link=topic=11419.msg110444#msg110444 date=1114806426]
I really just want them because I have an interest in them, they are beautiful, and they lay eggs.
[/quote]

Ah, I see. It sounded like you wanted one for a pet.

Cats and other pets can pick up a lot of parasites and diseases as well. As long as they don't transfer to humans, it's not so bad. But I guess if they can't be house trained, they're not going to be much good to have inside.

I really really like lizards.  My favorite is the glass snake.

[quote author=Adron link=topic=11419.msg110530#msg110530 date=1114864135]
[quote author=nslay link=topic=11419.msg110444#msg110444 date=1114806426]
I really just want them because I have an interest in them, they are beautiful, and they lay eggs.
[/quote]

Ah, I see. It sounded like you wanted one for a pet.

Cats and other pets can pick up a lot of parasites and diseases as well. As long as they don't transfer to humans, it's not so bad. But I guess if they can't be house trained, they're not going to be much good to have inside.
[/quote]

I've found that if people have birds in their house, it's usually a duck or something like that.  Those aren't house trainable either but you can put a plastic bag on them to act like a diaper.  Here is a picture of a pekin indoors and one with a plastic bag on:
[img]http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/Ducks/Pekins/GlennHousePekin.JPEG[/img]

[img]http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/Ducks/Pekins/RockDiaper.JPEG[/img]

Funny enough here are pictorial instructions to put a diaper on a duck:
(art by Hatsu the owner)
[img]http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/Ducks/Pekins/diaper.gif[/img]

Pekins:
[url]http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/Ducks/Pekins/BRKPekin.html[/url]