Can You Take Chickens Camping? (How & Why?!)

An RV Lifestyle Facebook group member asked, “Can you take chickens camping?” Here's how the RV community responded…

So many of us RVers love to camp with our dogs and even our cats. But what about chickens? 

Surprisingly, many folks love bringing a chicken with them on the road. 

One of our RV Lifestyle Facebook members, Jennifer, recently posed a unique question on our group page. 

She asked: “Does anyone RV with a chicken?” 

As you can imagine, this post received a lot of attention. There were many jokes and humorous asides made. But there were also a lot of great suggestions on how to best travel with your feathered friends.

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Why Did the Chicken Cross the Campsite…

The post was a very popular one. As you can imagine, there were many jokes and other humorous comments. Some of those include: 

Does anyone RV with a chicken?

• In the freezer, – Chad 
• With lemon pepper on the Blackstone, -Brian
• In a frying pan, – Scott
• Not a live one, – Caley
• Yep, because she buys the fuels with eggs, -Clark
• Nope, my lab will meet them at the door, – Ron
• Well, my wife is a bit skittish at times, but I wouldn’t say she’s a chicken, – Dan
• Only when my hubby comes across a spider, -Dana
• Probably everyone with the price of eggs, -Jennifer
• Just Popeye’s, -Michelle
• Occasionally chicken fingers or Chicken Alfredo, -Jeffery
• I’d rather RV with a chick, -Adrian

All Joking Aside…Do Chickens Make Good Travel Companions?

But all joking aside, let’s talk turkey. Wait, I mean chickens. You might be wondering, Do chickens really make good pets? What about travel companions?

Not only do chickens have unique and humorous personalities, but they can also learn fun tricks. Many chickens are even affectionate with their owners and have sweet personalities. Some become lap birds! 

You can see RV Lifestyle member Linda cuddling her chicken in her home, commenting, “…I’d bring my girl Aurora with me.”

A surprising number of people think they do! Many people have started taking chickens as household pets and, yes, as travel companions. 

Although, it’s unclear whether Jennifer was asking if RVers take their chickens as pets or livestock. Either way, there are perks to bringing a chicken RVing.

Low Maintenance

Chickens are pretty low-maintenance pets. Since they don’t need a lot, they can be a good companion without creating too much work for you. 

A snug little coop, some straw, and chicken feed covers most of it. Although, you’ll have to come up with some clever solutions to make your RV travel-ready for chickens. (Below, you’ll see one man’s ingenious idea.)

Surprisingly Quiet

Roosters have given chickens a bad rep for being noisy animals, but hens are surprisingly quiet. (They might even be quieter than your dog!) 

Hens do make a lot of sounds, but their clucks are subdued and throaty. At their loudest (excluding crying out in alarm), they cluck about as loud as normal human conversation (70 decibels).

Roosters would be more difficult to travel with because of their crowing. Everyone’s first thought is being woken up at the crack of dawn. But did you know it’s a myth that roosters crow just to announce the day?

… They actually crow throughout the day.

So, you’d probably be judged instantly as a bad camping neighbor if a rooster hopped out of your RV. Although, it’s worth pointing out that a rooster crowing is only as loud as a barking dog (90 decibels).

An EGGcellent Advantage

Traveling with a hen does come with an advantage beyond having a unique pet. The price of eggs has increased astronomically this year. Having a chicken means having fresh eggs daily, keeping that extra dough in your pocket. 

In fact, we received more comments about eggs on the Facebook post than any other comment! The price of eggs has affected just about everyone, so it makes sense that folks see the benefit in taking along a hen or two!

The Friendliest Chicken Breeds

Chickens are like dogs. They come in many different breeds that are known for different personalities. If you want a chicken that'll be around humans more than normal (i.e., in a campground), you’ll want a friendly chicken. 

Some of the friendliest chicken breeds are: 

• Silkies
• Speckled Sussex
• Buff Orpington
• Rhode Island Red
• Cochin
• Wyandotte
• Australorp
• Easter Eggers
• Faverolles
• Jersey Giants

How Do I Adopt a Chicken? 

If you want to adopt a chicken, a great place to start is at your local animal shelter or a farmed animal sanctuary. 

You can also check out adoptapet.com, petfinder.com, or adoptabirdnetwork.com. Yep, there are chickens on these sites (and ducks and pigeons, if you’re curious)!

Speaking of pet apps, did you know you can Make Money While RVing as a Pet Sitter?

BUT WAIT?! CAN You Take Chickens Camping?

It depends on your destination. Whether you consider them a pet, chickens are officially considered livestock. Some campgrounds do NOT allow livestock. 

So, traveling with a chicken might not be all it's cracked up to be (pun intended). Many RV resorts, campgrounds, state parks, and national parks have rules against camping with livestock. 

You’ll need to call ahead to ensure you can have your chicken with you before your next trip. 

But a surprising number of campgrounds do allow it as long as you basically follow the same rules as dogs. Namely, no excessive noise, clean up after them, and keep them contained.

How Do I RV with a Chicken?

Are you thinking about taking a chicken on the road with you? If so, you must ensure you have everything you need to keep your feathered friend happy and healthy. 

If you're traveling with any kind of pet, we recommend checking out our full Amazon Traveling Pet Shopping List.

Space for Sleeping

Chickens are essentially “crate animals” when it comes to sleeping. They want a dark space that feels safe and secure. 

One RV Lifestyle member, Billy, showed how he made a secure chicken coop in his RV garage. 

If you can’t give up that storage space, purchase a small enclosed crate for your bird. It needs air holes, of course, but you don’t want it to let in a lot of light. Chickens like to sleep in very dark spaces. 

Enclosed Area for Moving Around

While your chicken likes to feel secure while sleeping, it needs to be able to roam around during the day. 

Bring along an outdoor enclosure for your pet to mill around the campsite. Portable pet fencing with a cover works. But you can purchase a pop-up portable coop or go all out with this complete portable chicken coop.

Temperature Control

Another thing to consider when taking a chicken RVing is temperature. While chickens do just fine in temperate conditions, extreme hot or cold can kill them. 

Consider having an air-conditioned space for sweltering days. You can keep their crate in your rig with the AC on or have a separate air conditioning unit for their area. 

For the cold, you can use a heater in the same way you would use an air conditioner. Some folks will dress their chicken warmly in a sweater to keep the cold from harming their pet. 

Taking Your Chicken for Walks

If you want your chicken to be able to stretch her legs more, you can take her on a walk, just like a dog. And, yes, you can buy chicken harnesses and leashes.

Chicken Diapers are a Thing

Let’s be honest, chickens are messy! No one wants chicken poop all over their RV or campsite. That is why many folks diaper their chicken. 

Putting a chicken diaper on them doesn't hurt them. That way, they can have free reign of the RV when you want them to, without the disgusting mess. 

We Travel With Our Dog Bo & His Virtual Fence

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