United States Department of Agriculture • Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service • Safeguarding American Agriculture

Veterinary Services

Centers for Epidemiology and Animal Health April 2011

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Characteristics of Chicken 

Flocks in Four U.S. Cities

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Animal 

Health Monitoring System conducted the Poultry 2010 

study. An objective of the study was to characterize 

urban chicken flocks in four major U.S. cities: Denver, 

Los Angeles, Miami, and New York City. 

To collect data in Denver, Los Angeles, and Miami,

feed stores were visited and a questionnaire was 

administered to customers who owned chickens, lived 

on less than 1 acre of land, and lived within the 

respective city’s defined boundaries. The questionnaire

was available in English and Spanish, and only one 

questionnaire per household was administered. In New 

York City, data were collected from members of a

chicken-related club, rather than from feed store

customers. The study questionnaire was available for 

completion on the club’s Web site and also administered 

at a presentation to club members. A total of 147, 189, 

56, and 33 questionnaires were completed in Denver, 

Los Angeles, Miami, and New York City, respectively.

Flock size

• The average maximum number of chickens in flocks 

during the previous 12 months ranged from 7.8 in 

New York City to 51.1 in Miami.

• Most flocks in Denver and New York City had a 

maximum flock size of 1 to 9 chickens (68.0 and 

81.8 percent, respectively) (figure 1).

Bird types

• Over one-half of flocks in Los Angeles and Miami 

had other species of birds in addition to chickens 

(65.6 and 53.6 percent, respectively) [figure 2]. 

• In Denver, 23.8 percent of flocks had at least one 

other species of bird, and in New York City only 

3.0 percent of flocks had other species of birds.
United States Department of Agriculture • Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service • Safeguarding American Agriculture

• Overall, table egg breeds (e.g., Leghorn, Plymouth 

Rock, Rhode Island Red) were the most common 

type of chickens in urban chicken flocks (figure 3).

Chicken housing

• The majority of urban chicken flocks (81.2 percent) 

were kept at single-family homes. In New York City, 

nearly one-fourth of flocks (24.2 percent) were 

located at a community coop and about one-third of 

flocks (30.3 percent) were located at multifamily 

dwellings. A community coop is a location where 

multiple people keep their chickens, similar to and 

often in a community garden.

• 90.8 percent of flocks were housed in an outdoor 

pen or poultry house/barn during the previous 3 

months.

Chicken health

• Producers reported that they had observed external 

parasites in 9.3 percent of flocks during the previous 

12 months. Diarrhea and respiratory problems were 

observed in 9.3 and 7.4 percent of flocks, 

respectively. Only 1.9 percent of flocks were 

observed to have signs of neurological illness, such 

as falling over, weakness, or trembling.

• One of 10 flocks (9.9 percent) had a veterinarian 

look at its chicken(s) for any reason during the 

previous 12 months.

• The percentage of flocks that received treatments, 

medications, or vaccines/shots during the previous

12 months ranged from 15.8 percent of flocks in 

Denver to 43.6 percent of flocks in Los Angeles. 

Slaughter and death loss

• Only 8.0 percent of flocks slaughtered or sold 

chickens for slaughter for human consumption 

during the previous 12 months. Flocks with 25 or 

more chickens were more likely to have chickens 

slaughtered than smaller flocks.

• Nearly 3 of 10 flocks (29.3 percent) had any chicken 

deaths (excluding slaughtered chickens) during the 

previous 12 months.

• Predators accounted for 44.0 percent all chicken 

deaths (excluding slaughtered chickens) during the 

previous 12 months. 

Reasons for having chickens

• Fun/hobby and food quality (e.g., freshness, health) 

were cited as very or extremely important reasons 

for having chickens by 62.2 and 56.1 percent of 

flocks, respectively (figure 4).

• About 5 of 10 flocks in Los Angeles and Miami 

(52.2 and 45.5 percent, respectively) ranked family 

tradition as a very or extremely important reason to 

have chickens, compared with about 2 of 10 flocks 

in Denver and New York City (21.8 and 19.4 

percent, respectively).
United States Department of Agriculture • Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service • Safeguarding American Agriculture

Characteristics of urban chicken owners

• A higher percentage of respondents in Los Angeles

and Miami completed the study questionnaire in 

Spanish (68.8 and 41.1 percent, respectively) 

compared with respondents in Denver and New 

York City (3.5 and 0.0 percent, respectively).

• For 9.5 percent of all flocks, the respondents or their 

family members belonged to an avian or poultry 

association (including 4-H, FFA). 

• On over one-half of flocks in Los Angeles and 

Miami, the respondent or their family members had 

been raising chickens for 6 or more years. 

Respondents had been raising chickens for 5 years 

or less in three-fourths of flocks in Denver and in all 

flocks in New York City (figure 5).

Summary

Urban-chicken owners differed across cities in a number 

of ways. Chicken owners in Los Angeles and Miami 

were more likely to complete the study questionnaire in 

Spanish, have a longer history of raising chickens, and 

have larger flock sizes than owners in Denver and New 

York City. They were also more likely to have chicken 

breeds other than table-egg breeds and to have birds 

other than chickens. Family tradition was a more 

important reason to raise chickens for owners in Los 

Angeles and Miami compared with owners in Denver 

and New York City, while food source and food quality 

were more important to owners in Denver and New York 

City.

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For more information, contact:

USDA:APHIS:VS:CEAH

NRRC Building B, M.S. 2E7

2150 Centre Avenue 

Fort Collins, CO 80526-8117 

970.494.7000

Email: NAHMS@aphis.usda.gov

http://nahms.aphis.usda.gov

#604.0411

____________________________________

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