3. They are indoor-outdoor pets.

Flappy and Nimrod stay in their coop in Albert’s backyard. When the temperature gets colder, they make the trek to the garage (equipped with heat lamps) to escape the elements. Both chickens still go outside in the winter — they just don’t sleep there.

4. They lay eggs every day (if they feel safe).

“Chickens, they want to feel safe. If they don’t feel safe, they aren’t going to be laying eggs,” said Albert.

And since both Flappy and Nimrod are content, Albert and his family get 14 eggs a week.

5. They don’t answer to their given names.

Although affectionate like dogs, unlike dogs, chickens don’t answer to their given names.

6. They love watermelon and worms.

Albert said his chickens love watermelon and worms.

“Every time you go outside, they want to eat what you are eating. There was one time where I went back there with some watermelon, and they just wanted it so bad, so I put a piece down and they went to town on it,” said Albert.

Sometimes, during the summer, Albert will freeze some watermelon and give it to Flappy and Nimrod to help cool them down, like a frozen snack.

As for the worms, when Albert turns over his garden, the birds follow him to collect the unearthed worms.

“They just love worms. They devour them,” Albert said.

7. They can live from eight to 15 years.

Brown sex-linked chickens (meaning they are a hybrid of two breeds) can live from about eight to 15 years.

8. They are good with children.

Albert got his chickens when his children were still young (they got to pick out the names Flappy and Nimrod) and hasn’t had much of a problem with them.

His daughter even decorated the chicken coop door.

9. They stay in the coop until the sun comes up.

Right before the sun goes down, Albert and his wife are quick to put the birds back into their coop and make sure to let them out when sun is up.

This is to avoid interactions with other wildlife, such as raccoons or possums.

In the rare occasion possums have managed to enter the coop, they were quickly removed before anything happened.

10. Brown sex-linked chickens are more friendly than other species of chickens.

Albert said brown sex-linked chickens seem to be friendlier than their white counterparts.

“The ones we have, they are very warm with people. The white ones are a little bit more skittish.”

Disclaimer: These poll results are not scientific. They are the informal findings of a survey presented to the readers of the Brampton Guardian and reflect the opinions of those readers who have chosen to participate. The survey is available online to anyone who is interested in taking it.