#Forget adopting a dog during lockdown — city dwellers are springing for chickens

When receptionist Heidi Heilig was told she could work remotely at the start of the coronavirus pandemic, she figured the extra time at home would allow her to get a pet for her 6-year-old and 2-year-old sons.

Trouble is, her kids are allergic to cats and dogs. The solution? Raising three chickens in her small, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn backyard.

“The children were off school, bored, and chickens have been a great diversion from what was happening in the world,” says the 40-year-old, also a published author, who bought newly hatched chicks, named Salt, Pepper and Oreo, in April.

Although the birds are still too young to lay, Heilig tells The Post she’s looking forward to mornings with fresh eggs for breakfast — a clear advantage over dog or cat ownership.

Heilig is one of a growing number of first-time poultry owners who have taken up the hobby as a result of the coronavirus lockdown, taking the uptick in pandemic pet ownership to new heights. Her supplier, My Pet Chicken, reports a boom in sales since March as people have begun seeking an uplifting distraction from the doom and gloom.

“We’ve seen a 260% increase in demand since last year and have struggled to keep up with it,” says CEO Traci Torres, who operates out of Monroe, Connecticut. “The main reasons are that people have more time on their hands now to look after a flock, plus they realize they are a steady source of protein and nutrition.”

Not to mention, people can’t help but feel things are getting a bit apocalyptic these days. “When all else fails, people want to be able to feed themselves and their families,” Torres says.

Much of her business has centered on New York City, where it is legal to keep hens as long as they don’t create a “nuisance” with their noise, mess or any other complaint that a neighbor might file. Roosters are banned because of their trademark loud calling card.

“We mostly sell to the outer boroughs but people do keep chickens on their rooftops in Manhattan,” says Torres.

Less committed chicken fanciers need not fret: Hen and coop rental is available through suppliers such as Rent the Chicken — a play on Rent the Runway clothing company — based in Freeport, Pennsylvania. They usually hire out the birds and equipment for a period of six months during prime laying season, before winter sets in.

“People are looking for things to do, especially with their kids, because they’re not out traveling to gymnastics, soccer, ballet and cooking classes anymore,” says co-founder Jenn Tompkins, who has seen a 30% rise in business from last year. “They have really slowed down and raising chickens is soothing.”

Her customers include Chris Hewitt, of suburban Katonah, New York, who has traded his daily 6 a.m. nearly hourlong commute into Manhattan for a more restful foray into his backyard to feed his three hens, Mae, Rosalind and Rachel, all acquired in May.

“They are very funny and just a hoot,” says the 58-year-old cyber security specialist currently working remotely. “If you’re stuck at home, they certainly give you something to do.

“We can’t go out to dinner or the movies, so my wife, Ann Marie, and I often sit outside watching the girls, as we call them, and it makes perfect home entertainment.”

Unlike Heilig’s flock, Hewitt’s hens are old enough now to lay eggs, some of which have been passed to intrigued neighbors.

“It’s critical having fresh food at this time that you know where it comes from,” says Hewitt. “And once you’ve experienced one of these eggs, you’ll never want to go back to shop-bought ones,” he says of the rich yolks.

“It gives you a completely different appreciation of where they come from,” he says. “It’s only taken a pandemic to get us there.”

Heilig, too, has a real affection for her trio of Barred Plymouth Rocks — particularly seeing the delight on her sons’ faces when they go out to feed and water the hens.

“It’s taught them how to care for a living thing — you have to make sure they’re not too cold, not too hot and they haven’t pooped in their food dish,” she says. “It’s a lot of work but a great way of beating stress during these challenging times.”