Looking for thoughts and experiences with chicken diapers...

I have never tried to diaper a full size chicken. The chicken in my above picture rarely wears them anymore. I was able to house train her. Before I get mean posts about how I shouldn't keep a chicken in the house let me explain that this is an uncommon situation. I got this beautiful girl from a friend of mine when I was very upset due to having to put down one of my other hens. I picked her up at the vets office (where my friend works) and when I brought her home there was a big temperature difference between inside and out (I'm in northern Wisconsin it's terrible it was about 18 degrees that day I think). When I got her home she just kept jumping in my lap. She didn't want to leave my side. At my friends house she was the only bantam and she had always been a loner. I read somewhere that Cochins can sometimes get attached to humans. She is also extremely smart. She now knows what NO means and she has her own room (we have a big house) with a linoleum floor and she has a make shift "coop" in her room. I use a plastic bin with a little clean sand box sand in it for dust bathing. I just say "get in your box" when I want to carry her to a different room and she gets right in. She doesn't like being on carpet for some reason so she will run across it full speed and not poop on it. I don't know how or why I've been so lucky to have it all work so well.. But it just does. I will get a chicken tractor for spring and summer so she can be outdoors, but for now she is with me. She is very attached to me and I'm very attached to her and I'm lucky to be able to only need to work a couple days a week so I have a lot of time to spend with her and keep the house clean.

There's always a lot of talk about temperatures and wether or not to heat coops. I always hear people say it's not necessary and it's a fire hazard. From my experience and from my lengthy research it seems full size chickens are more cold tolerant and there are certain breeds that deal better with it than others. My rhode islands and barred rock just go about their business and act normal when it's in the single digits. My wyandottes will do ok but they chose to stay in the coop most of the day and not venture out much.. But they are only 8 months old right now. My silkies don't do well in single digit weather. They stand with their heads drawn in and one leg up and they don't move around much. Sometimes they're even shivering. It's -18 here today (honestly I would love to move but my husband won't). So my silkies are in the garage where it's 35. But some people might not have the option to do that. I DO agree that in a lot of the states that don't get as cold as it does here it's probably not necessary to heat a coop. However, I think it depends on what breeds u have and where u live. It can stay below zero here for days at a time. I purchased something called a "Sweeter Heater". You can find a website online for them. They are fire safe and made for coops and dog kennels. There is also another company that makes a similar product and I've heard they are cheaper but I don't recall the name.

To each their own of course. Not everyone will agree with me. Just sharing my thoughts and experiences. Happy Valentines Day everyone!

Sorry I meant no offense, everyone is entitled do what they like. I just wanted to point out that it wasn't a good idea to take a chicken used to living outside and move it inside, the bird would be acclimated to colder temperatures and a heated house would be too warm and could cause stress. The same as moving a chicken used to the house out to a coop, both situations are bad for the bird. Again sorry if I came off wrong, I don't have experience with diapers so I can't comment on that. No judgement here.

oldhenlikesdogs said:

Sorry I meant no offense, everyone is entitled do what they like. I just wanted to point out that it wasn't a good idea to take a chicken used to living outside and move it inside, the bird would be acclimated to colder temperatures and a heated house would be too warm and could cause stress. The same as moving a chicken used to the house out to a coop, both situations are bad for the bird. Again sorry if I came off wrong, I don't have experience with diapers so I can't comment on that. No judgement here.

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Oh hey no problem.. No offense taken. I actually didn't mean that towards your comments at all. I was trying to avoid any future negative comments that might come up. I've read threads on here before regarding others who have kept a chicken in the house and some people are REALLY against it. I'll admit.. There is one problem I have recently come across. I'm trying to plan a family vacation and I can't just toss my house chicken outside with the flock she's never been with and I can't find a house sitter, so that has been a bit challenging. But I'll figure it out.

Oh okay. Good to know. I guess I'll just keep them outside unless it's a lot below zero, and even then I'll put them in the coldest room in the house without heat. That will ensure that they don't get too hot while still not being exposed to dangerously low temps.

I can't say much, I keep a parrot in the house, except for his potty mouth he's kinda like chicken.