Just a quick question?

HI, I have always loved chickens and have wanted one for some time.
I think that I would love to get a silkie chicken, from what I have read they need to be in pairs or groups.

Right now there is no male chickens for adoption/sale, only hens.
If I was to get a hen, then the little thing would be by itself for a few weeks, is that okay?

they would definitely be house chickens. Right now I have 4 guinea pigs who have their own room downstairs. So the chickens would also be confined to a room. I would try my best to litter train the (I have heard it is possible) if not I would just house them on news paper and straw.

Each day I would set up a large pen on the grass and let them forage for a couple of hours.
I would also spend a lot of time with them, because I am very fond of all animals and find myself sitting downstairs for hours watching the guinea pigs run around.

Do you think they would be alright in this set up? Do you have any suggestions, I want to be the best chicken mum ever!

BTW if you were wondering why I wouldn't keep them outside, its just because next door there is two dogs and I just don't want to risk it.

They will poop all over your house. You don't need a rooster you can have two hens. You should consider a small run outside. The chickens would be much happier outside.

eggbert420 said:

They will poop all over your house. You don't need a rooster you can have two hens. You should consider a small run outside. The chickens would be much happier outside.

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X2 You definitely don't need a rooster unless you are planning to breed your chickens.

A rooster will also make a lot of noise, some areas don't allow roosters for this reason. Having just one hen with a rooster can also be tiring for the hen, so she would probably be happier with another hen or two for company. Most people here recommend keeping 3 so that if anything happens to one of them you don't get left with one lonely chicken. And chickens are really flock animals, so if even if you are around a lot, if there are long stretches of time when you are not around, it would be much better to get your chicken some company.

I hope this helps. And welcome to BYC!

After having kept chicks in my garage through the winter waiting for them to grow big enough to release into the flock I can tell you that you definitely don't want them in your home. It's not just the poo or the smell, it's really the dust. They scratch and shred their bedding continuously and kick up dust into the room. My garage still has a thick sawdust-like patina covering almost everything. And it's not like regular dust, it's like there is some sort of glue mixed in with the dust because you can't wipe it off, especially not off metal.

If you want birds in doors then perhaps Parakeets or similar would be something to look into. But chickens are a joy to watch because they are nearly always animated and busy. Chickens are a great addition if you can build a coop for them outside.

There is a thread called "people with house chickens". You might find that interesting.

Sounds like your guinea pigs are lucky guys!

Toddrick said:

After having kept chicks in my garage through the winter waiting for them to grow big enough to release into the flock I can tell you that you definitely don't want them in your home. It's not just the poo or the smell, it's really the dust. They scratch and shred their bedding continuously and kick up dust into the room. My garage still has a thick sawdust-like patina covering almost everything. And it's not like regular dust, it's like there is some sort of glue mixed in with the dust because you can't wipe it off, especially not off metal.

If you want birds in doors then perhaps Parakeets or similar would be something to look into. But chickens are a joy to watch because they are nearly always animated and busy. Chickens are a great addition if you can build a coop for them outside.

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Ditto!!

Chickens poo A LOT and it isn't neat, dry little pellets that can be easily picked up :/. You won't believe the dust they cause, scratching in their bedding and shaking-off after dust bathing. When we do the big clean-outs of the coop twice a year, we wear a dust mask. You really don't want that in your house.