Indoor Pet Chickens

[extrememainer]

Enjoy

 

[extrememainer]

I've had ducks and chickens take a dump on me it's thrilling

 

[Patinas]

I am on the "absolutely not in the house" side! The poop and dander are enough reasons for me to know chickens need to be outside. Besides, my DH would surely think I've finally lost my mind!

Putting diapers on a chicken just seems so weird to me and I'm sure the chicken wouldn't like it much just because they love to preen themselves.

Funny thing is, when my chickens are out free ranging they constantly try and get in the house. I've had them fly up to the sill of unscreened windows when they are open and they congregate at the back door of the patio and peck at the glass in the door as they are peering in. Only once have two managed to wander into the house when I wasn't looking and when I found them, they were standing in the middle of the kitchen looking around as if to say "Hey! This is fabulous! We should move in here!".

I don't like having to keep the patio door closed when they're out free ranging so I just ordered one of those magnetic screen doors to hang and hoping that will deter them as long as they don't figure out they can bust through it!

 

[anatess]

I have an Amazon parrot, 2 parakeets, and now a rooster living in the house. Yes, these birds produce a LOT OF DUST so an air filter is necessary. Al the other chickens are outside in the chicken coop. The rooster will get my neighbors to petition taking away my chickens, so he gets to stay indoors.

The birds, including the chicken, wear diapers when I let them free roam. Yes, it's a pain to get the parakeets in their diapers because they like to bite me when I put them on. No problem at all with the Amazon and the chicken. They still preen themselves even with the diaper. The birds have their own foraging area and so does the rooster. It's really not much of a difference having birds in the house or chickens in the house. It just requires setting up a part of the house to accommodate their different needs and coming up with a system of maintenance. This would be the same with having dogs or any other pet.

 

[RoseHaven]

My first set of chicks I kept in the house in a brooder for 4 weeks. That was all I could stand it! The dust those little ones make is unbelievable! How it coats absolutely everything is beyond me.

With my second set, I set up my brooder in the garage. MUCH BETTER!

Though I will say, I did have a pullet who at nine weeks came down with what I believe was Marek's (even though she was vaccinated) and until I made the decision to euthanize her, I kept her in my mud room! She ended up being in there like 5 days. She was too cute. She would try so hard to "come running" when she saw me. Her poor little legs, though, they just stopped working!

Anyway, I digress, I agree, chickens should be allowed to live outside and be a chicken.

Except for the marek's, you've written my experience. I'm still finding dust from when we brooded downstairs. We're hoping to never have to raise chicks inside, ever again. Let's hear it for broody hen mammas!

 

[Diannastarr]

I am wondering, how many people here keep an indoor chicken as a pet? I've heard of people doing this, just not here on the BYC. The idea is intriguing, especially since chicken sized diapers are available to take care of the poo problem. Do you keep the chicken inside most of the time or just for visits? I really am curious!

my hens do come in when i need to treat them for what ever & i keep them in an open sided wire dog crate they like being in side i guess since i give ithem treats from the table HA their tiny little peeps are always so cute , i just keep the news papers picked up and so forth as much as possible..! i let them walk around the kitchen for short times but not right after they have eaten, so they usually dont poop but if that happens its easily cleaned up.! , we dont get much smell here in AZ the lack of humidity really helps with that problem ..!

 

[Anansi]

Lizbeth's first egg


Surprisingly, my dad didn't seem to have a problem when he came out to visit, and he grew up on a farm. So did hubby, and he actually said my daughter could keep Gurtrude. I was the one who wasn't sure about keeping a chicken or two. We don't have a big problem with the mess, it's easy to clean up, they enjoy being with us, and are just as happy being inside as outside. Considering Gurtrude went from being an outdoor chicken to an indoor one, she is totally happy, and doesn't do much outside unless there are dandelions to eat. She definitely eats better than she had been, she was underweight, and presumably only ate what she could forage. Now she gets everything she needs: crickets, super worms, oyster shell, layer feed, scratch, and anything else chickens are allowed to have when it's available. I make sure they get forage time by making them hunt for food, or chase it down, and they are great at pest control, finding spiders and doing their best to catch flies.

 

[anatess]

and they are great at pest control, finding spiders and doing their best to catch flies.

Ah yes! The pest control! Imagine my shock the first time I saw my baby chicken chase after a roach and SWALLOW IT WHOLE WHILE IT WAS STILL KICKING! I almost swore off chickens right then and there.

 

[Diannastarr]

Except for the marek's, you've written my experience. I'm still finding dust from when we brooded downstairs. We're hoping to never have to raise chicks inside, ever again. Let's hear it for broody hen mammas!

RIGHT ON ..! & thank the Gods for broody mamas..! they do all the work & in the end the chicks are a lot smarter..! cant beat that combo....HA

 

[Diannastarr]

Ah yes! The pest control! Imagine my shock the first time I saw my baby chicken chase after a roach and SWALLOW IT WHOLE WHILE IT WAS STILL KICKING! I almost swore off chickens right then and there.

o golly geee if you think that's a creepy sight, wait till you see them swallow a mouse whole...HA...yeah they do that to....lol... mine love all the dead mice from the mouse trap....lol...