Looking for thoughts and experiences with chicken diapers...

[sara1226]

Hi, we have a 14 month old bantam RIR, who injured her hip 3-4 weeks ago and is losing weight. She is eating and drinking, and she gets around, but Im concerned our cold weather is just going to make it harder for her to maintain a good weight and heal properly. I thought about having her put to sleep (yes I know some people might be laughing at me because some chose to kill their chickens when any problems arise), but she is quite a character and she is still herself, other than her wobbly gimp. We are quite attached to her, especially my busband, because she was our first chicken, and we only have a small flock of 7, and they are pets, not for dinner.

I know some people bring chickens inside and use a chicken diaper. I think bringing her in would be her best shot at recuperating, especially since our winters can be -20 degrees. (I hate it, but my husband refuses to move, lol).

Can anyone please tell me a good site to order chicken diapers from and if chickens really wear them? Any thoughts and/or experiences anyone can share about diapers would be really appreciated!

Thanks,



Sara

 

[sara1226]

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!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Glad to here she is still going, I think diaper are if you let them roam free in the house, I would just keep her in a pen and clean as necessary, though if you do take her in she will probably have to stay in all winter. I once had a standard RIR who got squashed by the dog, she hurt her hip as well, I made a sling to give her some hang time therapy. Nothing wrong with trying to help. Good luck.

 

[sara1226]

Glad to here she is still going, I think diaper are if you let them roam free in the house, I would just keep her in a pen and clean as necessary, though if you do take her in she will probably have to stay in all winter. I once had a standard RIR who got squashed by the dog, she hurt her hip as well, I made a sling to give her some hang time therapy. Nothing wrong with trying to help. Good luck.

I want to let her walk around in the house at least a little so she isn't in a cage all the time. I'm just hesitant to spend money on chicken diapers if chickens don't wear them. Don't know the best place to order from either. Maybe someone else will chime in. I was keeping her steady at 2 pounds in the garage, put her back out in the cold and she lost more weight. But she can't stay in the garage either, it's heated, and there would be drastic temp changes when we pull in and out with vehicles. Not enough sunlight in there either.

Interesting... Your sling idea. I wouldn't know how to do that. How long did that one take to recover?

Thanks

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

It was a couple of weeks, she always had a limp. Hope someone else comes in, maybe do a search of house chickens, I'm sure there's a forum somewhere.

 

[missmissi]

I had an injured hen in our house for a month, i love her, she is our special girl. Cleaning every few hours got tiresome, so i tried the diaper. I think its a great idea, but she hated it, and she was able to slip out of it pretty easy. I see lots of videos of chicks that dont mind them. I also see videos of ppl putting newborn diapers on rabbits - that didnt go over well at all either. Does anybody want a bunny? I have 12.

 

[sara1226]

Just thought I would update this thread with a little picture!

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[CharlotteRenee]

Just thought I would update this thread with a little picture!

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Does she like it? Does it work? were did you get it? we have a few chickens inside and we dont want to be mopping every 3 hours.....

 

[BuffOrps416]

I'm also curious to know if the chickens like it. Tomorrow is supposed to be extremely cold so I was thinking of bringing my two BOs inside. They are both full grown and I don't want to buy a diaper if they're not going to like it/let me put it on them.

Do fully grown hens mind all of a sudden being put in a diaper?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I know they will mind the sudden change in temperatures from you bringing them inside the house, I would leave them in the coop. Chickens can handle cold weather, they have a nice down filled coat on. Bringing them in is like you sitting inside with your thickest winter coat on. The will get too warm which is more stressful than cold.