winglesschicken
Chirping
- Jul 23, 2019
- 41
- 54
- 69
I have a lot of mental health issues but I love chickens a lot. My mental health issues make it hard for me to go outside and interact with animals that have been living outside (although I still do, it's just challenging). Chickens are my favorite animals, my family has about 20 right now (+ a turkey lol), and I've bonded with quite a few. Some of mine will run up to me and sit in my lap, like being pet, walk around with me, etc. so overall I've just had very friendly experiences with chickens. I've been consistently owning chickens for over I think 5 years now, some of my family's chickens are actually 5 years old lol. So I know a bit about them and I'm used to having them around.
I got to thinking, what if I raised a chicken indoors to be inside? I don't feel like it would be fair to try to bring one in now after they've been living outside for so long and have established their place in the flock, so I think hatching or buying a chick would be best. Most of the chickens I've raised have already lived inside with me when they were chicks so that's why all of mine are so friendly. I'm used to having them inside with me, too, so the noise doesn't bother me. If anything I enjoy hearing them chirp and make noises.
Of course, I'd get it everything it needed such as food and a different variety of things to snack on, things to roost on, etc. and I'd take it outside on little walks so it can socialize and do normal chicken stuff. But overall the chicken lived indoors with me. I'd probably get a diaper for it so it wouldn't poop everywhere. Also have a little section/place of its own in my room, like a small chicken coop almost so it could have its privacy and little safe space. I would be wanting a bantam to live inside with me too btw I don't think I would be comfortable with a chicken any bigger than that.
Would this be okay? Or would it be better to look into a different animal for companionship like this?
If things didn't work out there would of course still be the option that it could go and live outside. I've had chickens of mine live indoors for months (when injured) and have adjusted nicely back into the flock when it was time. And if it seemed unhappy I wouldn't keep it inside, either. I'd only keep the chicken inside if it seemed happy and wanted to be here (and as long as I could keep up with taking care of it and giving it what it needed). I guess it'd be like raising chicks normally but with the intent for it to stay inside.
Though since we've actually had some chickens who've preferred to be around us/indoors, I think it could work? One of our mama hens (Seabright) lived on our porch when she was raising her babies and she's constantly coming around trying to get inside our porch now and be babied again. The friendliest little thing now, too. We used to have another bird that would come inside through our dog's doggy door and walk around.
I got to thinking, what if I raised a chicken indoors to be inside? I don't feel like it would be fair to try to bring one in now after they've been living outside for so long and have established their place in the flock, so I think hatching or buying a chick would be best. Most of the chickens I've raised have already lived inside with me when they were chicks so that's why all of mine are so friendly. I'm used to having them inside with me, too, so the noise doesn't bother me. If anything I enjoy hearing them chirp and make noises.
Of course, I'd get it everything it needed such as food and a different variety of things to snack on, things to roost on, etc. and I'd take it outside on little walks so it can socialize and do normal chicken stuff. But overall the chicken lived indoors with me. I'd probably get a diaper for it so it wouldn't poop everywhere. Also have a little section/place of its own in my room, like a small chicken coop almost so it could have its privacy and little safe space. I would be wanting a bantam to live inside with me too btw I don't think I would be comfortable with a chicken any bigger than that.
Would this be okay? Or would it be better to look into a different animal for companionship like this?
If things didn't work out there would of course still be the option that it could go and live outside. I've had chickens of mine live indoors for months (when injured) and have adjusted nicely back into the flock when it was time. And if it seemed unhappy I wouldn't keep it inside, either. I'd only keep the chicken inside if it seemed happy and wanted to be here (and as long as I could keep up with taking care of it and giving it what it needed). I guess it'd be like raising chicks normally but with the intent for it to stay inside.
Though since we've actually had some chickens who've preferred to be around us/indoors, I think it could work? One of our mama hens (Seabright) lived on our porch when she was raising her babies and she's constantly coming around trying to get inside our porch now and be babied again. The friendliest little thing now, too. We used to have another bird that would come inside through our dog's doggy door and walk around.