I have three rescued "broiler" chickens as pets that are housed in a nice-sized outdoor coop that isn't housed with electricity. They have a large fenced yard for roaming free during the day while I'm at work. A friend of mine has a red cochin that she has kept as an indoor chicken pet. She can no longer keep her and has offered her to me. My friend doesn't seem to know whether she is a bantam or regular-sized cochin. I would like to take the chicken, but I'm worried about a few things. My chickens, being totally outdoor and not having the luxury of a heated coop (let alone being indoor chickens!) are pretty cold-hearty. I can't take the cochin as an indoor pet because I have seven indoor cats who would not be happy at all. Do you think the cochin would be able to endure the sudden change in non-regulated temperatures necessary for an outdoor chicken? Also, if she turns out to be a bantam, will I be able to contain her in my four-foot-high fenced run or will she be able to fly out? Thirdly, are these two types of chickens compatable? Thanks as always for all the great advice everyone gives here!!!
Not sure about the temperature thing, but most of our chickens, including our banty Barred Cochin roo, can fly at least four feet, and more like twelve to twenty five feet, maybe more. The only ones who can't are the ones who are too old, too fat, or the Silkies. So yeah, I'd say she could fly out. If your friend has always had the chicken inside since a chick, maybe you don't need to worry about quarantine too much, but, regardless, we always quarantine our new birds first in case of illness, and then introduce them slowly by putting them in a smaller cage or pen first, where the others can see and talk to them, and get used to each other. This works well.
Also, we mix all our chickens together; big, small, different looking (Silkies and our new Houdan); they seem to get along just fine.
She could get out and I doubt those big cornish x's will give much trouble. Either way temps should be fine. She'll adjust.
Ok, so it seems the only thing I have to worry about is the possibility of the cochin flying away if she's a bantam. My chickens' run is really large and I don't want to make it smaller in order to enclose it since my current girls love the space so much. Will the cochin likely stay within the confines and go in the coop at night or will she more likely put hersleft at risk roosting in a tree at night. I'd be devastated if something got her!
