An indoor stealth coop?

[gsim]

Diapers? Yikes ! I have a vision of daily inspections for pasty-butt, etc.

Bantys fly and if they get loose in your house, you may have to burn some things after you catch them.

Things like drapes that no reputable dry cleaning service would touch.

I take care of 24 and my 10 min of fame and glory every morning is enough for me to be thankful that I live in the country and do not have to hide them.

Good luck whatever you do. Is it your home or a rental?

 

[earthdance]

If you happen to have a porch/patio I did see online once where someone built a neat little coop/pen on their second floor balcony (it took up a good deal of space). Then at least the dust and smell would be outside yet you could still enjoy and interact with your birds. My friend kept two silkies inside her house for a time, I don't recall where exactly she kept them (bathroom?) but I DO remember when they would be out sitting with us and crap on the carpet. The stench was enough to gag a maget. But I'm 'sure' you are much more hygenic than my friend........

I guess the least you can do is try it. If you decide that its not working out in the long run than at least you will have it "out of your system".

 

[Candachan]

Thank you everyone for your opinions.

Yeah, when I first heard of chicken diapers, I thought it was hilarious! But then again, I know people that diaper parrots and sick/old dogs, so eventually it didn't seem so strange. Most of them are designed so that there is actually a "collection cup" for the poo so it doesn't get smushed against their little bums like a baby's diaper, these cups are even big enough for them to lay an egg in if that situation came up.

The place will be a rental, but I have already gotten permission to have caged birds as long as they don't make lots of noise during "quiet hours" which is between 10pm and 6am. Honestly I think the people that are strongly against it are being a little silly, I hope you all aren't imagining me with a flock of Jersey Giants perched on every surface of my living room!

I am talking about 3 Bantam hens, at the MOST! Like with ALL indoor pets, you have to clean up after them, when I had cats I would often clean out their litterboxes twice a day, so it doesn't seem unreasonable to have to clean out a coop daily and maybe vacuumn around it.

I knew I would get a lot of mixed opinions, though, so I'm trying to be gracious with everyone.

I don't have drapes, I have vertical blinds. I also have faux-leather furniture, and glass tables, so easy to clean in case of accidents.

cameldairy, I don't think your story has much to do with my situation, but...thanks?

Mattemma, you wouldn't happen have to a link to that blog, do you?

Earthdance, I will be on the second floor and will have a small patio, thank you for that idea!

 

[The Sheriff]

If you are talking "stealth" as in you're not supposed to have them you might also want to consider the noise they make as well. I sold two silkies to a guy who lived in an apartment. He bought a nice rabbit hutch for them and thought he could make it work until he moved. Well a week later I saw them advertised on Craigslist, cage and all. He had gotten caught by the landlord and was given one week to get them out.

 

[Candachan]

Quote:
I was thinking more stealth in terms of aesthetics, as I stated before I am allowed to have them as long as they do not make excessive noise at night. There are dog kennels and reptile cages that are built to look like pieces of furniture, this is the sort of direction I want to go in.

 

[silkydragon]

Quote:
Was your neighbor Cinderella? That's amazing!

no but she was crazy never cussed till 1 day my cousin shot a deer on her property thinking it was on our property came over trespassing on our property cussing me and my dad out while we helped my cousin look for the deer we were like in the middle of our property and here she came who the bleep just shot a deer on my property we saide we thought it was shot on our property and she saide bleep no it was laying in the middle of her field dead she was crazy animal person

 

[Chickenaddict]

Call me crazy cause I have 17 currently living indoors (only over winter) 2 of which will live in the house year round. I clean everyday and gut the enclosures once a week. They kick up ALOT of dust but if kept up it's not too bad. I clean houses for a living so I am pretty picky about mess in the house, it was either this way or have my seramas freeze to death outside or have a CRAZY electric bill from trying to heat them outside during the winter when it can get to -60 with the windchills.

 

[Candachan]

Quote:
Was your neighbor Cinderella? That's amazing!

no but she was crazy never cussed till 1 day my cousin shot a deer on her property thinking it was on our property came over trespassing on our property cussing me and my dad out while we helped my cousin look for the deer we were like in the middle of our property and here she came who the bleep just shot a deer on my property we saide we thought it was shot on our property and she saide bleep no it was laying in the middle of her field dead she was crazy animal person

I would be pretty ticked if someone trespassed and fired off a gun for any reason on my property.

Quote:
I'm interested in hearing more about your daily cleaning routine, and what you do to keep down the smell. I'm also interested in Seramas and their temperments, I know they are primarily bred as pets in Asia. How would you compare the smell and mess to other domestic animals?

 

[vermontgal]

If you have permission to have caged birds, I wouldn't admit to their being chickens. I don't think the average person knows that a bantam is a chicken. So just call them bantams or seramas, and don't mention the c-word.

From having had my barred rock (full size) chicken in the house a few times for minor bumblefoot repairs, I think she was fairly reasonable for smell. The cecal poos are considerably worse than the regular poos. The worst poops seem to be when the chicken gets up in the morning.

Don't forget the challenge about the chicken dander. Although, again, this isn't much different than keeping parrots.

 

[Emilys3guppies]

I keep my two seramas in the house...in the office. They are in a 3'x3'x2' wire rabbit cage with a 2nd floor shelf. I use shavings in the bottom of the cage...the tray is 4" deep so it holds a considerable amount. I sweep up a couple times a day and don't notice any smell from them. I let them out a few times a day to play...15 minutes at a time and under supervision...often they don't poop at all until they are back in their cage, but hardwood floors making clean-up easy. In the summer they will be outside.