Are bantam breeds better suited for indoor setups?

[Somewhere_In_The_Clouds]

Ah, I’m very glad one of the parrot experts I was thinking of agrees!

Well, I'm not very much an "expert" at all Just a nerd.

Oops, apologies for missing your post! I admit I did not read the first few pages of the thread very thoroughly, as it appeared to be focused around OP. I will go back and look for your reply!

Many of these threads never turn out worth replying to... (it's a troll's favourite topic!) so I don't reply to them often but like reading them cause every now and then you can dig up a thing or to that can be of use

 

[fat brown hen]

Despite the bullying, not once did they prefer me for company.

At the same time, seeing as I’m unwilling to set up this sort of environment for any of the chickens (future or present) under my care, I can’t deny that it might be possible for a chicken that has not known anything else, to be sufficiently content in a solitary, indoor prison.

So, don't keep your chickens in a solitary indoor prison. Give them stuff to do. Take them with you when you go places. Even when my turkey hen lost the use of both legs, I still hauled her outside multiple times a day so that she could poop and touch grass. My turkey is living outside again, but still sneaks inside the house if I leave the door ajar. Same with several chickens who previously had the privilege of living indoors.

 

[Somewhere_In_The_Clouds]

So, don't keep your chickens in a solitary indoor prison. Give them stuff to do. Take them with you when you go places. Even when my turkey hen lost the use of both legs, I still hauled her outside multiple times a day so that she could poop and touch grass. My turkey is living outside again, but still sneaks inside the house if I leave the door ajar. Same with several chickens who previously had the privilege of living indoors.

At the end of the day chances will be higher that an animal will choose the companionship to what actually speaks the same language as them. Does that mean always? No, I don't believe so. Many animals have pretty unique personalities and preferences. In the case of a house chicken, it's forcing them, not giving them the choice. Your examples show that your turkey and chickens still have a CHOICE? Chickens that are kept indoors fulltime, part time, and temporarily are all very distinct and separate categories in my eyes. Each has their own set of factors to consider.

I think you've pretty clearly got the point that an indoor chicken isn't an ornament and that it's work and they needs enrichment etc. That's great! The thing with these threads is they're often trolls with no intentions of that and will post links of cages and enclosures that are just a prison. The people who come against those posts SO strongly are simply people trying to prevent that ever becoming a reality for an animal. Even if the OPs are only doing it for trolling, these thread are still here for some inexperience person or child to come across and be completely mislead.
I think some people also aren't prepared that this is a MULTI YEAR commitment. People can go into it with all the time in the world to socialize and care for their indoor chicken perfectly, but then life happens and you have to work, or study, or move, you realize you can't go out or travel.
The whole thing is far from chicken + house = indoor pet.

Please note, this post is largely me just sharing my thoughts that came up when I read your post. I have a hard time composing my posts on my own so will tag on things I want to say to what others have already contributed. Basically this isn't ALL directed to you or anything, I'm just sharing my thoughts.

 

[FrostRanger]

At the end of the day chances will be higher that an animal will choose the companionship to what actually speaks the same language as them. Does that mean always? No, I don't believe so. Many animals have pretty unique personalities and preferences. In the case of a house chicken, it's forcing them, not giving them the choice. Your examples show that your turkey and chickens still have a CHOICE? Chickens that are kept indoors fulltime, part time, and temporarily are all very distinct and separate categories in my eyes. Each has their own set of factors to consider.

I think you've pretty clearly got the point that an indoor chicken isn't an ornament and that it's work and they needs enrichment etc. That's great! The thing with these threads is they're often trolls with no intentions of that and will post links of cages and enclosures that are just a prison. The people who come against those posts SO strongly are simply people trying to prevent that ever becoming a reality for an animal. Even if the OPs are only doing it for trolling, these thread are still here for some inexperience person or child to come across and be completely mislead.
I think some people also aren't prepared that this is a MULTI YEAR commitment. People can go into it with all the time in the world to socialize and care for their indoor chicken perfectly, but then life happens and you have to work, or study, or move, you realize you can't go out or travel.
The whole thing is far from chicken + house = indoor pet.

Please note, this post is largely me just sharing my thoughts that came up when I read your post. I have a hard time composing my posts on my own so will tag on things I want to say to what others have already contributed. Basically this isn't ALL directed to you or anything, I'm just sharing my thoughts.

Well said! It's certainly not impossible and some people manage it and manage it well, it's just that most people who ask are completely unaware of just how much work it is and the full implications of having a house chicken. For the people who do know what they are doing and/or have to for a special needs bird and are prepared for the work and implications, fine, do what you must, but people just getting into chickens after seeing cute videos of someone's house chickens will be in for a very rude awakening once they actually see for themselves what it's really like. They are the people who really really don't need to have an indoor chicken. At the very least they should get some experience with regular outdoor chickens first so they can see what they are like under typical circumstances (although I don't think it will take long given how messy, dusty and smelly even very young chicks can be)

 

[fat brown hen]

I think some people also aren't prepared that this is a MULTI YEAR commitment. People can go into it with all the time in the world to socialize and care for their indoor chicken perfectly, but then life happens and you have to work, or study, or move, you realize you can't go out or travel.

that's how I ended up with my indoor rooster. A neighbor kid raised him as a housepet for several years, then left for college.

Of course you can go out and travel. I've gone on week-long road trips with a turkey, a rooster, and a box of four chicks (not all at the same time). Birds make far better travel companions than most humans.

The thing with these threads is they get brigaded by people who don't have house chickens, don't want house chickens, and are horrified at the mere thought of a house chicken.

 

[fat brown hen]

so they can see what they are like under typical circumstances (although I don't think it will take long given how messy, dusty and smelly even very young chicks can be)

Starting with a few sexed chicks is the best idea. After 6 weeks, the novelty will have worn off, and by then the chicks will be coop-ready pullets that can easily find new homes if needed.

 

[BDutch]

The thing with these threads is they're often trolls with no intentions of that and will post links of cages and enclosures that are just a prison. The people who come against those posts SO strongly are simply people trying to prevent that ever becoming a reality for an animal. Even if the OPs are only doing it for trolling, these thread are still here for some inexperience person or child to come across and be completely mislead.

Trolling or serious intentions to share , often has the same effect with seriously wrong information . What bothers me most is that the project managers are not very willing to interfere () or delete absolutely wrong information. That makes the site unreliable IMHO.

Thank you Somewhere in the Clouds and @fluffycrow for putting things right.

 

[fluffycrow]

What bothers me most is that the project managers are not very willing to interfere () or delete absolutely wrong information. That makes the site unreliable IMHO.

I’m not sure the mods are to blame for this. I have seen them locking two threads on this topic when it was made clear that the OP only wanted to troll.
In this particular thread no one wants to see abused or mistreated chickens.
It has been made clear by my posts that indoor chickens are not my cup of tea, but for me to accuse anyone here of mistreatment would be wrong.