Can I Keep An Indoor Chicken?

[AmyJane725]

Hi guys,

I have a little bantam roo who is mobility challenged. He has had issues with both legs since he was a chick. He has been living outside with the rest of the flock for about 1.75 years now, but I have always kept a close eye on him. His legs seemed to be getting worse as of late, and he would tip over while trying to perform basic tasks. He also started sitting down a lot to rest. I was out the other day with the chickens and saw him all hunched up, and when I caught him I could feel that he was just feathers and bones. I brought him inside immediately and got him to the vet as soon as they had an opening. He has/had a respiratory infection, and 2 prescriptions/a lot of TLC later he is doing so much better. He is steadily putting on weight and actually crowed for the first time in months, so I'm feeling good about his chances.

Now, since he's doing so much better, I'm facing the fact that soon it's going to be time for him to go back outside and rejoin the rest of the flock. While I am thrilled that he has recovered, I am also very sad to see him go. I LOVE having him indoors with me. He is the perfect little companion. He'll sit with me/on me for hours, eats his food and goes to sleep when I turn the lights out. I love the little noises he makes, how he always looks up at me if I talk to him, everything about him really.

Having him indoors for the last 2-3 weeks has shown me that I desperately want to have a chicken for a house pet. Now, I know this is not advisable for several reasons, but I was just wondering if there is any way for it to work? While I really want an indoor chicken, I care more about their wellbeing than my own, so is it possible to keep a HAPPY/Mentally Healthy house chicken?

-This bird would be solo/I would be the rest of the flock. I am home all the time. We'd be in the same room 24/7, so it would never be alone.
-I am courteous (after lights out I only do dark/quiet things so the chicken can sleep in peace).
-I do have a yard, so I could take the chicken outside to play.
-Constant access to clean water/feed is a given

So, is it possible, or would I just be being selfish by keeping a chicken inside and depriving it of foraging in the dirt all day?

P.S. Sorry if this isn't where this topic should go. I looked at all the choices and none of them seemed to fit well.

 

[bruceha2000]

I don't see why you couldn't keep him indoors, especially if his mobility issues are not related to his infection and seriously low weight. It sounds like he is happy enough to be in your flock vs the one outside.

How do you manage to not have chicken poop everywhere? That would be the biggest thing to keep me from having an indoor "free range" chicken.

 

[AmyJane725]

How do you manage to not have chicken poop everywhere?

Well, currently he just poops in his box. He doesn't poop if I take him out to hold him/whatever.
If this is going to be a forever thing I would get him some chicken diapers so he could roam around more.

 

[Lizzy733]

I wouldn't get another chicken solely for the purpose of keeping them indoors, but your handicapped roo is a good candidate.

Being so long separated from the flock means reintegration, which would be difficult for a lame roo to pull off.

There are chicken diapers expressly made for indoor birds you could look into for keeping things tidy. It's good you're willing to commit to being their 100% of the time flockmate - it's a real necessity.

You could possibly look at getting him one indoor companion - perhaps something like a silkie. Their temperaments are very different from most chickens. Mine is a loner and a homebody despite being outdoors with the flock. They don't tend to scratch as much as others and would be a ground bird if you let them - they can't fly, don't prefer heights and tend not to roam. I could see an indoor pair getting enough enrichment, space and socialization under the conditions you've advised.

 

[AmyJane725]

A silkie sounds like a good choice.
How much living space would I need for the two of them? Like, as in a crate/indoor coop?

 

[Lizzy733]

If they're not being locked up and have free reign of the house, you could be very loose with the definition of a coop - it being more of a sleeping space than anything else.

What is your boy sleeping in at the moment?

A silkie may be coaxed into using a shallow perch - like a small log round or 2x4 on the ground etc. Will be easier for them to get up on. Not sure what your roo is used to, but if he has coordination problems, a short fall is likely safer for him too.

So essentially, a quiet hide area with a shallow perch 2' or so in length. (Just no feathers touching the ground or walls, prolly not an issue for chickens) and enough vertical space to stretch and maybe flap out as well.

My chicken hospital is one if those zip up puppy playpens, which I find very suitable as a bird hospital and chick brooder.

 

[CrazyCochin]

If this is going to be a forever thing I would get him some chicken diapers so he could roam around more.

Chicken diapers are wonderful things!

 

[CuriousChicken]

I have had indoor chickens for the last 11 years. It can be done, and diapers will save you a lot of mess. This is me right now.

 

[bruceha2000]

You have a pink chicken??

 

[RosemaryDuck]

I just want to mention this since often times people don't know about it.

Be careful keeping him indoors. Birds put off a lot of dander and you can actually get something called bird keepers lung from it (as well as from their poop). It helps to have some kind of air filter running in the room you plan to keep him in.

I knew a woman who got this from her parrots. She was in the hospital for a few weeks.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7724370/#abs0010title