Can't believe I'm considering..anyone keep a Roo caged in the house?

[Slywoody]

I have 3 outlaw Serama Roos in the house. Looking for 3 hens to keep in here too.

 

[highcountrychickens]

Quote:
ditto...

there's another thread about this going right now - great answers there

 

[crazy4eggsJulie]

Slywoody-how does that work out? What is your setup and is it absolutely stinky?

 

[AHappychick]

I bring my roo in every night and put him with his girls in the morning after 11 he is happy and so are the neighbors

 

[crazy4eggsJulie]

Happy Chick-what do you keep him in? Does he still crow after you put him out? I've noticed that ours crows throughout the day for no apparent reason...

 

[Slywoody]

Quote:
So far it's working pretty good, i got used to the crowing already
They are 10 wks old and small. I have them in a 3x3 cage up off the floor. The bottom of the cage is 3 ft off the floor and is wire with a drop pan underneath for poo. I clean it everyday. Just takes a couple of mins. I live alone so i think that helps. They are like pets now and i spoil them rotten. They even like me. On nice days i take them outside in their little tractor and let them scratch around and take dust baths. When i get 3 hens, i'll pair them up and they will all have their own space. I get a big kick out of the whole deal. So far all my friends seem to like them too. They don't hardly talk to me at all. They are over playing with the roos. They will sit on you anywhere. I just got some elastic yesterday and am going to make halters and leashes for them. I hope to be able to bounce them like a yoyo.

It's all good. BTW, odor hasn't been a problem.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Is your 7-year-old able & willing to do all the care & maintence an indoor caged rooster will require? Are you sure that he will remain gentle & mannerly as he grows, alone & caged, so he will continue to be suitable as a pet for a young child?

I'd say re-home the rooster, get your daughter interested & involved in caring for the hens you have, and begin to feel out the possibility of getting approval from your community for keeping them.

You're taking a big risk by keeping a caged rooster. Your immediate neighbors may not mind but a rooster's crow carries a long distance, you risk irritating someone in your neighborhood who would complain. And since it's not the ideal living condition for a rooster, you risk altering his temperment so he could be more aggressive, & more easily irritated.

I don't think it's worth it just to keep the roo for breeding. Fertile eggs are easy to obtain either locally or through the mail, for whenever you're ready to incubate. Of course then you'll have to consider what you're going to do with any & all the rooster chicks you hatch out at home.

It's always a good idea to have a Plan B for any unwanted roosters, no matter where or how you obtain your chicks, before you get emotionally attatched to them.

 

[highcountrychickens]

Quote:
That would be pretty funny if you were kidding...

 

[Dar]

I have a roo and 3 hens in my brooder in the house in my kitchen

my silkies get the first morning sun and "greg" starts crowing at 5AM we keep the dining room door closed and we dont even hear Greg anymore...now if we leave the door open Greg get threatened with the pot lol

so it is possable but it all depends on how big your house is and you level of comfort

as for smell..we clean the coop weekly and no smell

my brooder/temp coop is
3'2" high
4'10" long
3'4" deep
as you can see i have put a sheet across the top to stop the cat from getting in there and "snuggle" with them

I believe my silkies are very happy in there... it is to cold out at night to put them outside

 

[AHappychick]

Quote:
he goes in a cage or free ranges the garage. he crows a lot in the morning and gets most of it out of his system by 11 after when he is outside with the girls he may crow every once in a while but not much and he has a soft crow.

Alabaster unfortunatly has a louder crow and he has to stay in my large garage coop (8 X 10 ) but has 1-2 girls with him at any given time. I take him out a little but he crows often and cant be outside for long. He too gets to free range the garage lol and I bring in all sorts of plants to eat and scratch.

Although I have been called an animal abuser I dont think either roo is unhappy, infact I would say they live good chicken lives.

I plan on keeping a few more (probably the same routine as Alabaster) unless they are low crowers. I am in the process of selecting a silkie roo, or 3 lol and I will be keeping a BCM roo, Ameraucana roo, and a Araucana roo as well. I am setting it up so that the roos all live in a batchelor coop with a second coop for visits from the girls