Chicken Housing Question

[3KillerBs]

Quote:
I don't wince at all.

Like all cockatiels in the US, mine are many generations from the wild.

They were hand-tamed as babies and the older one, who is at least 15, is so thoroughly convinced that he's human that he has never been willing to breed but rather has spent his life considering me his mate.

They are ANIMALS, not humans. Having clipped wings and never having flown they don't know what flight is and haven't the human intelligence and imagination to understand what it means.

They have roomy living quarters, regular time out of the cage with me, regular attention from other members of my family, toys, abundant food, and the companionship of their own kind. I have no hesitation to define that as a good life. They are animal pets, not human slaves.

If the OP does a good job meeting his chickens' physical needs and provides sufficient environmental variety to meet their mental needs so that they don't develop the bad habits of captivity such as feather picking or egg-eating I have no hesitation in saying that those chickens would enjoy a good and worthwhile life. They're not human, both their intelligence and their imaginations are limited, and having known nothing else they would be incapable of understanding the difference.

 

[elmo]

Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. You and I just have different philosophies about birds.

To me, I think it's quite sad for a bird to think it's a human and to live more like a human than a bird. I know many people keep their pet birds in cages with brightly colored toys that look like human baby toys; to me, the best environment for a pet bird is one that approximates as closely as possible its natural environment, and allows it to engage in as many natural behaviors as possible. I think one reason birds feather pick is that they are in environments where their natural instincts are frustrated. I've seen cockatiels in cages, and I've also seen them flying in a free flight aviary outdoors with trees, grass and other birds. To me, there's no comparison.

I'm sure you love your pet birds and care for them in the way you believe best. I just have a different outlook, that's all.

 

[AmyRey]

rift,

I have basically the same set up that you are planning on. Four girls (orpingtons) in an A frame tractor with roughly the same dimensions.

It's moved weekly to fresh grass and they have feed and water provided at all times. I let the girls "downstairs" first thing in the morning. If it's daylight, they're ready to come downstairs. If it's still dark, then they wait quietly until it gets light outside.

In the afternoon, the kids let them out to free range when they get home from school, and by that time - they are chomping at the bit to get out. They MUCH prefer open spaces to the confinement of their tractor.

I would say that your girls would probably be happy in theirs, provided that you never let them out to range. Once they know how many bugs exist on the "outside", they'll be very upset with you for keeping them penned up. lol

Note: The rooster you see in that picture doesn't stay in the coop/run with the girls. He spends his days outside of it now and sleeps in a nearby tree. He likes it when they get to free range too.

Note also: I'm planning on a bigger, permanent coop so I can get more birds.