Chicken spoiling too fast?

[nikchick]

It sounds like you have a pet! Do you know that a lot of people keep chickens as house pet? They even make chicken diapers and a chickens harness for a leash! My grandmother was one of those people. She hand raised a single chick my niece gave her, but when it came time that he was big enough to go outside, she always had a reason to keep him in.

Here he is, just hanging out with everyone.

 

[1FlewOver]

Yes....someone here directed me to a thread on "House chickens " on this site....

I don't think diapers will be necessary....nor do I want Rocky inside all the time...

Sammy...(my cat)...spends almost all of his time outdoors...but sometimes cuddles with me at night when the weather is bad....

This morning...as I was going to let Rocky out....he was coming in...so...(a little back story)....Sammy has to "lead" me to his food bowl every morning and I have to put a little more food in before he eats...so...he's in...and I set Rocky down on the floor behind him....they're looking at each other a couple of feet apart....and Rocky starts after Sammy....who turns and runs...one night and now this chicken thinks it "rules the roost"...(Maybe it does...)

 

[nikchick]

I don't blame you. I think they do better outside. I know my grandmother's rooster seemed tiny compared to mine and I think that's because mine are allowed to eat all the juicy bugs they can find and not just their feed, plus they get plenty of sun.

My cats are also terrified of my chickens, granted my big boy is a RIR that would protect his hens until the end and isn't above teaching a cat a trick or two about minding their own business.

 

[1FlewOver]

LOL...I just thought of something...I have a shed about 10' from my back door that some possums and big racoon live under....

One day I opened the back door and that big coon was just outside of the underside of that shed....he was looking at me with that terrified "deer in the headlights "look....when Sammy charged and almost caught him before he could get under that shed...

I then realized...it wasn't me he was terrified of!!!!

 

[nikchick]

Lol. That poor raccoon. Chickens can be fierce little creatures.

 

[1FlewOver]

Lol. That poor raccoon. Chickens can be fierce little creatures.

No....it was my cat!!! So I guess the pecking order is chicken, cat, racoon....LOL...

But seriously...if I didn't bring Rocky in at night....that coon might decide to make a meal of her...

A picture of him when I caught him awhile back...thought about trying to tame him...but sanity prevailed and I let him go...I enjoy a challenge....but cherish 10 fingers more.....

 

[nikchick]

Oh, goodness. The cat?! Lol.

Yes, that raccoon is probably too old and too wild to change his ways now. We used to raise them as pets when I was a kid (before it became illegal to own on in my state). Ours were all fixed so they never went through the crazy of coming into season. We had one that never got off the bottle, even as an adult. And we had another that hated my cousins bald head. It was so funny to watch him try to sneak up behind my cousin on the couch to rub his shiny scalp.

 

[1FlewOver]

Yep....I raised a couple of possums and just gave up.....I got them tamed for the most part....they just didn't make good pets....

I raised one all the way to full grown....it used a litter box and became really docile....but they just can't shake that inbred fear enough to enjoy human companionship.....

On a different note....armadillos make great pets....and you can tame/train them from full grown....

 

[nikchick]

Skunks make nice pets, too. Lol. My grandmother has had two one that was deskunked and another that wasnt. The one that wasn't was raised from a baby and never sprayed her whole life. She liked to lay on my grandmother's shoulders.

I guess you can probably tell, I've from one of those "crazy" families. Lol. My grandmother was the person that people brought injured wild animals to in our area. We've had deer, foxes, owls, random birds, mice, squirrels, raccoons, swamp bunnies, etc., along with the more acceptable domesticated animals.

On another note, we had an albino ferret show up on our porch the other night we thought it might be after our chicken, but it seemed content to sit by our cat and hang out for a while.

Sorry for the thread jack. Lol. I'll let yall get back to the original discussion.

 

[1FlewOver]

Skunks make nice pets, too. Lol. My grandmother has had two one that was deskunked and another that wasnt. The one that wasn't was raised from a baby and never sprayed her whole life. She liked to lay on my grandmother's shoulders.

I guess you can probably tell, I've from one of those "crazy" families. Lol. My grandmother was the person that people brought injured wild animals to in our area. We've had deer, foxes, owls, random birds, mice, squirrels, raccoons, swamp bunnies, etc., along with the more acceptable domesticated animals.

On another note, we had an albino ferret show up on our porch the other night we thought it might be after our chicken, but it seemed content to sit by our cat and hang out for a while.

Sorry for the thread jack. Lol. I'll let yall get back to the original discussion.

No....thank you very much....what was the subject again? I ramble about all the time and I really appreciate the post...Granny sounds like me....

We vacationed at Big Bend one year and just at dusk we found a skunk on the back patio of our cabin....we gave it a snack and petted it...

It was not only not descented....but wild...it was only tame because it was used to people who had no reason to mess with it and had undoubtedly gotten handouts....whether intentional or not....