chickens as house pets? Opinions and views

[Silkie_Mom]

Too funny. I could totally see that happening. My dogs and chickens can’t get to each other. One day I didn’t lock the door to the garage (my dog can open doors) and I left the outside garage door open. Dog vs chicken first ever. Judy (leghorn) clucked and looked up at me. The dog turned around and tried to get back in the house! LOL PHEW!!!

Oh I totally understand. My German Shepherd jumps the fence that separates dog yard and chicken yard then cries at the backdoor until someone lets him in. So he got a dog door that way he doesn't have to wait at the door with the birds glaring at him lol.
Now it's became a chicken door. I'll be in any room and suddenly I hear something similar to egg song echoing through the house. And of course, through the plastic flaps there is the head of a bright eyed hen summoning me.

 

[silkiemother]

my hens cream and baby are smart they wait in front of the door so that no one can come in or out without giving them treats and attention.

 

[silkiemother]

and our dog is terrified of our chickens because they think she has a blackberry on her face

 

[chuckachucka]

I know a lot has been said already but I want to weigh in with my (lengthy) opinion. Feel free to skip right over this post if you don't want to read an essay!

A chicken is an animal just like a dog or cat so, poop aside, they are no more inherent dirty or unhygienic. Plenty of people kiss and hug and share food with their dogs and cats and these pets shed hairs whereas chickens shed feathers and skin dust. You can take steps to ensure they are as clean as possible and parasite free and then it is just a matter of managing the poop. Diapers are the easiest solution but there are many accounts online of people who have successfully trained chickens to poop in designated places the same way people train cats to use a litter tray. It is therefore physically very possible to keep a chicken as an indoor pet, especially a bantam breed.

But can a chicken be happy without the company of other chickens? As with cats and dogs, human company stops them being lonely but they will miss out on many aspects of socialisation that they would 'normally' get from other chickens.
This includes good and bad experiences though, because a lot of the interactions between chickens are pecking order squabbles and competition. Mating and hatching and rearing chicks would be missed, but so would fighting for treats and less dominant birds being chased away from feeders or pecked for being in the way. Still a chicken raised completely out of sight of any other chicken would most likely crave being with their own kind on an instinctive level.

Most cats and dogs love meeting other cats and dogs or are at least drawn to each other. I have observed cats, a supposedly solitary animal, interacting with other cats they come across in a garden and not for fighting or mating reasons. The just get together to 'chat'. Does this mean keeping one cat or dog is cruel? Of course the cats can wander off and meet other felines, but dogs kept in a home and garden can't. All lone species pets inevitably miss outof things by not being exposed to their own kind, but they receive affection and safety and the assurance of never going hungry in exchange.

But does this mean a chicken will be happy indoors? Boredom is probably the biggest issue. A chicken is born with the instinct to forage and fight for survival. With nowhere to scratch and dig and food on tap AND no social balances to maintain there is little to occupy a chicken's mind, especially a hen. A rooster spends half his time doing these things and the other half watching and alerting when dangers appear. They will continue to do this even if you swaddle them in bubble wrap and never let anything hurt a feather on their bodies. They will still worry for their lives when the postman drops the letters through the door. It's instinct. So a busy household, especially with other animal pets around, can provide a lot of mental stimulation for a rooster.

Having said all this, I think that it is not a good idea to deliberately get a young chicken and raise it indoors in isolation from other chickens if you have the option of keeping chickens outdoors in a safe environment. A life free ranging in an enormous covered, predator proofed garden with other chickens is the 'best' life a chicken can have, in an ideal world. Of course many people keep chickens in small runs and coops or are unable to stop determined predators and the chickens suffer in a multitude of other small ways from a less than 'perfect' existence, so if the choice is between keeping chicken/s in a limiting coop with no free ranging time or keeping the chicken/s in a nice house where they have a lot more space and safety, the house might be for the best. If the chickens are unable or unwilling to live outdoors for other reasons (e.g. Due to physical defects or illness or very timid personalities), it may be obviously better for them to live indoors. There are also many unwanted roosters who could be given a second chance as a house pet if they are able to adjust.

 

[silkiemother]

if my OEGB roo becomes a housepet,he would spend half the time indoors with freetime outdoors because knowing him,he would "forage" in my bedroom

 

[drumstick diva]

When I first starting riding the Senior bus(free in our township)I met a woman known as "The Chicken Lady." She may have been the first "house chicken person." who knows.
She has had house chickens for over 30 years, usually silkies but, sometimes other breeds.

I have been to her house many times - sometimes unannounced until I knock on her door. I have never smelled any bad odors, or odors at all in her small home. She had 3 indoor chickens when I first visited. They would run and hide behind her couch, then peek out to see if the stranger had finally left. It was hysterical watching them.She didn't diaper them - she just had napkins/paper towels & cleaner at the ready. Messes disappear as soon as she sees them.

Right now she has none. She had three- 2 mature seramas hens and one mature silkie. Then she told me one of the seramas had passed away over night. She said it had stopped walking but would eat if she hand fed it. I was suggesting Marek's. Then the silkie was next, it couldn't rise from laying down.Finally the last serama passed away- all within just a couple days of each other. Very sad.

The silkie was the only one that wanted to go outside, so I'm guessing she brought the Marek's in with her one day. My friend is now waiting for a frizzle to come in at the feed store. She has one reserved.

Her chickens were attached to her house dog. When she left to ride the bus ,the dog and chickens were laying just inside the door waiting for her return. Nothing was disturbed when she got back and NO messes. They all went nuts when she would return home.

The chickens would even sit in a chair with her and watch TV shows. They took food out of the dog's bowl - he growled but never harmed them. They also took over his bed when pretending they were going broody on"nothing." My friend told me the dog is still searching through the house looking for them. I would have thought he would have been happy they weren't around. So I guess they both got something out of the relationship.

I know this post if out of sync but it's 4:18 am here and I haven't gone to bed yet. So please bear with me. I was reading all the other posts pro and con regarding having house pet chickens. It may not be for everyone but, my friend seemed to do it with ease.

 

[SueT]

When I first starting riding the Senior bus(free in our township)I met a woman known as "The Chicken Lady." She may have been the first "house chicken person." who knows.
She has had house chickens for over 30 years, usually silkies but, sometimes other breeds.

I have been to her house many times - sometimes unannounced until I knock on her door. I have never smelled any bad odors, or odors at all in her small home. She had 3 indoor chickens when I first visited. They would run and hide behind her couch, then peek out to see if the stranger had finally left. It was hysterical watching them.She didn't diaper them - she just had napkins/paper towels & cleaner at the ready. Messes disappear as soon as she sees them.

Right now she has none. She had three- 2 mature seramas hens and one mature silkie. Then she told me one of the seramas had passed away over night. She said it had stopped walking but would eat if she hand fed it. I was suggesting Marek's. Then the silkie was next, it couldn't rise from laying down.Finally the last serama passed away- all within just a couple days of each other. Very sad.

The silkie was the only one that wanted to go outside, so I'm guessing she brought the Marek's in with her one day. My friend is now waiting for a frizzle to come in at the feed store. She has one reserved.

Her chickens were attached to her house dog. When she left to ride the bus ,the dog and chickens were laying just inside the door waiting for her return. Nothing was disturbed when she got back and NO messes. They all went nuts when she would return home.

The chickens would even sit in a chair with her and watch TV shows. They took food out of the dog's bowl - he growled but never harmed them. They also took over his bed when pretending they were going broody on"nothing." My friend told me the dog is still searching through the house looking for them. I would have thought he would have been happy they weren't around. So I guess they both got something out of the relationship.

I know this post if out of sync but it's 4:18 am here and I haven't gone to bed yet. So please bear with me. I was reading all the other posts pro and con regarding having house pet chickens. It may not be for everyone but, my friend seemed to do it with ease.

I LOVE this story! I'm glad she's getting more chickens.....please update us when she does!

 

[silkiemother]

my silkie baby is going to have to come in the house at this rate,she has broken the same nail on both feet,how I have no clue(personally I think it is an excuse to come in and get treats and be pampered by frantic mommy)

 

[MROO]

I was reading all the other posts pro and con regarding having house pet chickens. It may not be for everyone but, my friend seemed to do it with ease.

A funny story about house chickens. My brother thinks house chickens are hysterically funny, and never misses a chance to harass me about our Herman. He really doesn't have anything against Herman, it's just a really good excuse to exercise a "little brother's" prerogative to harass his sister!
The last time he dropped by, he walked in the door, wrinkled his nose and spouted his usual (lame), "Augh! Is that CHICKEN I smell?"
To which I responded, "Yup, I burned dinner..." he absolutely lost it!

 

[silkiemother]

and does anyone know how to prevent the nail stump from getting infected?