Cuddly Nellie

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I brought Nellie to the vet tonight and after the exam Nellie walked over to my open hand and settled down on my hand! She looked so content to just sit in my hand. Whenever I pick her up she walks onto my hand and she likes to be held. I really want to take this chicken into the house and keep her as a house pet. Do people do that?

At the vet today 2 people told me they knew people with farms and they would take her to one for me. But I don't know where she's going. If I can't get her to a sanctuary, she stays with me.

 

[SilkieChickenLover336]

Many people keep them as house pets! You can buy then chicken diapers! here is a website if you rly would like to purchase one! http://www.chickendiapers.com/

 

[terrilhb]

I say keep her as a housechicken. I have one I want to but my DH won't let me.

He loves her but says they don't belong in the house.

 

[3chimama]

Sounds like you would make a great chicken mama!

 

[scratch'n'peck]

I'm glad I accidentally came across your new thread, since I became interested in the story of Nellie from your previous thread. I have to admit, I like to find out how things turn out for some of the chickens discussed on the forum.

I have read about other indoor chickens on the forum. It seems like she could do as well as a pet parrot. You have a parrot, right? I'm curious what the birds think of each other.

I had a pair of naked neck silkies in doors from around October-March and they did ok. It would be interesting to hear from other people who have kept an indoor chicken especially an only chicken if that is what you are considering.

Keep in mind, it looks like she will be one of the larger breeds of chicken.

 

[benjoycei]

Keep her! Keep her!

 

[[email protected]]

So how's this sound: what If I put a pen in the yard for the summer, and cage her indoors in the winter? She could be in the living room where I have my parrot and keet? Why not? A chicken ain't nothin' but a bird, right? But in that instance, I'd only have one chicken, so she'd be deprived of chickenly comanionship. On the other hand, at night, watching TV, she could be a lap chicken. This can work, right?

 

[stargirl]

Keep her! Keepherkeepherkeepher! You could even try potty training her?

 

[scratch'n'peck]

She might be happier inside from the start in the same room but separate cage from your other birds. Chickens don't really like changes in their sleeping arrangements, so you could just avoid the transition in the fall. You also wouldn't have to purchase the outdoor coop. Instead you could just have an outdoor run area in the yard for outings on evenings or weekends when you are around.

One thing you may have noticed about chickens, is they like to scratch at the bottom of their enclosure more than other birds. When I had my pair of Silkies inside over the winter, I lined it with cardboard because they would scratch through paper. I used wood shavings which was kind of dusty, but now I would try shredded paper because I have heard other people had success with that.

If you google "housechickens" you might find more information on keeping indoor chickens, too.

 

[ranchhand]

Just to maintain some balance here, allow me to offer the other side. Chickens are flock animals, they prefer the company of their own kind. Sure, they enjoy the doting house pet aspect- because they've never known the real life of a chicken who is outdoors, scratching and gossiping with flockmates. It seems to me that house pet chickens have more health issues and shorter lives than outdoor ones. My oldest hen laid eggs until she was 14 and lived until 16. Always outdoors, with a nice secure run and coop.

It's only my opinion, so don't anyone get mad at me. But after raising chickens for 20 years, I don't think being an indoor lap pet, with diapers, is any kind of real life for a chicken. I have dogs and cats who spend most of their time inside. Chicken and ducks aren't indoor pets to me.

I adore my birds and as a compromise I call them "working pets". I don't eat chicken, so they live to a ripe, old age here.