Curious About Chickens In The House

[flspnr]

I was wondering, if you have any chickens in the house, if you could answer a few questions for me. I can't have any running around the house (3 dogs, 5 cats, all inside, one of the dogs *really* wanted to see the chicken we had in the bathroom for a while, and not sure if she'd hurt the chicken!).

Do you let the chicken(s) have a run of the house?
How do you deal with the poop? Do you really use diapers? Are they easy/hard to deal with? How often do you change them?
Does the chicken(s) get along with other animals in the house, or are they the only animal?
Does your indoor chicken(s) have a small coop or cage to go to to sleep at night, or do you just have something for them to roost on?
If they have diapers, how do they lay eggs?

Sorry, I know that's a lot of questions, but I"m just really curious about how it works! I'd love to have a show chicken one day, and would probably keep her in the house/free range outside some during the day, so she's not picked on by my other chickens before the show. It would be quite a while before I got her, DH won't let me have any more at all right now and we're in a small place right now, but I'm getting curious. Thanks!!

 

[SteveBaz]

Welcome to the Site

Do you let the chicken(s) have a run of the house? Not allowed

How do you deal with the poop? Do you really use diapers? Are they easy/hard to deal with? How often do you change them? I am fairly new too but I would think if there is a will there is a way
Does the chicken(s) get along with other animals in the house, or are they the only animal? My Rhodeasion Ridgeback and the chickens are friends

Does your indoor chicken(s) have a small coop or cage to go to to sleep at night, or do you just have something for them to roost on?

If they have diapers, how do they lay eggs? in the diaper I assume or you take them off in the coop or enclosure

I personally feel that my chickens are chickens and they really need to treated like a chicken. Some may have a differant ideas but for this family, that why we have a coop and run

Steve

 

[Darklingstorm]

The only chicken I would even consider keeping indoors full time would be a Serama (world's smallest chickens), anything else would be too much IMO. I have allergies so the dust from the wood shavings and feed would be too much.
Diffidently would not allow even the Serama to run free, besides the mess they would make, they eat everything and something like a dropped pill or something else of that nature would kill it.
As for laying eggs, if you have a coop / nesting area, then she should lay there and not every where else.
Diapers on a chicken? Well I guess it could be done but I would think that unless you stayed right on top of the chicken and changed often, that a bacterial infection would set in from the poop.

If I wanted to keep a show chicken, then I would simply build an individual compartment inside the main coop (like a cage) and have a separate run so that she can see and visit with the other chickens but not actually physically touch the others. Chicken get lonely and need the company of other chickens.

 

[pawsplus]

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I don't keep mine in the house, but may I respectfully suggest that if you have no knowledge about something, it's better not to comment? B/c chicken diapers do not work as you suggest. Since it's clear that you know nothing about them, I'm not sure why you are offering an opinion on them. Many people here do use them and they are quite hygienic:

http://chickendiapers.com/Catalog.html

I see nothing wrong w/ keeping a chicken in the house, but "chickenproofing" is a concern. The chicken should only be in very well cleaned up rooms so she can't ingest anything dangerous, should not be allowed out unless someone is paying direct attention to her, and IMO dogs should have NO access, period. Dogs are predators, and if something goes wrong it will go wrong too quickly for you to prevent a tragedy.

 

[Chickiemom25]

I keep chasing them out.. Occasionally one will be brought in by my daughter to watch TV, but they are held on a towel just in case... Why they are so intent on coming in the doors is beyond me.. They are NEVER fed in the house. Fortunately we have tile floors so clean up is easy when they sneak in and watching them scramble on the tile when I come in the room is a hoot.

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[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

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[Lordofchickens 86]

the only time i let Chickens in the house is when the are chicks and the mother won't care for them or when i buy them. when fully feathered there out. i know some people have house chickens and they do diaper them

 

[7L Farm]

I incubate inside my house & have had a sick chicken in my bathroom. But I believe animals prefer to live outside especially chickens because they live to scratch & peck.

 

[chickchicks]

we dont let them in the house

but it doesnt stop them sneaking in ocasionally


i cannot offer any advice on dipers as i have non but BYC there are a few mentions on here and they seem poitive ! anything is worth a try

i have wooden floors so if they do the poo either the mop/scoop comes out or the dog eats it ! which ever is faster at the time

yes i have a dog he is free to go in and out the house as he please and leaves the chickens alone ( heis scared of them!) he is a staff lab mix
i love them all in the backgarden watching them move freely - warning of caution though although my dog has not killed any chicken it does not mean he wont if he got the chance when left alone so i alwasy watch them at all times and seperate if i cannot .

 

[Time-Out]

Mine come indoors and say 'Hi' or just to get out the cold/wind outside. I once went out to spend some time with them, and they all came straight in. Do I smell?

Jameelah joined us for dinner one evening