enrichment/enclosure for indoor setup (plants,toys, etc)

[RoostersAreAwesome]

Chickens can thrive indoors. While this may not be true of all chickens, here’s a thread on seramas, a breed that is often kept indoors due to their size and sensitivity to weather conditions: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/american-serama-thread.415294/
(Something I’ve noticed is that any newbie who posts about having/wanting an indoor chicken is immediately told their chicken will be miserable, but a Serama breeder can say they keep their chickens indoors during the winter and get no backlash at all.)

I think on threads like these it’s important to not immediately chastise people for even thinking of keeping a chicken indoors, but instead educate them on what that would require, and make sure they’re up for the challenge.

I’ve had indoor pigeons and quail and, while the birds were happy, it was definitely a lot of work. You have to be committed to doing this work not just when you first get them, but throughout their entire lives. People who have adopted a pigeon from me as an indoor pet have returned them to me on more than one occasion because they simply didn’t have the time to give the birds enough free roam time or keep up with their cleaning.

 

[Boxlock]

I can't recommend strongly enough against raising chickens inside your home. There are so many reasons.

I can't recommend strongly enough against raising chickens inside your home. There are so many reasons.

Don’t do it, they won’t be happy and you won’t be happy! Happy chickens are outside chickens protected from predators!

 

[PrettyChicky25]

ever since I made this account I'm obsessed with the wisdom everyone has here haha, today's question!!

for a little bit of background, I'm thinking of keeping indoor bantam (specifically serama) chickens. BUT. I need ideas for

1. house/indoor plants safe for chickens
2. toys/enrichment opportunities
3. what should my setup look like ? does the placement of the stuff matter ?
4. flooring/surface for the “ chicken room”

so far these are the ideas I have (more suggestions or anything else welcome )

1. roosting areas
2. foraging trays
3. dust baths
4. hay
5. balls with treats in them
6. hiding places (im thinking of using cat/dog houses)
7. some extra stuff to add clutter
8. parrot toys ?? mainly those ones about destroying, perching on and foraging.

but I need to find roosting perches suitable for bantams/seramas, would pigeon ones be suitable ? plus what type of roosting areas would they most like (I saw some different type designs like just sticks. ones that have weird shapes. etc)


the room for them (see photos) ,, ignore the furniture they will be out!

im overall looking for advice on anything. thanks y'all for any help
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Look into a company called Kavee cages. I have an indoor bantam chicken I rescued and built out a 3 x3' cage from Kavee and have different blankets from them that I change out every week. I also have chicken plushies, scrunchies, etc that she loves to play with. I will tell you that having a chicken in the house is not going to be easy. And if you're having more than one, I would probably advise you not to do it. I never leave my home for more than 4 hours at a time due to not wanting my chicken to live in filth and not wanting my home to smell. They have cecal poops that look like pudding and stink to high heaven due to ammonia. I absolutely adore my chicken but will always need to work from home now. Whatever you decide to do, remember that taking on a chicken is a commitment. They will love you and you can't take that love lightly. You can't rehome them without heartbreak. Honestly after living with my chicken for the past three years, I would say unless you have one rescue indoors, don't do it. Good luck though...

 

[Copperhead1969]

If it's a rooster you will soon learn every light on inside the home is a new sunrise for him.

 

[fat brown hen]

Many of these ground birds are never in groups during the whole year, they split to nest, and you’ll read about so many injuries and fights from supposed “flockmates”, they just aren’t social like other animals, they don’t make “friends”, they don’t bond heavily, if you separate a sick chicken from the “flock” they will hate them if you return the, they only want to be in a group because they don’t want to be the only bird when a predator comes around, is my theory. I keep all my quail alone, with a plush friend, my roosters don’t crow, or pace, or pluck themselves,

This is fascinating. Do you keep coturnix quail, or something else? Can they see or hear each other? Do you separate them at hatch, and imprint each one on a plush?

A friend of mine has indoor quail (only 2), and he said it's not any more work than a hamster.

 

[WildNectarine]

This is fascinating. Do you keep coturnix quail, or something else? Can they see or hear each other? Do you separate them at hatch, and imprint each one on a plush?

A friend of mine has indoor quail (only 2), and he said it's not any more work than a hamster.

Oh yes, coturnix! And they’re definitely a lot more work than a hamster. Cleaning is every day or other day, and they need lots of enrichment and space, I use a 79”x59” enclosure for just one. I usually buy adult birds that are already imprinted on their own kind, and I try to keep them as separated as possible in the house. You want them bonding to you, but knowing that they are a quail and you are not.

 

[fat brown hen]

Oh yes, coturnix! And they’re definitely a lot more work than a hamster. Cleaning is every day or other day, and they need lots of enrichment and space, I use a 79”x59” enclosure for just one. I usually buy adult birds that are already imprinted on their own kind, and I try to keep them as separated as possible in the house. You want them bonding to you, but knowing that they are a quail and you are not.

People tend to underestimate the requirements of animals they don't have, and overestimate the requirements of animals they do :\

If your adult quail are already imprinted on quail, how do you get them to accept a plush friend? Even if they are visually separated within the house, surely they can hear each other?

 

[WildNectarine]

People tend to underestimate the requirements of animals they don't have, and overestimate the requirements of animals they do :\

If your adult quail are already imprinted on quail, how do you get them to accept a plush friend? Even if they are visually separated within the house, surely they can hear each other?

They don’t really make noise unless something’s going on. And they accept anything quail shaped, I don’t know how to explain it, they just do. I’ll be honest, I never thought it would work so well. The roosters almost never crow.

 

[fat brown hen]

They don’t really make noise unless something’s going on. And they accept anything quail shaped, I don’t know how to explain it, they just do. I’ll be honest, I never thought it would work so well. The roosters almost never crow.

huh. wild turkeys and ducks are attracted to decoys, so I guess quails could similarly accept squishmallows. it seems a bit odd that you don't at least keep them in male/female pairs, as that would save a lot of space

 

[WildNectarine]

huh. wild turkeys and ducks are attracted to decoys, so I guess quails could similarly accept squishmallows. it seems a bit odd that you don't at least keep them in male/female pairs, as that would save a lot of space

You just can’t do that. The males will overbreed the hens, and even if you give him enough, he’ll still pick favorites. It’s not right to house them together and torture the hens for the rest of their lives, and it’s not right to give the males no outlet, so, plushes it is! Their wild ancestors also don’t live together all year long, so not only is it cruel, but it’s unnatural.