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

[TOMTE]

Also please note that only the quail people have said go ahead and do it. Nothing against quail, but quail are not chickens.

Something I was going to bring up as well. I'll admit that I don't know the first thing about quail (other than they're cute little things ), but yeah, they're very different from chickens. In the same order and family, but separated by... I'm not sure exactly, but probably millions or at least hundreds of thousands of years of evolution. Their behaviors and lifestyles are so different, it's not fair to say "my quail do fine shut indoors in pens, so chickens will be the same".

 

[fat brown hen]

I didn't say one chicken compared to one dog or cat. I said chickens, plural. Plus, shedding fur isn't the same as shedding dander. Dander is where the allergies etc come from, not the fur.

Anything with hair or feathers sheds dander -- In humans it's called dandruff

ONE chicken poops every 8-12 minutes and 2 or 3 poops a day will be cecal. Multiply that by 2 or 3, and it gets really dirty really fast. Chickens have no qualms about walking in their poop and getting it everywhere. So that's another issue with keeping a group of chickens, even a small group, indoors. Is the OP willing to do that much cleaning every single day?

I think we've established in the last two pages that you don't need more than one. Plenty of threads about chicken diapers. Not my cup of tea, but it appears to be a solved problem.

I wish more people would share their experiences with house chickens. I feel like anytime someone posts about it, they are publicly shamed and chastised so they don't feel like posting anymore. Sorry about this, OP.

 

[TOMTE]

Anything with hair or feathers sheds dander -- In humans it's called dandruff


I think we've established in the last two pages that you don't need more than one. Plenty of threads about chicken diapers. Not my cup of tea, but it appears to be a solved problem.

I wish more people would share their experiences with house chickens. I feel like anytime someone posts about it, they are publicly shamed and chastised so they don't feel like posting anymore. Sorry about this, OP.

Chickens are social creatures. They will not be happy (except for rare cases) without at least 2 others to keep them company. Want to adopt a special needs chicken that can't be around others? Go for it! But chickens need the company of other chickens. Otherwise they're hardly chickens, and they get depressed, and have multitudes of behavioral issues. It is not natural for chickens to be alone. Human company is no substitute for the company of other chickens. And not every chicken will accept a diaper. You can't operate on the idea that they're all the same and have no individual personalities. They very much do.

And yes, I know everything with fur/hair/feathers sheds dander. The issue comes from how much dander is produced, and birds notoriously produce a lot.

 

[fat brown hen]

Chickens are social creatures. They will not be happy (except for rare cases) without at least 2 others to keep them company.

That's what I thought, but then there's page 6.

And yes, I know everything with fur/hair/feathers sheds dander. The issue comes from how much dander is produced, and birds notoriously produce a lot.

No, you've misunderstood. The issue comes from the proteins in the dander that trigger an allergic reaction. Something like 10-20% of the population is allergic to the proteins in cat dander, but fewer are allergic to bird or dog dander. The amount of dander is generally the same per unit of surface area.

 

[TOMTE]

That's what I thought, but then there's page 6.

I don't see anything on page 6 about keeping chickens alone successfully. I see talk of quail, that's it.

And I'm not just talking allergies. Dander can cause respiratory upset and illness in people who are sensitive to it (asthmatics, for example). Even perfectly healthy people have developed bird keeper's lung after keeping indoor birds.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Chickens are social creatures. They will not be happy (except for rare cases) without at least 2 others to keep them company. Want to adopt a special needs chicken that can't be around others? Go for it! But chickens need the company of other chickens. Otherwise they're hardly chickens, and they get depressed, and have multitudes of behavioral issues. It is not natural for chickens to be alone. Human company is no substitute for the company of other chickens. And not every chicken will accept a diaper. You can't operate on the idea that they're all the same and have no individual personalities. They very much do.

And yes, I know everything with fur/hair/feathers sheds dander. The issue comes from how much dander is produced, and birds notoriously produce a lot.

I’m surprised no ones mentioned parrots/parakeets/etc. getting people sick lol They all produce tons of dander too. Not saying the indoor chicken thing is a good idea though. I don’t think it is. But just saying LOL

 

[TOMTE]

I’m surprised no ones mentioned parrots/parakeets/etc. getting people sick lol They all produce tons of dander too. Not saying the indoor chicken thing is a good idea though. I don’t think it is. But just saying LOL

I think a couple people did mention it a few pages back, but it got buried by quail talk.

 

[fat brown hen]

I don't see anything on page 6 about keeping chickens alone successfully. I see talk of quail, that's it.

True. And I hope that people aren't discouraged from trying it. I would never have thought to use a plush.

And I'm not just talking allergies. Dander can cause respiratory upset and illness in people who are sensitive to it (asthmatics, for example). Even perfectly healthy people have developed bird keeper's lung after keeping indoor birds.

It is the same thing: Bird fancier's lung is where some people are allergic to the proteins in bird dander. It's not as common as cat allergies. But obviously, if you are allergic to bird dander, don't keep indoor birds.

 

[TOMTE]

It is the same thing: Bird fancier's lung is where some people are allergic to the proteins in bird dander. It's not as common as cat allergies. But obviously, if you are allergic to bird dander, don't keep indoor birds.

Ah okay, I wasn't aware that it was an allergic reaction. But still, you can be in perfect health and still develop the condition, just like you can develop any other allergy at any time. I did a bit of web searching, it seems like the condition itself (Hypersensitivity pneumonitis) is more serious and causes more long-term complications than a standard (meaning, non-anaphylaxis) allergic reaction. The more you're around bird dander, the more likely you are to develop HP. Something to definitely keep in mind.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I think a couple people did mention it a few pages back, but it got buried by quail talk.

Ahhh okay I must’ve missed it then