House Chicken Advice Please

[cajunlizz]

Quote:
Sorry , I have to ask this question . Why chickens in the house ? Chickens are made to be outisde , fresh air , sunlight , excerise , RUN til you drop kinda animal . Certain things are not made to be inside a home , and IMO , chickens are one of them .

 

[hooligan]

Well I guess that is just it, YOUR opinion

Chickens are awesome companions, now why wouldn't you want a friend inside?

An easy way to help with the pine scatter is to make a bottom out of Coroplast. You can get an 8'x4' piece for about $10 and you can then make the sides as high as you need. Or just use a fitted sheet pinned around the bottom.
Here's a link to many cages that have been made of Neat Idea Cubes and Coroplast: http://guineapigcages.com/photos/index.php So much cheaper than crates or cages and then you only have to dump the tray out

I have made Iguana, Bunny and Guinea Pig cages out of them, here's one of my house rabbits cages:

Why are you having to keep so many inside? Do you have a total of how many you are looking at keeping? Will they have a tractor outside?

 

[LittleChickenRacingTeam]

Quote:
I guess the same could be said for parrots, lizards, ferrets, even fish really.

What I find really disgusting is people who let dogs & cats jump up on furniture or their beds. I have an allergy to cat dander & will not sit on a someone's couch that has cat hair on it.

My chooks DON'T have the run of the house, but do have dog crates for each of the 8 I keep in a mud room. The have an outdoor coop & run that they use when I'm around to supervise, & weather permitting.

And Hooligan is right, the coroplast sheets make great walls to keep the pine shavings in the cage.

My chickens ARE pets, & that's why I prefer them to be safely locked up in the house with me at night.

 

[Guitartists]

I've got to add... my Roxie seems a bit down since her move to the coop. I think she preferred her home life with regular snacks at dinnertime and her own personal space. I think she will perk back up once the banty coop is built and she gets her own space back

 

[Momma_Cluck]

We have 12 Bantams (6 silkies and 6 assorted) they have been living in a dishwashe box in my daughters room for 6 weeks..

We use layers of cardboard and newspaper under pineshavings that get changed 3x a week... more if the little brats swing on & spill their waterer!!

I do NOT recomend using the DE powder indoors! I found out the hard way that it ends up ALL OVER the room--and you every time they scratch or dust bathe!! just change the litter often-- it's all you can really do...

Unless you have a spare room for them maybe??
If you can use a while room-- build a corner "aviary" to keep them contained ina portion of the room (and to hold litter etc..) and use the rest of the room as a "run".. have tile/linoleum/wood floors for easier clean-up!


but I really feel compelled to ask...
Why are you choosing to raise THAT many indoors???
The smell & mess alone will be overwelming!

IMO, I would build a nice comfy coop with a run so they can have fresh air/sunshine etc.... and keep a few favorites indoors (we're probably keeping 2-- Scooter: the "runt" OE hen and Kashi our Mille Fluer D'uccle) Just keep visiting the "coop-chicks" often... they'll stay sweet & tame!

You can get diapers at MyPetChicken.com, McMurrays and most other hatcheries!
But thats a LOT of diapers!!!!

 

[tiki244]

Quote:
Thank You hooligan and LCRT and everyone for your suggestions. I will not be keeping all my chickens, they have just recently moved IN my house because of unbearable circumstances.

Outside I have an 8ftx12ft coop and 12ftx12ft aviary, and when I was around I let them out in a grassed area (and fenced) that is 5000 sq ft. However, I do believe those days are gone. I am now just trying to decide what to do. And am collecting ideas. I do have a spare room.

I also may move to a new location or just cut way down. I know I could keep the Seramas but I just love the cochins, and the....... etc. o boy

 

[arlee453]

Hey - we keep parrots in the house and they are run free kinds of birds in their 'native' environment. Why not chickens. I know a lot of people start out with a special needs chicken that just sort of becomes a house pet.

Also, Cajunlizz, I have to ask (I'm just being nosy...so feel free to ignore this) why do you use so many spaces in all your posts? Is there something wrong with your keyboard or is it for some specific reason - I just can't figure it out and am probably too curious.

 

[tiki244]

Hooligan I went to register for the one link sit and it wouldnt let me because I dont know what guinnea pigs are also known as. Can you please tell me? anyone?

 

[arlee453]

Cavies.

or Cavy, singular.

I'm a member over there too, although it's been a long time since I've visited. There's a lot of great info there for Guinea pig owners, and GREAT cage ideas, but also they are sort of too 'animals are just little people and deserve the same rights and priviledges thereof, or more, and WHY aren't you a vegetarian?' for me to hang around there too long.

I have used C&C (cubes & coroplast) cages for several various animals too - they are really convienient, cheap and versatile too!

 

[luckyducky]

I too, am keeping the chicks and ducks in the house at night ( 9 chicks, and 2 ducks). They live in Rubbermaid containers at night ( chicks in the spare bathroom, and ducks in kitchen). We have coyotes, all around and until I get the real coop built, ( have tractor, need to finish run for coop). I think the house is where they will stay. I have put too much time into these birds to lose them now to a predator who didn't work that hard for them... I think those big Rubbermaid containers are the cat's pajamas, or the bees knees!!!! Good stuff!