HOUSE chicken advice?

[Aun <HIS><]

I have two 2 1/2 month old silkie chicks that are house chickens. I've had chickens for years (free range standards only), but this is our first experience with house chickens. They have a 4 floor cage in our family room that we use when they are caged. We diaper them during the day, and they roost in an open tubbie by our bed at night. I'm worried about nutrition, as they don't have anything to scratch up off the carpet to eat, and I don't think they spend enough time eating from their food dish. So, I've been keeping them caged for longer periods during the day, to make sure they eat enough. (one of them is too skinny, I think.)

Do you all, who have house chickens, mind telling me just how you deal with having your house chickens? Do you diaper? What is your diaper like? How do you deal with nutrition? Do they stay in one room, or wander all over the house? Do they follow you around, or stay closer to their cage? Do you have a cage, or something else? Or nothing? Do you take them outside? Do they come back to you? How do you deal with the diaper smell? Mine poo constantly, it's not like I can change the diapers every time, but then that means that they smell. Where do yours sleep? What do they do all day? Mine are pretty bored. I'm used to seeing happy hens scratching away, looking for bugs. We love having house chickens.

But I need to come up with a way for them to be really happy, or they'll have to be out with the big girls when warm weather hits. I don't want that! Please, please tell me how you have succeeded at keeping them inside.

Thank you so much!
Aundrea

 

[silkiechicken]

Well, I had a little house roo for a while but eventually he stopped knocking and jumping and screaming at the door for us to let him in at bed time. We let him out in the morning as he just stood on his crib till someone opened the door. One night he decided he'd rather be out with the rest.

Good luck!

 

[hypnofrogstevie]

all my chickens are indoors. The new coopi is not built so they stay inside for now. Its been very succsessful. I dont mind the weekly cleaning.

 

[Grammi]

I have a house silkie. She wears a diaper, I change it usually once a day, but occasionally twice a day. I do put a half a napkin in her diaper it takes care of the moisture. She has the run of the whole house. At night she sleeps at the foot of our bed in a open carrier. I give her regular feed in a dish that is set in a large tray that some people use for cat litter. I also have sand in there for her. Her water is set on the side. Now she prefers the dog bowls for water and food!!

Especially if I put left overs in them. I also have a border collie and a golden retriever husky mix. I never leave them alone with my silkie. They are great with her, but I just cannot leave her at their mercy when I am gone. When we go somewhere, I put her in our room and shut the door. But the dogs have always backed down from her, as they know all the chickens are mine, especially this silkie. ( I have lets say over 60 chickens outside) She is a little skinny. I give her treats with yogurt, I give her greens, and she gets left over spaghetti, or macaroni. She is basically spoiled, but seems to be of good health. She has been a house chicken for 3 years, I would say she was about 4 or 5 when I got her. She had pneumonia. I spent a lot of nights taking care of her trying to keep her going. She only lays an egg or two a year. So I would say she is getting on in years. But she still runs around the house like she owns it. I absolutely love her. and she is the second house chicken I have had. My family thinks I am nuts, but when I went to help my Dad out in Montana and was gone for 3 months, my DH changed her diaper and took good care of her, he wouldn't want anyone to know it but he is just as crazy as I am about our birds. I hope this helps. Feel free to email me if you need. Gail

 

[Henriettahen]

I had house chickens in the past....they were my babiess <33

way before I knew about diapers...which is the reason they had to go

They stunk up the house with there poo

The hobbie farmer who I gave them too ended up moving....to make a long story short my birds ended up at a meat farm

Mine wandered the house...ate alott of scraps so weight wasn't a problem. In the warmer months they liked to go outside for the day in their pens, and would wait at the door to come in at night. You have to be carefull of predators though...and any harmfull stuff in your house.


I am thinking of getting another silky chick to raise for a house chicken, now that diapers are available. I'm just worried it will end up a rooser (I'm in the city) and I wont have anywhere to take it.