indoor chicken ?

[Rainymae]

I am getting a pair of Old english game bantams for my daughter that were hatched in Oct. as a Christmas present . She had a OEG bantam rooster that was her bff . He rode in her bicycle basket and everything but unfortunately we had a raccoon problem that eventually got all of the bantams . I have finally found her another pair of these ( that was #1 on her christmas list ) . My laying hens are in a big coop outside and I do not think they would except 2 young small friends . I am afraid to put the bantams outdoors in the cold ( we have not been above freezing once for the past 13 days ) . Also 2 itty bitty bantams alone are just sittig ducks for the reccoon .

With all of that said can I keep them indoors until spring ? Also what sort of indoor set-up will keep them happy for atleast the next 4-5 months ? if you keep indoor chickens do you mind sharing a pic of your cage . Oh and for the record they do need to be in a cage my border collies are known chicken eaters . Also I am not intrested in diapering a chicken or mopping chicken poo off my floors .

So any advice ?

 

[Knock Kneed Hen]

I have a big dog crate that I place a perch in the back of. Pine shavings down with a food and water dish hanging on the front. I pick out the poo daily. I keep chickens like this that are injured or in quarantine.
I have extra large dog crates so they have plenty of room to move around and scratch if they want. They'd do fine in the same indoor temps that you're in. I can't imagine that you'd have to supplement their heat
in the house unless they are newly hatched chicks. They do fine indoors until the spring.

 

[Rainymae]

I agree they will do fine indoor without supplement heat . Since they have never been outside before I was just afraid to put them outdoors when its in the teens at night until they are older . I have had OEG bantum before and they did fine in winter outside but were raised outside . I just have not kept fully feathered chickens indoors for months at a time before . I do have a large dog crate but it is just wire bottom I will need to make some sort of tray for the bottom . I have a St.Bernard and her cage is the biggest wire dog crate I could find , she no longer uses it .

 

[Rainymae]

Do you think a dog crate with a perch and shavings is good ? I probably should include a nest box right ? I am hoping since we are talking about two very small chickens the dust and smell should be minimal

 

[Kat's Silly Chickens]

We have Ornamental chickens that I built an inside cage for them. But they all started out in a large dog kennel that we put chicken wire around to keep from accidental neck injuries,
we have 2 dogs that don't pay attention to where they are running.

You're going to have some dust, not from the shavings, but from their feed.

We have a lot less dust from the new cage only because it has a drawer that the poop and kicked around feed falls into.

Good luck with your new additions, with them being inside til spring your daughter can bond with them easily.

 

[Rainymae]

good to know that you have that many in the house and it's manageable ! Who knows if they work out to not be stinky and messy as I imagine she may beable to keep them inside long term . I was figuring they are much smaller then a big parrot and people keep them inside . I can't imagine they poop more than a big parrot .

 

[Kat's Silly Chickens]

I think our Silkies will be the largest looking ones, they have all that fluff. We have a Black-Tail Buff Japanese Bantam as 1 of the inside 1's. And 2 Sultans.
They are all happy campers with the larger cage.