Indoor pet chicken

[OlandskMama]

I happen to be allergic to planet earth with or without pets i also have a zoo. I got "allergy free" dogs, aka maltipoos.. oh and had hives for the first three months they were with me. That subsided. I do have several chickens and a parrot. Desert variety parrots are dusty like chickens, i have had them in the past. My current one is a tropical jungle breed, so no dust.

The chickens are in a room with hard flooring that can be vacuumed, swept, and mopped frequently. I also have an exhaust fan in their room that i run during day hours. I also have a honeywell hepa air purifier and filter next to their cage (and in all of my rooms, because i just feel healthier with them). I clean poop daily, using a kitty poop scoop. I created a skirt around the bottom of the coop so it contains everything when they scratch. I experimented quite a bit and settled on sweet pdz granules (granules is the key..) which is heavy enough to not go airborne, absorbs all ammonia, is light enough to not over weight your trays, and is safe for the chickens to eat as a grit.

The chickens get to roam for a little while.. 20-30 mins seems sufficient to them, after that, they just trek back into their coop/run. When i was sitting with them for extended periods, id use the chicken diapers, but with this shorter interval, i get no more than 3 poops. I just pick them up, then use pet spray and wipe up.

My home is immaculate.. i say that because if you're going to have animals in your house, even cats and dogs, you have to be willing to do daily cleaning, not once a week cleaning. Its just how it is. But i do that without animals, so the animals are my bonus

I started, but didn't finish an article on house chickens.. ill do that when my house projects are done

"I happen to be allergic to planet earth with or without pets "
Long ago my husband found out he was allergic to dog and cat dander. The doctor said, "I don't suppose you are going to get rid of all your pets." Nope! Hubby takes medication so the dogs and cats still sleep on the bed with us.
A couple of years ago we learned our Westhighland white terrier was allergic to human dander, among other things. Now he takes very speedy allergy meds, so he can tolerate us!
We have had chicken house guests when one of the Olandsk Dwarfs becomes ill. I put a towel on the arm of the couch and they are very happy to hang with us. They are tiny so tiny poops, and don't usually stay indoors long enough to become a dander issue.

 

[OlandskMama]

Good for you for finding a way around the allergy problem! My husband is allergic to dog and cat dander. The doctor prescibed allergy meds so the pets can sleep on our bed. A couple of years ago we learned that our poor Westhighland white terrier is allergic to a lot of things. Especially human dander ! He takes very spendy allergy meds so he can tolerate us!
We have occasional Olandsk Dwarf house chicken guests. They get to sit on a lap, a towel on the arm of the sofa, or roam amongst the other critters. They are such tiny birds, their poops are not too messy. They usually only stay a short while from injury or illness, so the hepa filter helps keep the dander in check.

 

[AngBantamLuv]

Good for you for finding a way around the allergy problem! My husband is allergic to dog and cat dander. The doctor prescibed allergy meds so the pets can sleep on our bed. A couple of years ago we learned that our poor Westhighland white terrier is allergic to a lot of things. Especially human dander ! He takes very spendy allergy meds so he can tolerate us!
We have occasional Olandsk Dwarf house chicken guests. They get to sit on a lap, a towel on the arm of the sofa, or roam amongst the other critters. They are such tiny birds, their poops are not too messy. They usually only stay a short while from injury or illness, so the hepa filter helps keep the dander in check.

Ohhhhh my what a sweetie!! Funny, i had one dog who would break out in hives sometimes too.. was always careful about any house cleaning chemicals or treats etc. Once i figured out the culprit, she did better (it was beef and who knows what other ingredients, have had the worst luck w "high end" dog foods.

Love your chicken house guest arrangements. I have a new girl whose brothers had to fly the coop.. she was sitting with me and the dogs when she got lonely the other night.


But people are living w more allergies in general, and there are fixes, so no need to go pet free. Where there's a will, there's a way!

 

[NinjaGamer2022]

Not to mention a human really is not an ideal substitute for a companion bird. A pair or trio of bantams I could see being okay as house pets so long as everything else was working well, but not a single bird

100% Agree.

 

[NinjaGamer2022]

I don't mind the idea of indoor chickens.
As long as...

• They are kept in a good, large enclosure...
• ...That is cleaned regularly
• They are not lonely
• They are happy and healthy

 

[duckncover]

I have seramas that are indoors at times. They are pets that enjoy my company and are happy to hang out with my like I'm a big chicken tree. The agreement I have with the town I live in is that the roosters do not disturb people. So they come inside each night around dusk and back out around 10:30-11am. They don't mind much. Everyone is going to be coming inside in the next few days for the winter months as the coop I invested in turned out to be way to small and poorly made to keep anything in. I also don't trust these winter hardiness much. What they have outside will be reassembled inside. It's a lot of dust and mess but I have had parrots my whole life taking up most of my house. My parrots are gone now and the chickens are not much more of a setback then they are.

 

[Lilion]

Our neighbors had a wonderful little bantam rooster named Micky. He would run and play with their daughter and ride on her shoulder. He went on car rides. He was their free-range house chicken. He'd come to my house and crow until we gave him cereal. Indoors, a disposable mask fit perfectly as a chicken diaper. Sadly, a big hawk got him. I shall have to see if I can find a few pics.

 

[AngBantamLuv]

Our neighbors had a wonderful little bantam rooster named Micky. He would run and play with their daughter and ride on her shoulder. He went on car rides. He was their free-range house chicken. He'd come to my house and crow until we gave him cereal. Indoors, a disposable mask fit perfectly as a chicken diaper. Sadly, a big hawk got him. I shall have to see if I can find a few pics.View attachment 3286009View attachment 3286012

He's adorable!! What a cute pal for your neighbors kiddo So sorry about the hawk

 

[NinjaGamer2022]

Our neighbors had a wonderful little bantam rooster named Micky. He would run and play with their daughter and ride on her shoulder. He went on car rides. He was their free-range house chicken. He'd come to my house and crow until we gave him cereal. Indoors, a disposable mask fit perfectly as a chicken diaper. Sadly, a big hawk got him. I shall have to see if I can find a few pics.View attachment 3286009View attachment 3286012

He sounded very sweet. Poor Mickey. He looked like a Silver Duckwing OEGB. I own a rooster that looks very much like him. Very sweet.