Indoor pet chicken

[SarahGfa]

Lots of people here have house chickens. it's not any different from having a dog as an indoor pet. Dogs are supposed to be pack animals, but they also do fine with a human family.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/house-chickens-unite.1286681/

 

[raingarden]

I imagine that havng a chicken in the house would be an awful lot of work, Cute can get old after a while. Now, if they could be paper or litter box trained it would be different.

 

[AngBantamLuv]

I imagine that havng a chicken in the house would be an awful lot of work, Cute can get old after a while. Now, if they could be paper or litter box trained it would be different.

Mine still have their little house inside the house... just like a rabbit.

 

[cundare]

Re: bird "loneliness," our situation is a bit unique. A "wild" rooster wandered into our yard one day, obviously injured, and with a bandage around one leg. We can only guess that his owner -- perhaps a cockfighting breeder -- tossed him into the street when he was injured. We fixed him up at the vet and fenced in the yard, and he's been a wonderful, loyal, and interesting pet. But we have to let him come into the garage every night where he sleeps in a cage we built. We still feel a little nervous about leaving him outside overnight, where he might not be able to defend himself as well as a fully healthy bird.

My question is: He's the only chicken in the yard, but there are always dozens of other types of songbirds, doves, etc., around him who come to visit our water dishes & bird feeders. We'd like to get hiim some hens, but haven't figured out how to handle housing. Would the hens stay in an outside coop we've built, or would we have to repurpose our entire garage to keep them inside overnight? Still thinking about it.

Anyway, after nearly a year, our pampered roo (he'll let us pick him up & put him on our lap) continues to lead a mostly happy, safe life. But I know he'd love to have hens to keep him company. It may be months until we're able to seriously buy some more chickens, but in the interim, does anybody think that having so many other birds around (as well as our presence in the yard for several hours every day) are enough to keep him from being miserable and lonely? He's such a good bird, we'd hate to do that to him. But we didn't decide to own a chicken -- he picked us! -- and we're still trying to learn enough about the hobby to give him a good life.

Any educated opinions?

 

[jsr5]

View attachment 2808461
I love this pic of Kiwi I took while we were watching TV. He fell asleep after a few minutes.

My goodness who stuck all that gum on his poor head!?

 

[jsr5]

Re: bird "loneliness," our situation is a bit unique. A "wild" rooster wandered into our yard one day, obviously injured, and with a bandage around one leg. We can only guess that his owner -- perhaps a cockfighting breeder -- tossed him into the street when he was injured. We fixed him up at the vet and fenced in the yard, and he's been a wonderful, loyal, and interesting pet. But we have to let him come into the garage every night where he sleeps in a cage we built. We still feel a little nervous about leaving him outside overnight, where he might not be able to defend himself as well as a fully healthy bird.

My question is: He's the only chicken in the yard, but there are always dozens of other types of songbirds, doves, etc., around him who come to visit our water dishes & bird feeders. We'd like to get hiim some hens, but haven't figured out how to handle housing. Would the hens stay in an outside coop we've built, or would we have to repurpose our entire garage to keep them inside overnight? Still thinking about it.

Anyway, after nearly a year, our pampered roo (he'll let us pick him up & put him on our lap) continues to lead a mostly happy, safe life. But I know he'd love to have hens to keep him company. It may be months until we're able to seriously buy some more chickens, but in the interim, does anybody think that having so many other birds around (as well as our presence in the yard for several hours every day) are enough to keep him from being miserable and lonely? He's such a good bird, we'd hate to do that to him. But we didn't decide to own a chicken -- he picked us! -- and we're still trying to learn enough about the hobby to give him a good life.

Any educated opinions?

I don't know how Chickens are "in the wild" but if like most fock birds the mailes are often loners for a good part of the year. He will probably feel his biological imperative at some point and be less restive but I'd imagine he is fine for now and can wait a minute for female companionship he sounds well adjusted at this point. And From a chicken lover thanks for stepping up for hij like that.

 

[SarahGfa]

but in the interim, does anybody think that having so many other birds around (as well as our presence in the yard for several hours every day) are enough to keep him from being miserable and lonely? He's such a good bird, we'd hate to do that to him. But we didn't decide to own a chicken -- he picked us! -- and we're still trying to learn enough about the hobby to give him a good life.

Any educated opinions?

Does he act lonely or mopey? If he was owned by a cockfighter breeder, then he most likely lived in his own house with no other hens his whole life so far. so he is used to it.

 

[bgmathteach]

I have read about some people training chickens to poop in a cat litter box (open top one). Would probably take a bit, but would be worth it for the life of the chicken (or two chickens, since they ARE flock animals)

 

[bgmathteach]

View attachment 2808461
I love this pic of Kiwi I took while we were watching TV. He fell asleep after a few minutes.

Oh, my gosh, what a cutie!!

Hubby doesn't understand when I have an injured chicken and I take them from the house isolation pen (out in our breezeway) and hold them/sit with them. They love it because they are so lonely - but can't be out with others until healed. And I love the quality time, too

 

[bgmathteach]

I don't know how Chickens are "in the wild" but if like most fock birds the mailes are often loners for a good part of the year. He will probably feel his biological imperative at some point and be less restive but I'd imagine he is fine for now and can wait a minute for female companionship he sounds well adjusted at this point. And From a chicken lover thanks for stepping up for hij like that.

In the wild, Jungle Fowl (most heritage breeds descend from this . but not all) generally are in flocks of 3-4 hens plus a roo...year round, from everything I have read.