Inside chickens?

[CanadaDragon18]

Is it safe/healthy for me to raise a chick inside? I'm about to be moving to a house where there are 20 outdoor cats and I don't know how many kittens(also outside) and I was told by a family member that I should be able to raise it inside. I just don't know the health risks that might be involved. Any thoughts?

 

[chickens really]

You only have one Chick?..Chickens need other Chickens. Inside as it grows is fine as long as you secure its Brooder.
My cats don't bother with Chicks or chickens.
More information needed..

 

[tjo804]

It is about the same rules as hamsters. Proper cage / brooder, bedding, heat, food water
Wash hands after holding and don't let her on counter while preparing food.

I have rescues in my house that are adults. They are in separate cages in the storage room.

Contrary to popular belief. Chickens are not nasty creatures full of disease. You will enjoy having your chick inside.

Also my bigger hens have made the stray cats fear chickens. I can not speak to your population. I do recommend looking into a trap and release program. I did that here I trapped cats took them to humane society, they spayed / neutered and I picked em up and set them free here again. Lessened the kitten problem by thousands!

Congrats on your new home
Good luck

 

[CanadaDragon18]

You only have one Chick?..Chickens need other Chickens. Inside as it grows is fine as long as you secure its Brooder.
My cats don't bother with Chicks or chickens.
More information needed..

I don't have it yet, I wasgoing to get two from my uncle's girlfriend, but one got out of the pen and was eaten by stray dogs. She has another four she said she would give me when they get a little more mature, and eventually when more hatch she said she would be willing to see about giving me more. We are going to wait till we see how my stuff fits in the house, I might have an entire room that's empty for them.

 

[Mrs. K]

As they grow they will create incredible dust. I do know people keep them inside, but I would not do it, and I would not keep just one. I think there are better indoor pets.

 

[chickens really]

I don't have it yet, I wasgoing to get two from my uncle's girlfriend, but one got out of the pen and was eaten by stray dogs. She has another four she said she would give me when they get a little more mature, and eventually when more hatch she said she would be willing to see about giving me more. We are going to wait till we see how my stuff fits in the house, I might have an entire room that's empty for them.

Will they be strictly house Chickens? They put off so much dander that it's terrible. I'm allergic to Chickens and cleaning after them almost kills me...Definitely don't keep in the house indefinitely...

 

[chickens really]

As they grow they will create incredible dust. I do know people keep them inside, but I would not do it, and I would not keep just one. I think there are better indoor pets.

 

[tjo804]

I always keep chicks that do not have a broody hen to care for them in the house. Doors close and dust is easy to wipe up for me. I like knowing my investment is safe, even time and feed make your chicks an investment.

I would recommend waiting until you can get at least 3 chicks, things happen and chicks are very social creatures with instinctual social order.

Good luck

 

[Ridgerunner]

What do you mean "raise it"? Forever in the house or just until you are comfortable with it going outside? I also suggest wait until you can get a minimum of three. They are social creatures and do much better with other chickens. If you only get two and one dies you can run into issues.

We all have our own opinions and ways of doing things. Some people keep forever house chickens, some raise them inside until they go outside, some raise them in attached buildings such as garages where temperature swings aren't too bad, and some of us raise them in outbuildings where they can have huge temperature swings. There is no right way or wrong way to do this, just the way we choose. Each has its benefits and issues. Just because someone says they never would doesn't mean no one else does and are happy to do it that way.

If you build a cat-proof area you should be able to manage them outside, at least until they are big enough that cats are not a problem.

But to your question, health risks. Is anyone in your family allergic to chickens or chicken dander? If anyone is then you have your answer.

To me there are three specific issues with raising them in the house. One is the potential noise. Some people don't mind that at all, they may keep them in the bedroom with themselves. If it is kept dark they are usually pretty quiet but can get loud if there is light. Will the noise bother you or your family or keep someone awake at night. I don't have a clue with your family and set-up.

They create dust. Part of that is dander, down and flakes of skin that flies off of them. They scratch a lot. If you have a dry bedding in the brooder they can create dust by scratching that into tiny pieces. Some of that depends on what you use for bedding. They poop a lot. If that dries out and gets scratched it becomes part of the dust. Dust is the most commonly mentioned reason for wanting to get the chicks out of the house NOW I see on here. Some people keep them in a spare room, bedroom or bathroom most often, and keep the door closed and the room sealed to try to minimize dust issues.

My third issue is potential small. If you keep the brooder very dry and the water fresh it will probably not smell much if at all. But if it gets wet or the poop builds up enough where it does not dry out it can really stink. This can be managed but will probably require some work on your part.

 

[sourland]

Great replies so far. I guess a good answer is it depends. There are folks who have house fowl just like cage birds. For me the greatest worry is allergic reactions to the dander that they shed. Do an on line search on 'pigeon lung'. In some people chicken dander can cause a similar condition.