Is an indoor coop possible?

[artsyrobin]

i really don't see any difference than someone having parrots- you keep it clean, give them some free time as their species needs, interact etc- i even know of one person that has a production red as a pet...

 

[Davaroo]

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You're right, of course. It just kinda weirds me out when we start putting diapers on chickens and letting them roam the home.

Some things just aint natural, ya know?

 

[artsyrobin]

I know- after having the chicks in here, first the bathroom, then the spare bedroom, they will be much happier outside, the coop and run is taking longer to make than i thought- but we live on ten acres and they will have lots of room- now my silkies are a different story- only have two, and am thinking about making a indoor coop, then let them be in a run during part of the day... if i lived in a city, i would limit it to banties i think, but thankfully thats not an issue!

 

[SeramaMama]

Thanks, Jwarnick! You made my day with that post! I feel more confident about trying this now!

Thanks, ChickenAddict for the great photos. What a cute coop! Love seeing the hen in her nest box, so content.

I appreciate all these encouraging responses!

 

[Agape Builder]

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What is your major malfunction? This person was asking questions about how she might have serama in a basement. Do you even know what seramas are? They are the world's tiniest chicken! They are smaller than many birds that people keep in their houses every day, and NONE of these people are losing their children for it. That is just crazy talk.

I am not sure if I am zoned for poultry or not, but there are about a hundred feral brown leghorns and australorps running loose a few blocks from here, plus I have 51 chicks here now and soon will have over a hundred. You may not like it, but I never asked you, did I? Well, neither did this other poster ask you if you liked it either.

The bottom line is, if you don;t have anything nice to say, don;t say anything at all. Nobody that has tried to keep chickens in the manner that she is proposing has ever lost their children because of it. That is just nuts...

 

[Agape Builder]

To the original poster...

One thing that might take care of more than one of your worries is using USDA Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth (DE) in the coop, outside runs, in the food, and on the birds themselves. (ONLY use food grade DE, NOT the DE sold at pool supply stores.)

DE has multiople uses. One, by continually mixing in DE with the birds feed in a mix of 5% DE to 95% feed will rid the birds of all intestinal parasites and worms. It is very helpful to always do this, because it will rid the birds of worms that travel between the luns and intestinal tract, and their larvae and eggs as well as all other intestinal parasites. It also provides a source of silica in their diet which will help them grow cartilae, strong joints, beaks, and toes.

Dust the birds with the DE to rid them of all external parasites, including fleas, ticks, and mites. Make sure to rub the DE in good, all of the way to the skin. Give them a tub of DE mixed 50/50 with play sand (bought inexpensively at Home Depot or Lowes) to allow themselves to dust bathe in it.

Sprinkle DE liberally throughout the nesting boxes and the coop, including over any bedding to rid the areas of all bugs like mites, plus the DE acts as a deodorizer as well. It helps kill the smell of the ammonia and chicken poo, both inside and out.

Use the DE liberally like suggested above and change out the bedding or clean out the coop regularly and compost the poo and you should have little to no problems with the smells you are afraid of.

 

[JoJo 95]

I have been reading this post and i think the idea of keeping seramas in the basement is outrageous.....................................................They would be happier in the living room or bedroom where they would get lots of human interaction. i think that it would be best to build a small coop that blends in with the house. try fingerhut.com. they have a cabinet that houses a cat or small dog house, this could easily and very inexpensively be turned into a coop(the good thing about this is that you could lite the coop with a couple of 12 volt night lights). the most it would cost is 10 to 50 dollars depending on what you plan on buying and what you plan on building. then build a run about 3'x3'x4 to 6'(or even more if you have room) and put the run over a deep tray (at least 8 inches deep) made of plastic, wood, or metal(can be homemade). fill the pan with a layer of rocks about an inch thick, then a mixture of diatomaceous eatrh(sp.) and sterile dirt(either store brought or if you would rather use the soil from your yard,put it in the oven for 20 mins on 250 degrees to kill all parasites.)and between 3 to 9 inches deep,depending on the depth of of the pan(you dont want them to scratch soil on your floor. then just put your trio in and have fun. you would have to clean the coop about once a month, the run about once every two months.Also i would recomend putting worms,bugs,seeds and the kinda treats they would find in an outdoor run.this would still let you enjoy watching them range and would also provide your trio with safe, tasty treats. (THE FOLLOWING STUFF I AM NOT SURE OF AS I HAVE NEVER TRIED THIS BUT PLAN TO VERY SOON:[1]MAMA HENS MAY BROOD OR TAKE CARE OF THEIR CHICKS AS THEY WOULD OUTDOORS.)

 

[BluegrassSeramas]

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[JoJo 95]

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It's true. Also i dont know why some people sont agree with having a tiny chicken in a cage inn the house but they let a giant dog run around and sit, poop, and shed on every thing. a few years ago when i was around 8 my dad told me i couldnt have any animals in the house. 2 days after he said that i had 3 orphan squirrels, 6 baby turtles, a snake, and a baby robin. my dad walked in my room and said get those animals out of here. now dont get me wrong, my dad loves animals but he doesnt believe a young kid should have the responsibity of raising wild animals. he said "Either they leave or I leave. i told him "Send me a postcard from your new house" he walked outside and after 30 seconds walked in and said "ok keep them but the first time one gets out the cage or if i smell an odor then out they go. my squirrel got out 4 times and every time my dad said it better not happen again, but it did(that's how escape the squirrel earned her name.) escape died but i released all the animals to the backyard[the snake got eaten minutess after release, i let her go in a field and after slithering 50 feet a hawk swooped down and got it]except for the turtles. i gave one away, three died[actually got killed by relatives] and the rest escaped. i never had odor issues with any of my animals so seramas should be no problem.

 

[ChickensInTheNorthWoods]

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What is your major malfunction? This person was asking questions about how she might have serama in a basement. Do you even know what seramas are? They are the world's tiniest chicken! They are smaller than many birds that people keep in their houses every day, and NONE of these people are losing their children for it. That is just crazy talk.

I am not sure if I am zoned for poultry or not, but there are about a hundred feral brown leghorns and australorps running loose a few blocks from here, plus I have 51 chicks here now and soon will have over a hundred. You may not like it, but I never asked you, did I? Well, neither did this other poster ask you if you liked it either.

The bottom line is, if you don;t have anything nice to say, don;t say anything at all. Nobody that has tried to keep chickens in the manner that she is proposing has ever lost their children because of it. That is just nuts...

You should take your own advise and if you don't have something nice to say don't say anything!
All this member was trying to do is share her experience which was related to keeping chickens indoors. I currently have 2 bantams that live indoors but agree that chickens are happiest when they can be outdoors.