Keeping hen Indoors Part-Time

Blondietohell

In the Brooder
Apr 12, 2022
5
5
11
Ok guys hear me out…

I’ve searched for similar posts, and I see and agree with the general consensus on the topic of keeping a chicken as an inside pet. That’s not what this is, so please don’t think that’s what I’m trying to do.

I have the sweetest hen I’ve ever known. I adopted her from an unpleasant situation where she was being kept in a ridiculously small coop all alone. I built a massive coop with an attached chainlink run. The run has hardware cloth around the lower half and across the ceiling, with a roof. The area beneath the coop is the “dustbath” area, also surrounded by hardware cloth. I’ve taken precautions against digging predators as well. Then, I purchased 4 pullets to be her “friends”. Here’s the issue I have:

Where we live, it’s HOT. It has also been raining ever single day for at least 2 months straight. Even with the water not coming in from above, it still blows in sideways. I’ve added thick layers of mulch, but they end up being soaking wet, and the birds are mixing it all the way down to the poop/mud mixture below. The dust bath area is a puddle.

The pullets have grown, and she doesn’t love being around them. If I go outside, she wants out. The first thing she does when she hears my voice is run to the coop window. When I let her out, she coos and follows me everywhere. Yes, she even tries to cuddle.

What do y’all think of an temporary indoor aviary for her to come spend time with me inside? On days where the weather is horrible, or like right now when she’s come down with scaly mites because of the nonstop moisture in the run? She loves coming indoors, but I don’t want her to live inside full time. I want her to be a chicken. My concern is possibly being at the bottom of the pecking order when I bring her back outside. How long would it take for that to be an issue? If anyone has an indoor enclosure for their chicken to spend time in during bad weather, or just because the bird enjoys time with “their person”, what did you keep it in? She’s a full sized delaware fyi
 
If your winters are severe, this won't work.
Very mild winters. Summers are dangerously hot and humid. I’m a little worried about the shock of going from AC back to outside in the summer. I adore her, so I definitely don’t want to hurt her while thinking that I’m helping her.
 
Can you get some cinder blocks and run2x4's through the holes to make perches. Then use pavers (thick) to make a walking path. Try some Blanket ladder type perches to set aalong the wall. All ideas for keeping them out of the mud
 
I want her to be a chicken.
Then leave her outside to acclimate to the other birds.

Fix your run and coop to handle the water better.
The SLM have nothing to do with the environment,
she probably had them when you got her.
I'll assume your treating for them.

Pics of coop and run might help us help you do that.

Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!
1660308151522.png
 
Thanks for the replies, everyone. I‘m in south Louisiana and will go add that to my profile as well. We are also in hurricane season, and if one decides to show up, I’m bringing all 5 hens inside. Hubs and I are going to fix the run. We’re going to add dirt and dig some drainage. Even with that in the workings, I would still like some ideas for inside enclosures in the event of an emergency. I suppose a pet crate would be the usual go to for emergencies, but I feel like those are too narrow for them to stretch their wings. Also, what would you use as a perch inside a pet crate? I wouldn’t want them having to lay down in droppings. In our area, we have had flooding that came to the front door of our house, and it take days to subside. Run elevation issues aside, I would still like to hear what others have done in this situation.

I’ve had her since February. I’m not sure how long it takes for the mites to lift the scales, but I believe I caught it early. Just a few lifted scales and some small areas of redness between her dinosaur toes. I have been cleaning and applying oil to her feet daily, and the redness has already disappeared.
 

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