My only is not lonely...

[Charlenesmom]

What a nice story! I've heard of many people keeping a chicken as a house pet, but usually they're bantams or silkies, and many wear diapers. I don't see anything wrong with it, as long as they get some time outside and have a dust bath area. Dust bathing is essential for maintaining healthy skin.

Also, to keep your pullet laying regularly, she will need exposure to at least 14 hours of daylight, but that usually doesn't pertain to first year pullets. You could add artificial light, but would have to keep in mind that at some point you would probably want her to experience a molt (which only happens with decreased light hours like in wintertime and usually after the age of about 18 or more months) so she can shed and replace all her feathers and take a break from laying for a while. Here's a couple articles to explain how lighting works for laying hens:
Supplemental Light in the Chicken Coop: Why and How
Dangers of Supplemental Coop Light

I agree with @AnotherMeOhMy about adding a roost bar for night time. It's a natural tendency for chickens to want to sleep on a branch or bar in the highest (ie. safest) place possible, they like to wrap their feet tightly around something. And it's typically a bad habit to let a chicken sleep in the nest box... which can lead to poopy eggs or at least a poopy bottom, and also encourage broody behavior. At this point if she's not actually roosting at night, you may have to teach her how by placing her up there in the dark until she does it on her own.

Here's a few threads that may give some insight on how other people have dealt with indoor chickens:
Chickens as House Pets? Opinions and Views
House Chickens thread for people that have them

Good luck with your sweet chicken!

Charlene doesn’t live in the house, but rather the garage, which is under the main living area of the house. I don’t think I would put diapers on her and with 4 indoor cats it would be a challenge....I’m of the belief that chickens like being outside, especially the cold hearty RIR’s

 

[AnotherMeOhMy]

Are there people who actually keep them in the house?

I keep mine in the house with lots of time outside. She has a large parrot cage where she roostsat night in there

 

[AnotherMeOhMy]

We

Charlene doesn’t live in the house, but rather the garage, which is under the main living area of the house. I don’t think I would put diapers on her and with 4 indoor cats it would be a challenge....I’m of the belief that chickens like being outside, especially the cold hearty RIR’s

Have two indoor and 1 indoor outdoor cat aswell as four dogs. The small dog is scared of August and the cats have learned their lesson. There are several barn cats in the ranch too and when August and Turkey burger are outside during parts of the day they also know that they can not harm the birds.
Can be a challenge but even my indoor/outdoor cat who is 9 years old and an avid hunter of mice and birds both large and small knows that the chickens,ducks and turkeys are off limits and belong here

 

[AnotherMeOhMy]

Charlene loves her crate too!
Charlene never poops in her crate, occasionally I find some buried in her nest box, but it’s easily cleaned out the next morning. She is incredibly clean, for a chicken. Maybe because she’s an only, and easier to tidy up after. When confined to the garage during the day she will sometimes poop on the floor; a “putty knife” and a thin piece of sheet metal shaped like a dust pan and it’s easily picked up and later discarded in the garden. Any residue gets sprayed with windex and wiped with a paper towel. I have no problems with odors in the garage and she likes her crate clean so she is very tidy there. Her eggs are immaculate, no smears ever. She gets probiotics and vitamins in her water so her poop is pretty solid and easy to scoop.
I’m not sure I could put a stick in her crate for roosting but she loves going to bed at night and digging in the shredded pine mulch to nestle in for the night. Her cooing tells me she’s happy
She gets plenty of opportunity to roost during the day on all if the various shelves and nooks in the garage.
I was thinking about making her a swing to hang in the garage. I know people probably think it’s weird to keep her in the garage but it works for us; she’s close by, protected from predators and the weather and I can easily visit with her during the day as I’m going about my daily routine.

Not weird. You have saved her and she seems happy <3

 

[MissChick@dee]

They are just amazing little creatures aren’t they? Charlene has adapted looks healthy and happy and what a wonderful story especially for your granddaughter.
I can just invision it now “when I was a little girl my grandma had a chicken named Charlene.”
Priceless

 

[Charlenesmom]

I understand some people want their chix in the house, I just wouldn’t choose to. No judgment.

 

[Charlenesmom]

They are just amazing little creatures aren’t they? Charlene has adapted looks healthy and happy and what a wonderful story especially for your granddaughter.
I can just invision it now “when I was a little girl my grandma had a chicken named Charlene.”
Priceless

She wants to do 4-H now, with Charlene....she a very curious 7 yr old. You should have seen her eyes pop when I showed her Charlene’s vent lol

 

[MissChick@dee]

She wants to do 4-H now, with Charlene....she a very curious 7 yr old. You should have seen her eyes pop when I showed her Charlene’s vent lol

Excellent!! On the 4-H more young people should have that experience.
Chickens can be a gateway conversation for explaining female reproductive systems. Dunno that just kinda popped in my head

 

[AnotherMeOhMy]

She wants to do 4-H now, with Charlene....she a very curious 7 yr old. You should have seen her eyes pop when I showed her Charlene’s vent lol

We do 4h out of the ran h and the experience is something the kids will never forget. They learn so much

 

[b.hromada]

That's so precious. Good for you, for taking in that sweet girl. I'm sure she loves you back for the wonderful home you have given her too. Love the pics, they are just beautiful! Thanks for sharing and so happy you joined us!