No Coop? House Chickens?

[TheGnomesMom]

My husband has taken a painfully long time to build the coop. He did not realize he would be gone so much for his new job. It's like I'm a single parent (with a paycheck) now! So we have some 6 week old chicks, some 3 week old chicks and some 2 week old chicks in the dining room in a 6x4 brooder. The 6 week olds escape all the time and walk around the house. We keep the bedroom doors closed (they have carpet) and when they have an "accident", we just clean it up. They don't even want to be outside! We put them out there and they stare into the house and peep like crazy until we bring them back in. Ah!

Isn't that how it goes? After rushin to finish the first coop, I swore that next time we'd build the coop first and buy the chickens second. I did mention we have 14 more on the way with nowhere to live, right?

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

You know folks have parrots and parakeets and other birds, all of which are messy and some of which are allowed to fly around the house or ride on their shoulders. Heck, people keep their elderly dogs and cats when they start to become incontinent, not to mention puppies who can need months of house breaking. I figure if you are willing to put up with the inconvenience and work extra hard on keeping the place clean, it's your personal decision. For me, it would mean the end of my marriage, and I love my husband more than I love my chickens!

 

[Nicole01]

One chicken or two is fine, especially bantams like silkies. They can be bathed regularly. I'd give them outside time as well. I do think grass, bugs, weeds, grit is very important with sunshine.

I made a chicken diaper and lined it with plastic. I used 2 maxi pads crisscross to catch the poop for fun. We had them in once in a while until our dog chewed the diaper.

I also make saddle pads for my outside low pecking order hens. My hens actually really feel more confident with them on. They quickly realize the other hens can not pick their back feathers.

Dog kennels work well to house chickens at night.

I do personally like them outside, but I see nothing wrong with a house chicken. People keep pet birds in small cages for years. It's the same thing.

 

[okallthis4eggs]

Sorry but if my chickens HAD to be in the house I would clean up my coop and live in there. I just couldn't handle chicken poop in my bed or on the table

 

[TheGnomesMom]

You know folks have parrots and parakeets and other birds, all of which are messy and some of which are allowed to fly around the house or ride on their shoulders. Heck, people keep their elderly dogs and cats when they start to become incontinent, not to mention puppies who can need months of house breaking.  I figure if you are willing to put up with the inconvenience and work extra hard on keeping  the place clean, it's your personal decision.  For me, it would mean the end of my marriage, and I love my husband more than I love my chickens!

I never thought of it that way. I'm not really a bird person (although, apparently, I am a chicken person) so that never occurred to me. I might be inclined to consider it with a couple of the silkie chicks I have on the way except 3/4 of our dogs think chickens are snacks so we've always kep them separated. Oh and the poo. No thanks.

 

[centrarchid]

The poop produced by chickens is inherently different from that produced by parots and most songbirds that folks have fly free in house. Chicken poop tend to have more moisture for starters. You can influence nature of feces by manipulating diet. The typical chicken feeds used makes for worst type of feces. Diet with more coarse fibers results in feces that is easier to clean up and in my opinion less stinky when first produced.

 

[chicksusie]

My question is;because our coop is on a second story porch what exactly do i use for litter/bedding on the bottom? Do they have to have gravel to peck at for digestion?

 

[Nicole01]

Use pine bedding. You can buy grit at the pet store. I'm not 100% positive, but I think its parakeet grit.

 

[TheGnomesMom]

We get grit at the feed store. So your chickens live on a second story porch? I am interested in hearing more about this!