people with house chickens

[HomeschoolPollo]

Will give your suggestions a try. Good to know you can bathe a chicken. Thank you for explaining the how to.

 

[Sylvester017]

Amber loves her new mirror/new friend!!! Thanks everyone that suggested this. Now to try to get her to dust bathe in the sand I got her.

Sand might be too coarse for her taste. You might try a mixture of sifted peat moss, wood ashes, sand. I would go about 4 parts peat, 1 part ashes, 2 parts sand. I use a big screen colander to sift. If you can't get ashes, just leave out. They like 'dust' bath. Sifted peat and DE would make a nice dust bath. You might try a it of sand in the bottom topped by a couple inches of sifted peat moss. Expect bits to go flying everywhere if she likes it.

Around our house are huge Eastern Red Cedar trees. These are not true cedar, but are junipers. My birds love to bathe in composted needle dirt under trees when it gets real dry. I think they are attracted to the earthy smell of humic acids in compost and dirt.

I bathe Poppy with shampoo and water about once a month. In the summer he is outdoors and keeps pretty clean. In the winter I notice him getting a bit bedraggled looking. He loves getting a bath. I use Adams flea and tick shampoo if I notice him scratching a lot. Otherwise I use my own shampoo, Natures Gate, which is free of harmful chemical. Since he is a Bantam, the bathroom sink becomes his 'garden tub.'
When I am done he gets wrapped in towels warm from the dryer and we sit by the wood stove. Yeah, he is one spoiled little man.

Like Donna Raybon says, straight sand is not appealing to chickens. It has to be mixed with other things. However, don't be tempted to use diatomaceous earth as the fine flying particulates will irritate you and your chicken's eyes, lungs, etc. There are a lot of warning labels on DE for good reason.

 

[mjbws]

This is great!!! How about a house turkey??? Ginger is spoiled rotten. The original plan was to have her mostly outdoors in her very cute pink chicken coop, but she prefers to be with us constantly, so now I have a house turkey who we love and adore. My husband is slowly warming up ... haha Ginger absolutely LOVES piano music, oh and for some reason Spanish guitar ...

 

[Sylvester017]

This is great!!! How about a house turkey??? Ginger is spoiled rotten. The original plan was to have her mostly outdoors in her very cute pink chicken coop, but she prefers to be with us constantly, so now I have a house turkey who we love and adore. My husband is slowly warming up ... haha Ginger absolutely LOVES piano music, oh and for some reason Spanish guitar ...

That is so cute! Chickens I know love or at least are fascinated by music. If you put a radio in a chicken pen the chickens will surround the radio to listen to the music from the speaker. Soothes the savage beast you know!

 

[spazy67]

I love this page!!! lead me to the supers do you all make them or but them? love the fact I don't feel so crazy now like the only person who can't stand my babies to be outside in 90 pluse weather mine just don't have them shade.So question how to get dippers. This is Spazy and Silkie about 12 weeks old.

 

[mg15]

I love this page!!! lead me to the supers do you all make them or but them? love the fact I don't feel so crazy now like the only person who can't stand my babies to be outside in 90 pluse weather mine just don't have them shade.So question how to get dippers. This is Spazy and Silkie about 12 weeks old.

I had the best little light diaper for my Dottie a J.bantam but I lost it. I have looked around the site but
have not found it. I could make it but I haveen't yet. I don't let my two girls out in the 90's.

 

[spazy67]

I had the best little light diaper for my Dottie a J.bantam but I lost it. I have looked around the site but
 
have not found it. I could make it but I haveen't yet. I don't let my two girls out in the 90's.

Well darn it's not to bad they stay in the kitchen and go out with the dogs. i am not sure if I have roos or pulets yet they have been hard to tell for me. But as far as laying eggs what do you do. Like I have them in the kitchen would you provide a nesting box?

 

[mg15]

Well darn it's not to bad they stay in the kitchen and go out with the dogs. i am not sure if I have roos or pulets yet they have been hard to tell for me. But as far as laying eggs what do you do. Like I have them in the kitchen would you provide a nesting box?

Yes, they must have a nesting box or they will find one. ahhahhaa
Dottie has used the hamper several times and she especially likes the wire
drawer tower. It is white wire with pullout wire drawers and is is about six feet tall.
she likes the third drawer down. Dottie has also raised the fertilized eggs in the drawer
and the hamper. She goes broody easily.
Now Sister will sometimes just drop the egg in her cage. Or she likes to find a spot
on the counter top. But I have a nice small box with cilantro stalks in it. and usually she
will use that.
But I like your idea of a designated nesting box. Cutting a hole for their size in a box and
straw, good idea you have there.

 

[Athaid]

'House chicken' lol, that's cute. I love the turkey ^
What do you guys do about the poop? And don't they leave feathers everywhere?

 

[spazy67]

'House chicken' lol, that's cute. I love the turkey ^
What do you guys do about the poop? And don't they leave feathers everywhere?

I am new to this but I have been training them to stay in the kitchen and they have a good size dog cage they sleep in that I have a sheet around to make them feel snug, so poop is picked up easy, BUT I let them out with the dogs also and they file back in so that helps. A towel is put down in the kitchen and they are good to go on it, this also lets them come into the living room when I let them and they sit on the towel automatically, until they the dogs and then decide it is play time. We have a dog door and it won't be long before they use it. It has been of interest lately but don't know if I would get that lucky. I have a night light for them at bed time if they decide to get up. Feathers have been just a few now and then but like I said I am new and my babies are only 12 weeks so who knows I may be in for some adjustments.