people with house chickens

[Sylvester017]

I wish we could let our birds in sometimes but we have 4 cats. I life that they can have fun outdoors but every now and then I wish I could sneak 'em in, haha.

Chickens love to trot into the house to visit. Cats are pretty much fraidy cats around a group of chickens and will hide. Feral cats run from our chickens outside - especially if the girls decide to chase the cat en masse as a crazy unified flock!

SOME VISITING DAY PICS!

 

[Ponyfeather]

Changes in flock dynamics is so disruptive but necessary - especially when little bantams are concerned. Any photos of Lulu with her buddy?

Not with her buddy sadly, who is currently not feeling so hot because of crappy weather but here she is next to me on my bed.

Dot is being guarded by our other hen Jet and won't let Lulu into the flock right now. Thankfully, it seems Dot is starting to feel better but she might have to go to the vet. But it'll likely take some time before we can integrate Lulu into the flock, thankfully Lulu is enjoying her people time. The only downside is I get up, uncover her and try and get a bit more sleep and she starts crowing at me.

But she is precious, last night she crawled up onto my shoulder and groomed my hair then somehow she ended up on my back where I couldn't reach her and had to awkwardly walk into my mom in the other room. I guess by that time she had decided I made a nice but awkward flat surface and had laid down. Wish my mom had thought to take photos of it.

 

[Ponyfeather]

Lulu has been a doll and has been adjusting really well to being a house chicken for a chicky who lived outside for the first two years of her life. She is bopping around my room now and sitting on the back of my chair or on top of my dresser to look at the whole room.

She has also been so affectionate and enjoys sitting on my shoulder and grooming my hair, tonight she wanted to sleep on top of my dresser and objected to being put back in her house. Also, she flew into the kitchen from my room which has been blocked off by a baby gate to keep the dogs from harassing her. I might have to clip her wings with how well she flies for her own safety. Well that and my own the other night she tired to fly from the chair back to my shoulder and landed on the laptop.

I am going to have to get a higher protein food for her because of her breed though and the fact we're pretty sure her flock had been preventing her from getting enough food to help her little body recover she has been shooting feathers since we got her. I think because she needs to molt but also since she is getting enough food for once.

 

[Sylvester017]

Lulu has been a doll and has been adjusting really well to being a house chicken for a chicky who lived outside for the first two years of her life. She is bopping around my room now and sitting on the back of my chair or on top of my dresser to look at the whole room.

She has also been so affectionate and enjoys sitting on my shoulder and grooming my hair, tonight she wanted to sleep on top of my dresser and objected to being put back in her house. Also, she flew into the kitchen from my room which has been blocked off by a baby gate to keep the dogs from harassing her. I might have to clip her wings with how well she flies for her own safety. Well that and my own the other night she tired to fly from the chair back to my shoulder and landed on the laptop.

I am going to have to get a higher protein food for her because of her breed though and the fact we're pretty sure her flock had been preventing her from getting enough food to help her little body recover she has been shooting feathers since we got her. I think because she needs to molt but also since she is getting enough food for once.

Molting is a funny thing. I've had chickens molt all at once down to the skin and I've had chickens that molted a little bit at a time 2 or 3x a year. Just gotta make sure they have the proper molting nutrition when I see it happening.

Lulu sounds like a sweetie -- bantams are flighty little buggers which is why I settled on Silkies (don't fly well at all). But I love bantams. I'd have more if they layed better but they tend to be a broody bunch no matter what bantam breed they are so egg production is really low. I still love them though. My Silkie is 7 yrs old and she misses her Silkie buddy that died last year. My old Silkie hides from the bigger hens because they tend to trample over her in their haste. She's had several adjustments over the years of having different breeds in the flock but it's hard on her not having her old Silkie buddy. It breaks my heart but it's too late to add a new Silkie because if I lose the old girl I'll be stuck with a young loner Silkie again. My old Silkie knows how to take care of herself -- she doesn't like the indoors and would rather hide outdoors where she can forage and scratch at her own pace. I have 5 doghouses, and a secluded pen under the coop and a patio roof and pop-up canopy and potted plants where she can get shelter.

These were the two Silkie buddies -- the Black Silkie died last year at 61/2 yrs

 

[Ponyfeather]

Awww... I am sorry she is alone but glad she handles it. Pity the other hens tramble over her, I don't think Lulu even if she was old would ever let that happen. She already has mostly psyched out Jet! But now she and Dot want to go at it, which I'm now allowing because they're both not in great health. Dot is still very underweight from having an impacted crop we just got cleared out a few days ago. Lulu is also underweight from not being able to eat enough before we got her.

But yes it is funny how molt varies from hen to hen.

 

[calichicken]

And the girls have taken over the couch! Snuggly warm when it's just too cold to be out!

 

[Sylvester017]

So adorable! Bantam Cochins?

 

[calichicken]

So adorable! Bantam Cochins?

Thank you! Yes...a year old in April

 

[Ponyfeather]

Those bantams are precious! Also, I have a silly update Lulu and decided to nest and going broody under my bed is a great idea. I have had to fish her out from the back of my bed which is pushed up against a wall about a half dozen times. The last few times my mom helped and we found an egg from the other day under there and then later a freshly laid egg.

She was very upset when we took those eggs away from her. I need to get her a nesting box.

 

[calichicken]

Those bantams are precious! Also, I have a silly update Lulu and decided to nest and going broody under my bed is a great idea. I have had to fish her out from the back of my bed which is pushed up against a wall about a half dozen times. The last few times my mom helped and we found an egg from the other day under there and then later a freshly laid egg.

She was very upset when we took those eggs away from her. I need to get her a nesting box.

Thank you!! We adore them!!
Yep!!! Set her up a comfy nest box or she will find her own "perfect" place!!! And their idea of perfect is usually less than ideal for us....LOL!