people with house chickens

[Nuggetirl]

So, I keep my chickens in an indoor cage with corn cob bedding (ran out of pine shavings and tried this. Not my favorite, they eat it and while it hasn't caused a problem, I won't be using more than this bag). They generally smell. I clean it out every single week and it's not a huge problem. I also have an air purifier that helps with dust and smells. This passed weekend I bought a bag of Sweet PDZ and was going to add it when I cleaned the coop. I ran out of time to clean, so ended up just adding the PDZ. let me tell you, in 15 minutes the smell in my chicken room was minimal. I mean, it still smells like chickens, but it cut the smell of a week of chicken poop in a small room almost in half.
I think I'm going to completely sand proof the bottom of my cage and start using only that stuff. People use it for poop boards and use a kitty litter scoop to remove poop. I could do that in the whole cage.
So, in case anyone was wondering, Sweet PDZ gets a thumbs up from me. That stuff really works on smell, and it's completely safe.

 

[Ponyfeather]

So, I keep my chickens in an indoor cage with corn cob bedding (ran out of pine shavings and tried this. Not my favorite, they eat it and while it hasn't caused a problem, I won't be using more than this bag). They generally smell. I clean it out every single week and it's not a huge problem. I also have an air purifier that helps with dust and smells. This passed weekend I bought a bag of Sweet PDZ and was going to add it when I cleaned the coop. I ran out of time to clean, so ended up just adding the PDZ. let me tell you, in 15 minutes the smell in my chicken room was minimal. I mean, it still smells like chickens, but it cut the smell of a week of chicken poop in a small room almost in half.
I think I'm going to completely sand proof the bottom of my cage and start using only that stuff. People use it for poop boards and use a kitty litter scoop to remove poop. I could do that in the whole cage.
So, in case anyone was wondering, Sweet PDZ gets a thumbs up from me. That stuff really works on smell, and it's completely safe.

I will also give this a thumbs up, since I have used it with horses and it really, really cuts down on the ammonia smell. I should invest in some for my indoor chicky and my horse pen.

 

[MsChickenMomma]

Hi! Most chickens do enjoy a bit of outside time and dusting. How old is Sunni? Maybe if she hasn't been outside a lot, it is new and scary for her. Chickens are very cautious creatures when it comes to new adventures. Slow and little chunks of time are best. However if she is not really enjoying it then she probably doesn't have a huge need to do it...just my opinion

My girl loves her outside time in good weather, but won't be outside much once it gets cold. Such a life she has...LOL Not sure about your grit question...sorry! Maybe someone with more knowledge can help with this.

Sunni is almost 17 months. She has lived in the house for almost a year now. She did have some outside experience before coming into the house, but she has always seemed to prefer the house. When she was young she was coming in the house several times a day to be fed (I was syringe feeding her for several months due to some problems we had with a string when she was young. She pretty much ate a string, it got twisted around her tongue, and cut off almost all blood flow to it, which caused it to swell and become so painful she couldnt eat anything on her own. And we didnt realize this was the problem until her tongue actually fell out after almost three months.) But in those times when she would come in the house to eat, she loved it. Sometimes she didnt even want to go back outside. Which is why we made the decision to keep her in the house.

Ive tried a few times to take her outside, even on nice days, and it never seems to really tickle her fancy. So I guess I just wont worry too much about it. She seems to know what she wants.

 

[calichicken]

Sunni is almost 17 months. She has lived in the house for almost a year now. She did have some outside experience before coming into the house, but she has always seemed to prefer the house. When she was young she was coming in the house several times a day to be fed (I was syringe feeding her for several months due to some problems we had with a string when she was young. She pretty much ate a string, it got twisted around her tongue, and cut off almost all blood flow to it, which caused it to swell and become so painful she couldnt eat anything on her own. And we didnt realize this was the problem until her tongue actually fell out after almost three months.) But in those times when she would come in the house to eat, she loved it. Sometimes she didnt even want to go back outside. Which is why we made the decision to keep her in the house.

Ive tried a few times to take her outside, even on nice days, and it never seems to really tickle her fancy. So I guess I just wont worry too much about it. She seems to know what she wants.

I wouldn't worry about it at all then. If she is happy, then that is all that matters. I do think that when chickens are young and have had health problems and are nursed back to health inside, They prefer their people who helped them and the comforts of indoors that they have become used to

As long as it works for you and Sunni then its a perfect way of life for you both

 

[drumstick diva]

I agree with Calichicken. my friend with house chickens has 3 (of 4) that refuse to go outside, they are terrified of it. The youngest one was outdoors with the flock, before sold to her and loves to go outside.

 

[MaddiesMum]

Anybody ever keep modern game or cornish inside? I have such a soft spot for them but I know every breed is different when it comes to flightiness/tameness etc. I've seen them in person at shows and such but never had any hands on experience with them

 

[MaddiesMum]

Also random update, here's the chickies on a boat!

 

[calichicken]

Also random update, here's the chickies on a boat!

LOL...my kinda chickens!!!!!!

 

[Ponyfeather]

Anybody ever keep modern game or cornish inside? I have such a soft spot for them but I know every breed is different when it comes to flightiness/tameness etc. I've seen them in person at shows and such but never had any hands on experience with them

I have heard of it somewhere. Maybe next time you go to show ask an exhibitor that owns one about them? How friendly they are, etc? I think with the Cornish you'd need to be careful since many of them are breed simply for meat. Which means you'd need to find out where to get the exhibiting kind anyway.

I know can't recall where I heard of it but I know Modern Game are suppose to be really friendly, and I know I have heard of someone keeping a rooster as a house chicken.

 

[flufssilkies]

I had 17 chickens in my room! My kind of life. But 15 are babies the other two are roosters.