people with house chickens

[brekke69]

too cute. the diapers sound great for chicks. would a no-sew diaper hold up to an adult RIR?


this one was made of a material that was too slick and keeps sliding off of her even though the flaps are pinned. I do not like the idea of a sharp, even a baby diaper pin, being on my girl. I found another kind...




but this one won't keep an open shape to catch the poo, it just drops over the top and skids down the outside of the diaper. I think this material is too stiff. The fleece looks soft and movable but maybe not too slick.

 

[chiklet525]

My daughter just rescued a polish hen that she found in the road. She is now both a house and outdoor chicken. We got her a cute coop for outside but at night she is put in a small dog crate with her special pink blanket and she sleeps in my daughters room. I like this set uo because we live in a wooded area with lots of predators and she is safe inside at night. My only worry is that she goes from a heated house to outdoors in the morning. Will this ever create a problem for her with adjusting her own body temperature. On very cold days is this ok to do? She can't stay in the house full time because our yorkies protest this setup loudly. I really enjoyed all the stories here about the house chickens, its good to beat to a different drum.

 

[Sylvester017]

My daughter just rescued a polish hen that she found in the road. She is now both a house and outdoor chicken. We got her a cute coop for outside but at night she is put in a small dog crate with her special pink blanket and she sleeps in my daughters room. I like this set uo because we live in a wooded area with lots of predators and she is safe inside at night. My only worry is that she goes from a heated house to outdoors in the morning. Will this ever create a problem for her with adjusting her own body temperature. On very cold days is this ok to do? She can't stay in the house full time because our yorkies protest this setup loudly. I really enjoyed all the stories here about the house chickens, its good to beat to a different drum.

Not knowing the details of your situation I can only offer generalities and hope it helps. Polish are gentle souls and without being w/a companion or in a flock are not the most predator-savvy breed so it's wise not to leave her alone outdoors without adequate kennel security from predators.

The fluctuating temps are something to consider. Perhaps a stay in the garage overnight - provided it has adequate air/ventilation - in a small 4x4 covered dog kennel would be better than going from warm house to cold outdoors every day. That way overnight garage temps will be closer to outdoor temps when she's released outdoors again.

House chickens need a lot of air too. When we keep any sick or quarantine chickens in-house in the dog kennel we always have air circulation. I wouldn't keep your Polish in-house w/ protesting dogs - no matter how trusting a pet dog is they are dogs and prone to chasing/attacking birds and it only takes a second to leave a room alone w/ dog and bird for something to happen - my friend lost her parrot in an instant w/ a Pug that seemed ok at first.

Also, chickens are flock birds and need another flockmate. It's not to say ppl haven't kept only 1 chicken but it's not the most natural situation. A Polish companion might be in order provided your "cute" little coop can handle 2 chickens. Most "cute" coops don't offer enough exercise room or natural scratching, pecking, or dust-bathing that is essential to poultry health. A mobile coop where chickens have new grass, bugs, and scratch areas every day would be ideal. Just suggestions but you do what works best for you and your bird/s.

 

[TOOCLOSE]

Sadly we had to say goodbye this morning to Pancake. We don't know what happened but we found her dead in her inside coup.

Oh No! I'm so sorry to read this! I don't come here too often and just now saw this!
Condolences to those that loved her!

TC

 

[TOOCLOSE]

Just some pics of Radbird loving the indoor life!

Wanted to let you know I called my cousin and Marvin has a hen coming this Saturday!

I waited to see how he was going to act once the weather warmed up. He's all rooster!

He wants to do all the rooster things. He hangs out at the backdoor wanting ME to come outside to keep him company too! Momma has too much to do for that business! He walks around the yard crowing and crowing and crowing. Breaks my heart! So I gave in and made a call! The hen I'll be getting is an Amber sexlink! She's an outside hen in a coup with one rooster and many more hens. My cousin said she's past her prime and is willing to let me have her so Marvin can have a buddy! That will work! I have my work cut out for me though getting her used to the routine around here. Should be tasking! LOL

TC

 

[TOOCLOSE]

I was outside telling Marvin I found him a girlfriend! This is the look I got! "Say What?"

 

[TOOCLOSE]

There is LOVE in the air today!

Marvin has a new lady friend as of last night! She's a Amber Sexlink! More white though!

My cousin I got her from told me she was past her prime! Hmmmmm And that's why she was letting me have her! Come to find out? She's only two years old! Geeeeezzzz

She also said her chickens wouldn't touch Hen Scratch! Ha Ha Ha Our girl is inhaling it!

My cousin isn't a chicken person so I filled her in on some chicken stuff yesterday! LOL
No Fancy I didn't tell her how I sex baby silkies! ROFL

I've got the two of them separated for now! Letting them get used to each other!

My husband was going to put her out early this morning and saw she was tossing hay over her back! Past her prime my foot! She gave us a large brown egg! LOL

TC

 

[Reinsaway]

There is LOVE in the air today!

Marvin has a new lady friend as of last night! She's a Amber Sexlink! More white though!

My cousin I got her from told me she was past her prime! Hmmmmm And that's why she was letting me have her! Come to find out? She's only two years old! Geeeeezzzz

She also said her chickens wouldn't touch Hen Scratch! Ha Ha Ha Our girl is inhaling it!

My cousin isn't a chicken person so I filled her in on some chicken stuff yesterday! LOL
No Fancy I didn't tell her how I sex baby silkies! ROFL

I've got the two of them separated for now! Letting them get used to each other!

My husband was going to put her out early this morning and saw she was tossing hay over her back! Past her prime my foot! She gave us a large brown egg! LOL

TC

Yay!!! I'm so glad mr Marvin has a new lady friend. I chicken tested the radbird again, and it had to have been a god thing that we didn't try and get her and Marvin together.. I have found that she shows a strange intelligence, paired with a social instability that reminds me of my own aspurgers syndrome. SHe gets so confused and upset when she tries to interact with other birds that it transfers into aggression... I would have hated having you take her in only to find she cannot handle socializing with other birds..

On a happier note, she figured out the dog door today!! I foun her behind the washing machine (her favorite laying spot) sitting on a ping pong ball! And she ADORES car rides! She sits herself up shotgun and just chills, it's adorable!

 

[missfahr]

Hello all! I'm new to the site and I'm currently looking into getting a house chicken. I've been reading a lot of good information to get started, but I need experience and advice from others! Please help me out! My greatest concerns right now are how smelly a single hen would be, and potty training.

 

[kurui]

Single hen? She herself won't smell at all! The poop- it does smell, anyone who says otherwise is lying

There are two main kinds of poop, one that isn't so bad, and one that is stinky enough that you won't want to be around it- though honestly, it is definitely no worse than any other kind of pet poop I've ever had to deal with. I've not had diapered chickens but the way I dealt with my three indoors before they were too young to go outside was just to clean up ASAP whenever one of the really bad deposits got... deposited. That being said I find my babies do tend to prefer to go away from places they like to sit, so I never got pooped on once they were old enough to work out when they needed to go, and chicken poop is pretty easy to clean up.

Cuddling chickens is the best thing, they are absolutely wonderful.