people with house chickens

[Dbaas]

Wow so did you train Tilly?? Or did she just figure it out herself? I'd love it if they would go outside in the morning...the do wait until i let them out of their coop

and i've seen the egg sized poos too, my husband gasped when he saw it the first time! Couldn't believe such a tiny thing, poo'd so much!!! Funny. I noticed eating preferences too. Laverne doesn't even like grass, just seed (crumbles and scratch) and Shirley loves grass and grapes and seed LOL.

Awww its so nice to know someone "like me"! I feel like such a weirdo sometimes. But they are very personable and loving. Shirley started coming right out to me in the mornings a few days ago. It made me feel good she knows me. And she will sit in my lap and make a type of purring sound that i love. I know shes content. Anywhoo....its fun.

Quote:
All my girls have very different personalities. They even have their favorite foods. Gabbys is cream cheese and bagels and Tillys is strawberry shortcake

The poop is gross. But I lucked out with Tilly. She doesnt potty in the house. She holds it untill morning then goes outside and has a poo the size of an egg. LOL Today she had to come in the house about 9am to lay her egg. I had to leave and didnt get back until 2:30. The only thing she left for me was an egg. Gabby on the other hand... well she knows nothing about bathroom edicate.

 

[ADozenGirlz]

Admittedly I did not read all 17 pages of this thread, so I apologize if my question was already addressed.

I am fascinated by the idea of "house chickens". I just don't understand how it works. Can someone please explain to me how you can have a house chicken AND a clean house (ie: how is there not poop everwhere?)? I've seen ads for chicken diapers, but I've never seen a picture of a house chicken wearing one. And if they do wear diapers, how can they lay their eggs?
Thanks in advance for enlightening me!

 

[iluvcks]

dbass remind me please. Are Laverne and Shirley full sized girls or silkies, or other bantam? I did not train Tilly. She is just very considerate with the poos. I know what you mean about knowing someone "like me". Having an inside chicken made me feel like a bit of a freak untill I started this thread and found that there are a lot more of "us" out there. LOL

I am actually molding the next generation of backyard and I think house chicken people. My kids, 10 and 13, and all of their friends and the neighbors 3 girls who are 11, 12, and 15 and all of their friends spend tons of time with my girls and know most of the 32 chickens and 2 ducks by name. The girls were over digging up worms for the chickens just today.

ADozenGirlz I actually can not think of one person on this thread that uses diapers for the chickens. My personal experience is when my Ameracuna Gabby poos in the house she usually does it on the wood floors. So easy clean up with a little vinager and a rag. We also have one dog that loves eating chicken poo. She sleeps on the buffet, so that is covered with poo in the morning. I just scrape it off and scrub it. Tilly doesnt poo in the house. They go outside at 6:30 am and don't come back in until 7pm.

Inside chickens are great because you really get to see their indivdual personalities more than when they are outside. You just have to stay on top of the poo. The joy I get from my girls is worth the mess. And I do sweep, vacum and mop my floors on average 3 times a day. But most of that is because I have lots of kids coming and going and two indoor dogs and three indoor cats.

I didnt choose to have indoor chickens. The decision was made when both of them were attacked by the flock. It seems that most of us on this thread have made the decision to bring a chicken in due to an injury. I makes me feel good about the people on this thread that they would choose to inconvience themselves rather than do the simple the thing. Which if course would be to kill the injured bird. It gives me hope that there really are still good people.

You have to do what is right for your family. But what ever you decide, just have fun, chickens are comical little things.

 

[Dbaas]

They are silkies! Cute and loveable silkies. This morning we took Shirley out as soon as we opened the coop and she did all her nasty morning poop outside. Think we are gonna try to do that each day vs the doggy pads I've been putting down.

 

[little white]

Lucy was paralyzed and couldn't walk -- the result of a disease.. She spent about two months in the house... She looked terrific on my white futon!

Read Lucy's story on my blog: ScratchandPeck

 

[GETNSOMESILKIES]

I am just curious- how do you deal with their "messes" do you keep them on tile?

 

[jojo54]

Quote:
Lulu knows to stay on the floor. She doesn't usually come on the carpet. She will lay on a towel by the entrance to the living room keeping an eye on her people. Now that the weather is nice, she is usually outside except to lay her egg or to beg for treats. You can't touch a plastic bag without her coming to request " bread? BREAD? WHERE"S MY BREAD!!" She is too funny, really! My DH had said previously that he never had a dog that would beg from the table when he was eating, they had been trained not to - but he is the first to share with Lulu when she comes and stands by the table when someone is eating - and he chuckles about it! He's spoiling our girl badly!!

 

[Jeffomatic]

Four bratty Australorp pullets here... One FLEW up and perched on my shoulder last night! I doubt she'll be able when she reaches six pounds! They are now taking dust baths and beginning to cluck instead of peep.

 

[iluvcks]

Jeff your girls are looking good.

Don't bet on them not flying up on your shoulder when they are full grown. We do. We have 16 one year olds and they still will fly up on occasion. Usually its when your bent over working in the chicken yard. You stay in that position for more than a couple minutes and you'll have three or more on your back and head. LOL

Well its official, and I am a little sad about it. Tilly is back outside. She and Gabby have been spending their days with the other girls in the big run. For about 4 days now they have been eating and laying their eggs in the coop. Last night and the night before Tilly spent the night with them.

I know the plan was to get her healed and back outside with her "sisters", but I miss her hanging out on the couch with us. At least Gabby still wants to sleep in the house.

This morning I brought our Silkie Rooster, Sam in the house for a time out. He was being over agressive with the others. I am sure there are more roosters. But he is the only one I have caught crowing. They are about 4 months old. When I put him back out, he was a little calmer, for a minute. LOL

 

[jojo54]

I've been sick with a bad cold so have been trying to sleep in. Lulu had others ideas though. She sleeps in the shop and comes in to share my DH peanut butter sandwich and lay her egg. She usually does her egg song before she lays - like she is announcing "Hey, everybody! I'm going to lay my egg so be ready with the treats when I'm done." If I'm not up and about she won't stop clucking and bawking until I'm up. It doesn't matter if DH is there and talking to her, until she sees me she keeps up the racket. I don't even have to say anything - just step around the corner into the kitchen is enough for her to quit and continue on her way to her nesting box. What an alarm clock (sorry that should be alarm CLUCK!)