Raising a house chicken in Michigan.

[Guitartists]

Hello everyone. My family and I are raising a little black Silkie named Charli. We live here in the soutern area of Michigan. I had always wanted chickens, but when I went to the farm store to price bird seed, I saw little Charli in a tub with all these other little bantam chicks. I hadn't planned on getting one, and honestly if I had thought about what time of year it was I would have avoided the store like the plague because I have a weakness for little animals like that and my husband said no more pets! LOL Well, I've been good. We have only one dog and some hermit crabs, so I figured, what the heck....why not have an indoor chicken.

I got him home and about had a panic attack. Was I serious?! Who in their right mind keeps an indoor chicken?!?! Well, I hopped online and to my astonishment and comfort, I found that I was not the only American who had thought to do such a thing. I even learned about chicken diapers, THANK GOD, I had wondered how I was going to deal with that aspect

And to my amazement, my husband fell in love with little Charli. He really is a bird person. The kids love him. They hold him and he falls asleep in their hands. The dog was curious at first, but now is lostly just a bit frightened of it. LOL A chicken of a pitbull when it comes to chickens! LMAO I'm sure they'll be friends once Charli gets big enough to roam around. He'll welcome something warm to snuggle with. Charli runs up to him and tries squeezing under him where it;s warm... that's the two of them on my avatar.

Well, I am looking forward to being a part of the forum. Looks like a great place to meet, greet and talk chickens. I welcome any fellow house chicken folks to say hello. I would imagine ours is a relatively small percentage of chicken owners

Hello to all

Angie & Charli

 

[Chirpy]

Welcome to BYC - glad to see you jumped right in. By this time next year you'll have two dozen chickens!

I would love to have a house chicken but my hubby and son have serious allergies to them so ours have to live outside in their own chicken house .... poor babies.

I'm curious, normally a chicken needs to have at least one chicken friend to be really happy and content. I'm wondering if that follows true for a real house chicken that has constant human/dog companionship? Anybody here know?

I think it's so sweet your dog loves the little dude... just keep in mind he is a dog and chicken tastes great. My wonderful shepherd who was ever protective of my baby chickens decided one day (after having them for about two months) to 'check one out more carefully'. He ate everything, feathers and all!! I felt so stupid for letting it happen.

 

[d.k]

*I have a part-time house chicken. She eats dinner and sleeps in the tub (not recommended if you don't have a spare bath.) I have a pretty wire half-drum basket (originally intended to be a pretty nest box, but she wanted no part of that, unless the temps were in the thirties-- which they were all of 6 days here.) & I fixed a roost to one end. I line the basket to catch her poo at night. She's o/s from 7-8oA to 5:3oP or so.

 

[Guitartists]

Yeah, don't worry...I monitor all interaction between chicken and dog. Animals are animals after all.

Years ago when my youngest (Now 13) was a baby I had an araucona (sp?) I had her for about a year, just the one. She followed me everywhere I went outside. I guess I was her momma.

I had to stay at the hospital for 3 days when my daughter was born and my now EX husband forgot to feed and water the animals. I came home with a new baby to 2 dead parakeets and a dead chicken. I'll never forgive him for that....amoung a long list of things.

But, my point was that I had just the one and she was perfectly happy...and so pretty. Everyone couldn';t believe how tame and healthy she was. She seemed perfectly happy spending her time with me. I miss her, she was such a nice little bird.