Shhh! She's gonna be a secret!

[crait]

Soooo... I am a current college student and I love chickens... Unfortunately, I had two babies that were picked off by a hawk or owl or something... I guess they were just too young to keep outside. Raising the babies really got me teary-eyed because they grew close with me (since they were indoor chicks) and reminded me of my first chicken who was like my best friend. Anyways, I want to get a new baby chicken and raise her in my apartment building. They allow people to own birds in the apartments and chickens actually are birds, so it's not breaking the lease, right?

I saw someone posting about raising some indoor chickens and he used this: http://www.target.com/p/boots-barkley-large-pop-open-dog-kennel/-/A-10521588

You guys have any tips or anything I need to know? You know, to keep this chicky on the low-down and happy?

 

[1muttsfan]

Well, a chicken friend for one. Chickens are social animals and do better with company - you are likely to be gone for long periods to class and work.

 

[Godsgrl]

I don't know how you'd keep that crate clean. Once the chick(s) get a little bigger, they are going to peck that mesh to nothing. You should probably try a hard plastic crate for ease of cleaning and longetivity. Good luck!!

 

[cafarmgirl]

Well I'm not sure how that's going to work for a brooder for chicks, no place to attach a heat lamp and I don't think I'd trust the material with a heat lamp anyway. And it's definitely not going to work for chickens to actually live in. They need space to move around, scratch, forage, dust bath, sun bath.... all natural chicken behaviors that they enjoy very much. And I agree with 1muttsfan, a single chicken alone all day is not going to be a happy bird.

As far as keeping chickens in your apartment? Pet birds are one thing, chickens are generally classified as poultry, livestock or farm animals so I suspect when it gets around that you have them you are going to have a problem.

Honestly, for now I think I'd consider a different type of pet that doesn't have the needs and requirements that chickens do, would be comfortable living in your apartment, spending lots of time alone while you are gone, and that would not cause you problems with management. I understand the whole loving chickens thing but sometimes it's better, for you and the animal, if you wait until you have the room and accomodations an animal needs.