Silkies as housepets.

[chickenzoo]

Sophie the Diva House chicken....... and friends.

Yes you can have a house chicken! Not much difference between a parrot and a chicken.....

Sophie and her buddies live in a large wire rabbit hutch on wheels, the kind shaped like a sea chest almost and has a pull out litter pan. they are by a window with lots of natural light and they can look out and see all the yard chickens. When they are out they wear their chicken diapers. I have lined ones and also insert a cut up puppy pee pad inside to soak up wetness and make it easier to clean. They run the house during the day, then go in their cage at night. They often go with me to TSC, the feed stores, road trips and pet stores. They seem to enjoy their pampered lives, they lay eggs in their cage typically. Sophie stopped laying eggs a while back.... Their diapers get changed when needed, depends on the chicken and if they went broody......

I make my own, but find ones that velcro behind the tail and criss cross over the back to fit the best. I do not like ones that go around the neck, they don't seem to either.....

 

[growinupinfl]

OH My Goodness!!!

That is so cute... I am Klaire's Mom, and yes she gets to have one and if she chooses she can train it to be a house chicken. That does not mean it will never go out, just be allowed in more! I would worry about her with the Buff Orph Roo not the Buff Orph hens. He is a HUGE Roo...I can't wait for her to see the pictures! Where can you get a pattern from for making the diapers? Oh welcome to my world... kids, cats, dogs, chickens and soon to be in side chickens LOL,

It should be fun watching her get all this info. BTW do you sell chicks or eggs?

Christal

 

[Redcatcher]

I have two Silkie hens as house pets but not by choice. They are not right. They are smart but do not THINK, they have vision but but they do not SEE, they have legs but will not WALK. All they do is stand or sit. They will eat and drink if food and water is put down right in front of them. They refuse to be chickens and if put in a normal pen, they will sit there and waste away to the point of dying. I have trimmed the feathers around their eyes and it makes no difference. They are undefeated as show birds but in the six years that I have had them, they have laid no more than a dozen eggs between them. They live in a standard plastic tote with no top since they never move. I set them on the floor to change the newpapers and they will sit there and do absolutely nothing. I doubt a normal Silkie would stay in a tote with no top on it. There is surprisingly little odor from them but like any animal, if you let them go, they will start to stink.

 

[mylittlechickpea]

I have a little white leghorn that started out indoors until my husband informed me that a chicken is an outside animal...

but she still comes inside, and she wears diapers when she does. She's currently out in our cozy little backyard. She reminds me of a dog, only cuter and with more feathers

She comes running when I call her name out and she loves going out to the big grassy area behind our fence to roam and run. She doesn't have a coop, I tried giving her a pet carrier with the wire door as a sleeping area and she decided it was a better nesting box and she would rather roost on the compost bin.. She seems happy enough

Good luck

 

[chickenzoo]

Gabby with her diaper....... should have embroidered WIDE LOAD on the back.... hehe

Sophies matching one.............

 

[taraann81]

Quote:
This whole post made me giggle! I've read it three times and every time it makes me laugh! This is my favorite part!
"They live in a standard plastic tote with no top since they never move. I set them on the floor to change the newpapers and they will sit there and do absolutely nothing."

 

[growinupinfl]

I would think that is an indication something is wrong with them.. maybe someone dropped their eggs before they hatched...

So you could just put them on some newspaper and make them ornaments in the hallway, or around the fire place... When you show them does anyone ever ask if they are ok? I guess your lucky they are not testing them for IQ, or activeness..

Christal

 

[growinupinfl]

OH MY GOSH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't quit laughing at those pics... All I can see is my blonde blue eyed daughter with a chicken dressed up as God knows what and her big sisters helping... Oh God bless the chicken that finally get to come here... That is just so messed up on a multitude of levels... Do they care that you dress them up? Do they try to take the stuff off... OH my goodness.. that is tooo funny...



Christal

 

[chickenzoo]

Sophie doesn't care, she rather enjoys it. That was Halloween last year, I only dress her up on special occasions to make funny cards etc..... i do not dress them up all the time... I'm weird, but not that bad.......

When she's had enough she lays down....... hehe

her friend Sassy was NOT AMUSED...... so she had a limited fashion run.... hehe

 

[ThePolishPrincess]

When our birds are in quarantine they go into the basement.

My parents would have a fit if I actually brought them in the house-house, so downstairs in the unfinished basement is the limit. That said, When they stay down there, the Silkies are kept in plastic storage bins with no lid or top. They never jump out, or fly out, or even freak out! They really don't move around so much in my experience...