The apartment pet chicken

[Emmyjim]

For those of you that live in apartments and have a chicken as a pet, what is your pet chicken(s) habitat like? Please post photos.

 

[Opiumbrella]

I know this is not the question, but just something to think about. I rescue chickens (and other animals) and most of the worst shape chickens I’ve taken in (that weren’t due to injury) have been a so called “apartment” chicken. From lameness and weakness and broken bones, from lack of vitamin D, and also rickets. That’s just a few of the issues I’ve seen in these birds. Chickens are both social, and outdoor animals. Keeping a single chicken, and then on top of that keeping indoors in an apartment may not be the best thing for it as much as you want one for a pet.

Just some food for thought. Not meant to be mean or anything like that. Just my experience.

 

[nuthatched]

Not to mention the respiratory issues people can get from being close quarters with chickens.

 

[Battlepants]

Not to mention the respiratory issues people can get from being close quarters with chickens.

Or even just the raw STINK from it all. We almost had a house-chicken that was recovering from a wound, but that plan changed over the course of 1 hour and like 5 poops. She ended up living (temporarily) in a dog crate in the garage.

For an indoor pet, typically mammals will handle it much better. Especially those that can be housebroken to poop outside or in a designated area.

 

[Opiumbrella]

Not to mention the respiratory issues people can get from being close quarters with chickens.

Also property damage. Mold from the dampness can happen even when you clean the pen constantly. I’ve had it happen with chicks in the house for a week, when their pens were cleaned twice a day. I was more just focused on the animal but there are lots of other issues.

 

[Opiumbrella]

Or even just the raw STINK from it all. We almost had a house-chicken that was recovering from a wound, but that plan changed over the course of 1 hour and like 5 poops. She ended up living (temporarily) in a dog crate in the garage.

For an indoor pet, typically mammals will handle it much better. Especially those that can be housebroken to poop outside or in a designated area.

Lol. Yeah. Luckily I have mud room that is perfect for an indoor chicken hospital. Right off the kitchen, but not part of the living area. They sure can smell up the place. But they don’t mean too lol.

 

[Lilac_Ginger_Butterscotch]

My grand parents lived in nyc and had chickens on the fire escape thing but it was not safe at all so I don’t really think you can have chickens in an apartment

 

[Battlepants]

My grand parents lived in nyc and had chickens on the fire escape thing but it was not safe at all so I don’t really think you can have chickens in an apartment

Reminds me of

https://imgur.com/DDPnI20

Something like this MIGHT work, but fairly certain the apartment will not allow something like this.

 

[ChickNanny13]

All the above are correct, they should be with their own, the smell & mess, respiratory issues for you is a concern as well all that bird dust. I had a parakeet in the house that I had to rehome due to the dust & smell.

However ... This one has been unique to say the least. Its a Serama single hatch Christmas last year, has had a watery, weepy, teary R/eye that I suspected to be URI.
Treatments for URI didn't help, discovered shavings & small animal bedding irritates her eye (dusty) they start weeping and get gunky. Treated with Vetrycin & Triple Antibiotic, clears up the eye but now discovering chilly temps affect her eye ... Temps outside was in the low to mid 60s, her eye got all teary. So treated again and now put a heat lite when it's chilly. But she is unique as this is the first single hatch that has been content with this living arrangement.

She's on potty pads at night in her cage, and day she goes out into the brooder that is in my patio. Has bonded with my 50# dog but will not tolerate my 8# dog. I bring her in around 4:30 - 5pm, she settles down under her Octopus and at 5:30 I put her blanket over the cage, close the drape at 6pm. No complaints, she's very quiet and I wake her (still under her Octopus) at 7:30am. She goes out to the brooder where she spends the day in the patio, in/out of the brooder or roams the yard. *** Note I ferment her feed, there is less poop and it don't smell except the cecal. I use the Horizontal Water Nipple and pick up poop in the patio when I come across any.

As the ^^^^ posts say, they are NOT house pets & social animals ... She is unique and a Serama. I recently got 2 chicks (8wk & 5wk) about her size but are large breeds, they share the brooder with a divider but she has no interest in them. Rather do her own thing.

 

[Opiumbrella]

There are some chickens who JUST can’t be outside like regular chickens for whatever reason. I had one that spent her first night outside at a year old recently. She has a defect in her crop and a gizzard impact net and went from sour crop to sour crop, and I had to restrict her diet and keep her in a brace for her crop. She would eat bedding and anything she saw. She is now thankfully the same size as her sister (6lb) which is huge. Because she was very malnourished due to her issues growing up. And happily is living with everyone else. I was worried for a long time I was not going to be able to ever put her outside. Now first thing she does when she sees me is come running and jump into my arms lol. She is a good girl.

OP: if this is something you really really really want to do I would consider looking for a small breed, special needs chicken that is unable to live normally with others. One that may be otherwise put down, and rescue it and give the best life possible.