My coop is sitting somewhere around 3/4 done. I'm going to get plywood walls, screw them on and place a net over top, and then use hardware fabric over the other half (AZ weather and I don't think I need an all enclosed coop). My question is if I can keep a parrot outside in the coop during the day if it's closed. I can hang all kinds of great toys from the rafters and let him go nuts... Are he and the chickens going to get along? (diseases?)
What kind of parrot? The first problem I see is your hardware cloth. The beaks of some parrots are strong enough to chew right through that stuff. And unlike chickens, parrots will climb on the wire using their beaks and can die from the zinc in galvanized wire. Chewing could be an issue on the plywood, too. I lot depends on the temperament of your particular species of parrot and your breeds of chickens. If either one is aggressive, you could run into problems. Here's a great forum for people who build outdoor housing for their parrots. You might be able to get some good ideas there, too. http://naturalbird.com/
That, sir... is a good point. I don't want to poison my parrot. Parakeets? Would a parakeet fare easier?
Not a good idea. Not only for the reasons posted above (that apply to parakeets as much as they do parrots) but because exotic birds can carry diseases that do not affect them, but that can kills chickens and a number of avian diseases are transferable from the chickens to the exotic birds as well.
