Which chicken breed makes a good indoor bedroom pet?

[Sussex19]

You never know with people. I worked in large animal medicine and people have goats living inside in diapers.

I have had a goat kid that learnt to use a litter tray.
(She grew big and strong, and now lives in the paddock)

 

[Shadrach]

I read a lot about chickens being flock creatures and needing company of their own kind.
Truth is, hard though it may be for many to accept, they are not really flock creatures, or at least haven't been through most of their history. Chickens are tribal creatures. One doesn't come accross flocks of jungle fowl. They live in small units, usually mating pairs and offspring for a limited time. Most jungle fowl males spend a great deal of time on their own. They have to attract a mate which they stay with for a limited time usually, although there are reports of permenant couples.

The reason we consider them to be flock creatures has more to do with how we keep them than their true nature. Keepers, having discovered that one male can happily fertilize a group of hen's eggs came up with the 10:1 ratio one often sees quoted.
So, we could at least dispense with the arguement for keeping a single chicken on the basis that it is a flock creature and needs the company of other chickens to be content.

What about sex then? We don't seem to think keeping hen only groups is cruel do we?

Hygiene is another factor that comes up a lot. It is an issue but reading people allow cats and dogs in their beds (neither wipe their bums or feet and both carry fleas) the only objection is the chicken poops when it feels the need and they do it a lot throughout the day.

There are lots of people around the world who house their chickens in their houses. The coop and run chicken keeping model is particular to a number of cultures. I have visited lots of farms andhouses where the chickens come and go at will in the kitchen and ground level rooms.
Again, the houses were built with the protection of livestock in mind and this is often what the ground floor is used for.

Chickens imprint and if it happens to be a human rather than another chicken then perhaps that is good enough. We are quite happy keeping a single dog which is a pack animal.

The only important objection I can see that is anyway rational is any creature imo should be able to access natural ground and we don't really know if the OP had this in mind or not.
Many people keep house dogs and cats. I don't read the same outrage for these creatures when confined to a house.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Fair enough and you are totally right, polite is the way to go. The OP did just put the question out and go away though, not even responding to the people who were polite and helpful. Now it's how many pages of crazy? I'm Sorry, I digress because cyber sec is my job and I'm pessimistic.

I don't see it as crazy. They asked a question and have now been educated. I don't blame them for not coming back. A person doesn't know unless they ask, right?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I read a lot about chickens being flock creatures and needing company of their own kind.
Truth is, hard though it may be for many to accept, they are not really flock creatures, or at least haven't been through most of their history. Chickens are tribal creatures. One doesn't come accross flocks of jungle fowl. They live in small units, usually mating pairs and offspring for a limited time. Most jungle fowl males spend a great deal of time on their own. They have to attract a mate which they stay with for a limited time usually, although there are reports of permenant couples.

The reason we consider them to be flock creatures has more to do with how we keep them than their true nature. Keepers, having discovered that one male can happily fertilize a group of hen's eggs came up with the 10:1 ratio one often sees quoted.
So, we could at least dispense with the arguement for keeping a single chicken on the basis that it is a flock creature and needs the company of other chickens to be content.

What about sex then? We don't seem to think keeping hen only groups is cruel do we?

Hygiene is another factor that comes up a lot. It is an issue but reading people allow cats and dogs in their beds (neither wipe their bums or feet and both carry fleas) the only objection is the chicken poops when it feels the need and they do it a lot throughout the day.

There are lots of people around the world who house their chickens in their houses. The coop and run chicken keeping model is particular to a number of cultures. I have visited lots of farms andhouses where the chickens come and go at will in the kitchen and ground level rooms.
Again, the houses were built with the protection of livestock in mind and this is often what the ground floor is used for.

Chickens imprint and if it happens to be a human rather than another chicken then perhaps that is good enough. We are quite happy keeping a single dog which is a pack animal.

The only important objection I can see that is anyway rational is any creature imo should be able to access natural ground and we don't really know if the OP had this in mind or not.
Many people keep house dogs and cats. I don't read the same outrage for these creatures when confined to a house.

Thank you, Shad, voice of reason.

 

[The Birb King]

I read a lot about chickens being flock creatures and needing company of their own kind.
Truth is, hard though it may be for many to accept, they are not really flock creatures, or at least haven't been through most of their history. Chickens are tribal creatures. One doesn't come accross flocks of jungle fowl. They live in small units, usually mating pairs and offspring for a limited time. Most jungle fowl males spend a great deal of time on their own. They have to attract a mate which they stay with for a limited time usually, although there are reports of permenant couples.

The reason we consider them to be flock creatures has more to do with how we keep them than their true nature. Keepers, having discovered that one male can happily fertilize a group of hen's eggs came up with the 10:1 ratio one often sees quoted.
So, we could at least dispense with the arguement for keeping a single chicken on the basis that it is a flock creature and needs the company of other chickens to be content.

What about sex then? We don't seem to think keeping hen only groups is cruel do we?

Hygiene is another factor that comes up a lot. It is an issue but reading people allow cats and dogs in their beds (neither wipe their bums or feet and both carry fleas) the only objection is the chicken poops when it feels the need and they do it a lot throughout the day.

There are lots of people around the world who house their chickens in their houses. The coop and run chicken keeping model is particular to a number of cultures. I have visited lots of farms andhouses where the chickens come and go at will in the kitchen and ground level rooms.
Again, the houses were built with the protection of livestock in mind and this is often what the ground floor is used for.

Chickens imprint and if it happens to be a human rather than another chicken then perhaps that is good enough. We are quite happy keeping a single dog which is a pack animal.

The only important objection I can see that is anyway rational is any creature imo should be able to access natural ground and we don't really know if the OP had this in mind or not.
Many people keep house dogs and cats. I don't read the same outrage for these creatures when confined to a house.

Yes you are correct

 

[Sussex19]

Many people keep house dogs and cats.

And many people keep only one dog, and they are definitely pack animals.
(yes I know people can fill the role to some extent, but how many people can really speak dog?)

 

[BigBlueHen53]

And many people keep only one dog, and they are definitely pack animals.
(yes I know people can fill the role to some extent, but how many people can really speak dog?)

It's easier than you think. But first you have to listen.

 

[BeefQuesoritto]

I got two cats on purpose, and they're not even social critters. Like likes like.

 

[theoldchick]

https://www.facebook.com/cottonadventures/

 

[Kay-T-Hammer]

These trolls get very exhausting after awhile

I was going to say that this thread sounds an awful lot like another one that was eventually shut down. Not even a complete moron would ram a chicken into a rabbit cage.