Chickens as pets?????????
Question by Taylor: Chickens as pets?????????
Ok, I asked this already but I did more research and I’m going to state this again a bit better!
I was doing research on some good unique pets when I came across chickens. I’ve had ducks before. In the situation where I had to completely clean out, scrub, and disinfect the cage as often as everyday sometimes. In other words, I get the drill.
I know an indoor chicken is a big question so I’m asking from people who have experience in this matter. (Or know someone who does)
I have a pretty big rabbit cage (I’d get a bantam) and I will fill it with wood shaving and a few handfuls of hay (I have a chinchilla so I have more then enough hay on hand) the rabbit cage is pretty big but if I can see it’s too crowded an upgrade at that point wouldn’t be hard.
A big issue a few of you are saying is exercise and room to roam. I would let it around my room and most of the bottom floor of the house in chicken diapers and when there isn’t 5 feet of snow on the ground freely in my backyard for a while too.
I understand chickens are flock birds. A birdy friend for them isn’t out if the picture but I would like to make an effort with one first.
Yes I am wiling to put in this much effort. I wouldn’t be able to keep chicken(s) outside year round anyways in my area. I want to hear from someone if they think this could be worth a try.
Thought?
Can you help? Leave your own answer in the comments!
2 Responses to Chickens as pets?????????
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yes i had an indoor rooster for over 18 years. I raised him from a chick – i found him running in a circle in the middle of a 2 lane road because one eye was damaged most likely from a piece of gravel. Had a soft back chair that he could hop up on to sit for hours looking through the picture window while i was busy. I also made him a cardboard pup tent when he was older and had newspaper layered at the bottom and shredded newspaper to snuggle down in. He also had one of those half tube baby tunnels with a towel to lay on which he loved to sit in on a sunny day in his room- some of his toys where on the inside to toss around. He had his toys all over his room to toss and peck and throw around. He had favorite spots with towels mounded so he could snuggle into the middle of a circle or between two large hills. I had lots of cheap white towels all over his favorite spots that i had gotten from Savers or salvation army for 8 for $ 5.00 I had newspapers all over the floor of his room and i swept it and change the papers every day and mopped once a week with disinfectant. Towels got washed by the armload every 3 days with lots of hot water and clorox and soap. And clean up constantly – like 4 times a day when i would spend time with him in his room. A chicken will bond with you if you spend sufficient time with him- i spent about 4 hours a day with him and would frequently take him outdoors to so he could nibble on grass and take a dust bath and chase bugs=weather permitting. And no there was very little smell because there was constant sweeping and moping and rolls of cheap toilet paper all over for quick pick ups- unless he had those stinky brown poop that they have occasionally. Have a large garbage bag and put the messes in it and keep it sealed up = keep small trash cans or boxes with the plastic shopping bags lining them all over to toss messes into and for quick grabs to take to the large garbage bag. Put garbage bag that is full where it will not be ripped open – burn this or put in a tightly sealed trash can outside because cockroaches and other pest are attracted to this stuff and yes the chickens love roaches and bugs = but they get gape from those pests.
Here is my post before about chicken toys
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20130930134432AAz7uof
And no you will not need another chicken because you will be her flock and family. Chickens are very smart and have a language and will understand basic english after a while – like no or bad. They can be dangerous when upset and I have been peck hard and they will go for eyes but that is true for almost all big birds- large parrot owner’s have scars or nipped off parts – which is why there are so many parrot rescue places full of biting bad tempered birds. There are many u tube post about pet chickens. I got to go now. Yes they are worth it.
I just typed in ==chicken as indoor pets== and pages came up. Yes there are a lot of people who have indoor chickens because they make great pets. and they give you eggs also. check out the sites and there are clubs and blogs where you can ask questions from others who have also had indoor chickens.
https://www.google.com/search?q=chicken+as+pets&aq=f&oq=chicken+as+pets&aqs=chrome.0.57j61l2j0l3.6332&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#q=chicken+as+indoor+pets
http://indoorchickens.com/
this site tells you how to care for the indoor chicken and it has a blog site and this site has won an award and her video is so cute.
This site has info on how to care for a indoor chicken and about cleaning and lots of clips and pictures.
http://www.squidoo.com/housechickens#module42598212
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=NvKNmjpt0QA
Grandma Laura
May 13, 2014 at 3:38 pm
Indoor chickens are possible, just expect to come across a few things.
For the first four weeks, chicks need a heat lamp (95 degrees F)- securely fastened so it does not start a fire. You can gradually decrease the heat until they are okay with room temp (65-70 degrees F) Chicken manure has a pretty strong ammonia odor, so be prepared to do a lot of clean-up if you plan to keep an indoor chicken. They also create a lot of dust from their feathers and skin, so again be prepared to clean a lot. The chicken diapers will need to be laundered frequently in hot water and soap, and your chicken’s rump may become poopy. You can wash your chicken in warm water with a little dish soap in the kitchen sink. Mine tolerate a blow dryer on low setting afterward.
With shavings, make sure you never use cedar shavings- the oils in cedar are harmful to a chicken’s lungs.
They need to scratch and dust bathe, so provide a large steel tub of sand for your bird/s as well.
You will also need to provide grit, oyster shell, and feed appropriate to the age of your bird.
They are social animals, and other than a little extra clean up, having two really won’t be much more work than having just one, so consider getting two of them. (More eggs too)
ScienceGal
May 13, 2014 at 4:33 pm