Calling All Behavioralists: How do I determine if my birds are content in confinement?

[Beau plus penny]

Also, the contentedness was short lived. My neighbor resumed excavating next to their pen, so they're holed up in the basement brooder. I hear polite chattering under my feet.

Another perk to bantams! Couldn't do this with large fowl.

can we see photos

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I can get sexed bantam eggers, and I'll admit I'm a little curious. Ugh, what am I doing... what are any of us doing with chickens, though. You try things and see if they work, right?

It is a hobby of diversity. I used to love big breeds, but now I like them smaller. Easier to care for. I'm not trying to be an enabler, yes I am, but bantam easter eggers are adorable, and so are their eggs.

 

[Beau plus penny]

It is a hobby of diversity. I used to love big breeds, but now I like them smaller. Easier to care for. I'm not trying to be an enabler, yes I am, but bantam easter eggers are adorable, and so are their eggs.

i love big breed and i dont have any small ones yet

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

If my chickens are trying to get out when I go in, I consider them not content with confinement. I don’t have a run really anymore (technically it’s considered a run but I don’t really think of it that way) but when I did my chickens were always happy to escape if I left even a tiny gap while entering. So they were confined most of the time and would have preferred not to be. They did “free-range” time almost daily so perhaps if I had never let them out they would have never been the wiser but I have always had a hard time keeping chickens in a run. I just don’t enjoy doing that.

 

[thecatumbrella]

If my chickens are trying to get out when I go in, I consider them not content with confinement. I don’t have a run really anymore (technically it’s considered a run but I don’t really think of it that way) but when I did my chickens were always happy to escape if I left even a tiny gap while entering. So they were confined most of the time and would have preferred not to be. They did “free-range” time almost daily so perhaps if I had never let them out they would have never been the wiser but I have always had a hard time keeping chickens in a run. I just don’t enjoy doing that.

I've noticed this! My large fowl would try and squeeze through the door, even though they never free ranged. The bantams do not. They still get excited if I have something in my hands, but they really don't care to escape the pen.

 

[FrostRanger]

If my chickens are trying to get out when I go in, I consider them not content with confinement. I don’t have a run really anymore (technically it’s considered a run but I don’t really think of it that way) but when I did my chickens were always happy to escape if I left even a tiny gap while entering. So they were confined most of the time and would have preferred not to be. They did “free-range” time almost daily so perhaps if I had never let them out they would have never been the wiser but I have always had a hard time keeping chickens in a run. I just don’t enjoy doing that.

Outside is fun, I wouldn't consider that a lack of contentment with their run but rather that they think freeranging is fun and exciting and would do so again at the drop of a hat

 

[FrostRanger]

i love big breed and i dont have any small ones yet

Same, I prefer large fowl. Bantams don't appeal to me. I like big calm birds similarly to how I prefer large calm dogs (not that small dogs and chickens can't be chill). I also would have to worry about a smaller animal more. Perhaps a bit less so with chickens than dogs as both standard and bantams have similar worries but a few bantam breeds (namely silkies) are indeed more delicate, I just don't want to deal with that

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Outside is fun, I wouldn't consider that a lack of contentment with their run but rather that they think freeranging is fun and exciting and would do so again at the drop of a hat

I am a soft touch lol

 

[thecatumbrella]

Bantams don't appeal to me.

I could write a paper on this. Starting with cleaning pasty butt on a 2 day old bantam chick. Felt like I was doing neurosurgery, it's so tiny!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I think bantams are adorable and Sebrights are especially appealing to me ... but we have hawks at least seasonally. I'd feel such small chickens would end up being hawk-bait and I'd be a basket-case, so ... they are a no-go for me.