Do you have (occasionally) chickens or other poultry in your house?

[fowltemptress]

I usually allow my birds to brood their own chicks, but whenever that's not an option I'll brood them for the first week in my bathtub before moving them into the garage. The bathroom is also where I'll squirrel anyone away who has a injuries and needs to recover. My goose, Tex, is very familiar with the bathroom.

Tex after deciding a dog needed to be flogged.

Heidi dealing with a broken toe.

A batch of keets poopin' up the tub.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Today was the first day I had seen this thread. Very interesting and actually quite timely, as I just kicked a hen out of the living room this evening. It would have been, I think, her third night in had I not evicted her. She had been slightly injured when GC's 5-mo. old Aussie puppy, Ryder, got hold of her the other day. Her only real injury was a tiny abrasion on her tail muscle and a few missing tail feathers. I washed her good and put Neosporin on it and the next day I couldn't even find it. Here are the characters in this chicken tale.

Ryder a month or so ago, he's bigger now.

Dingbat, the dog-training chicken. Ryder no longer even wants to look at a chicken, at least not at this chicken. This was a good opportunity to do some, er, "attitude adjustment" on young Ryder. Hopefully his new-found respect extends to the whole flock.

 

[Sally PB]

I have brooded chicks 3 times in the house. I have had an injured/sick chicken inside, but only overnight and in a crate after treatment. We have a dog, and she is NOT trained to leave the chickens alone, so I don't push my luck.

 

[Callender Girl]

I always say I will never brood chicks indoors again -- and then, of course, I do. It's easier to keep an eye on them, although the mess of spilled feed, poop and feathers they create is ridiculous for such small creatures.

In addition to Dottie, the accidental house chicken, the only other adult hen who spent much time indoors was Eleanor, whose feet were horribly frostbitten and who needed intensive care for weeks.

All my chickens used to line up at the glass kitchen door for grapes. I finally put up a gate on the deck railing because I was tired of stepping onto the welcome mat and into crap. However, there is still a small sign on one railing post that reads, "Poop deck."

 

[BDutch]

Thanks for sharing your stories. It seems that many BYC keepers tolerate chicks and chickens in the house at some point.

Love to more….