Indoor pet chicken

[BigRedHenny]

I want to share this important link:
How to Raise an Indoor Pet Chicken

It is possible to keep a chicken indoors as a companion pet. And yes there will be some angry people severely against this, but there are always solutions to the problems:
1) Problem - Dander/dust SOLUTION - Air purifier + vacuuming
2) Problem - Pooping on the floor - SOLUTION - Chicken diapers
3) Problem - Chickens need to walk on natural soil SOLUTION - Take the pet chicken outdoors to the park while wearing a harness

 

[sourland]

The biggest problems are possible antigen/antibody reactions to the dander on the part of some people and the loneliness of a single bird.

 

[BigRedHenny]

The biggest problems are possible antigen/antibody reactions to the dander on the part of some people and the loneliness of a single bird.

Yes those are valid points and here are some solutions:

Problem - allergies SOLUTION - over the counter allergy medications
Problem - loneliness of a single bird SOLUTION - if the owner is a teleworking employee, the hen can become a lap pet, or the owner can adopt another tame animal to accompany the hen

 

[PippinTheChicken]

@AngBantamLuv owns happy, healthy house d'uccles.

 

[sourland]

Yes those are valid points and here are some solutions:

Problem - allergies SOLUTION - over the counter allergy medications

This will work for some folks, but not for those with a progressive condition that can result in psittacosis or 'pigeon lung disease'. Not disagreeing with the viability of indoor birds, but for some they are an impossibility.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Not to mention a human really is not an ideal substitute for a companion bird. A pair or trio of bantams I could see being okay as house pets so long as everything else was working well, but not a single bird

 

[BigRedHenny]

This will work for some folks, but not for those with a progressive condition that can result in psittacosis or 'pigeon lung disease'. Not disagreeing with the viability of indoor birds, but for some they are an impossibility.

With all due respect, people who have that progressive condition should not have any type of bird at all. Its not just the indoor poultry birds.

 

[KingD]

 

[sourland]

With all due respect, people who have that progressive condition should not have any type of bird at all. Its not just the indoor poultry birds.

Why did you feel that this was necessary? I am not against folks keeping indoor birds nor am I against impacted folks keeping birds as long as they use the proper equipment - ie proper masking.

 

[AngBantamLuv]

The biggest problems are possible antigen/antibody reactions to the dander on the part of some people and the loneliness of a single bird.

I happen to be allergic to planet earth with or without pets i also have a zoo. I got "allergy free" dogs, aka maltipoos.. oh and had hives for the first three months they were with me. That subsided. I do have several chickens and a parrot. Desert variety parrots are dusty like chickens, i have had them in the past. My current one is a tropical jungle breed, so no dust.

The chickens are in a room with hard flooring that can be vacuumed, swept, and mopped frequently. I also have an exhaust fan in their room that i run during day hours. I also have a honeywell hepa air purifier and filter next to their cage (and in all of my rooms, because i just feel healthier with them). I clean poop daily, using a kitty poop scoop. I created a skirt around the bottom of the coop so it contains everything when they scratch. I experimented quite a bit and settled on sweet pdz granules (granules is the key..) which is heavy enough to not go airborne, absorbs all ammonia, is light enough to not over weight your trays, and is safe for the chickens to eat as a grit.

The chickens get to roam for a little while.. 20-30 mins seems sufficient to them, after that, they just trek back into their coop/run. When i was sitting with them for extended periods, id use the chicken diapers, but with this shorter interval, i get no more than 3 poops. I just pick them up, then use pet spray and wipe up.

My home is immaculate.. i say that because if you're going to have animals in your house, even cats and dogs, you have to be willing to do daily cleaning, not once a week cleaning. Its just how it is. But i do that without animals, so the animals are my bonus

I started, but didn't finish an article on house chickens.. ill do that when my house projects are done