Silkie for house pet?

[8ponygirl9]

Lol I don't want everyone going deaf

 

[OneLuckeyWife]

Hi there,

I'm looking for opinions on keeping a silkie as a house pet? I have other animals this little baby will be around but I'm worried about smell and if the chick will truly be happy in the house? I do have a yard and she'll have access to it but mostly will be with me in the house.

My silkie was a house chicken but suddenly died at 5 months of age.... rip Fuzz.

 

[AllenK RGV]

My silkie was a house chicken but suddenly died at 5 months of age.... rip Fuzz.

So sorry to hear about your personal loss @OneLuckeyWife

 

[OneLuckeyWife]

So sorry to hear about your personal loss @OneLuckeyWife

It was hard because I help her hatch and she would stay by my feet. Didn’t like other chickens and would run inside when I tried to have to play outside. She was the only egg to hatch so she was just more used to people then other chickens. She’d even come when called. Loved to be bathed and blowed dried.

 

[birdofhermes]

i have a house rooster and i think he's a good pet. i don't mess around with diapers so he gets let outside to do his business or he has a few litter boxes that he uses while he's perched. he has a house with a heat bulb in it out in the yard for sleeping in during the summer or to hang out in a couple hours a day during the winter. he has a large indoor cage with a sandbox, litter box and some plush bird toys that he hangs out in sometimes but mainly he sits on my lap. at night he perches on a poop bucket next to where i'm sleeping

 

[8ponygirl9]

My silkie was a house chicken but suddenly died at 5 months of age.... rip Fuzz.

Sorry for your loss

 

[8ponygirl9]

i have a house rooster and i think he's a good pet. i don't mess around with diapers so he gets let outside to do his business or he has a few litter boxes that he uses while he's perched. he has a house with a heat bulb in it out in the yard for sleeping in during the summer or to hang out in a couple hours a day during the winter. he has a large indoor cage with a sandbox, litter box and some plush bird toys that he hangs out in sometimes but mainly he sits on my lap. at night he perches on a poop bucket next to where i'm sleeping

Your silkie is potty trained? How did you teach him that?

 

[drumstick diva]

Ah yes, house chickens. I wonder if my friend pioneered the whole movement. She has had house chickens for probably close to 30 years. She has had various breeds since then but silkies are her favorites. She still has one serama matronly hen -the hatch mate recently died at 7 yrs. Also has a beautiful silkie also 7 years. old.

She has never diapered any of them - it's more work and time spent to change their diaper etc. Plus chicken diapers are expensive and you at least need a spare. She just has her handy clean up kit - rags or paper towels to clean up after them and disinfectant spray. As soon as she sees a mess, she cleans it up.

I have visited her many times over the years and I have never smelled anything amiss,
my sense of smell is very sensitive. The seramas she got as maybe 3 mos. old because they are too tiny to ship otherwise. Her last 3 silkies were 4-5 mos. old. She got them from a breeder selling on BYC. The breeder didn't ship unless she was positive of gender. She hasn't been wrong.

She has a very well chicken broken peke -a -poo who tolerates the chickens well. They pester him, take over his bed and food dish, and steal his toys. He is a real saint or else too old to care. The chickens shadow him when they go out in the yard so he ends up being their protector.

The Silkie was taught UP to get to the door, and DOWN to jump into the yard. She does most of her business outside except in the very inclement winter we have been having.
The two (used to be 3) chickens would sit on the chair with my friend and watch TV in the evenings.

When she takes the senior bus for shopping, the dog and chickens lay by the door. When she arrives home they mob her. The last time we rode the bus she was locking up and we could see the silkie by the front door. Just beautiful. The bus ladies went nuts. Of course everyone knows her as the "Chicken lady." I've been riding the bus with her for over 10.5 years so heard stories of her many chickens all that time. Her sweet dog is up in years and and has lived with most of them.
.

 

[birdofhermes]

Your silkie is potty trained? How did you teach him that?

he's not a silkie but yeah he will usually jump up on my arm when he needs to go. i just started putting him outside in the snow every half hour and told him he wasn't allowed in until he pooped. now he knows that if he poops right away he doesn't have to stay outside for long haha

 

[8ponygirl9]

That's a smart chicken! I'm hoping to get a head start in potty training it wasn't a success with my Saxony duck but I'll give it another try with my silkie. It'll be a couple days old when I pick it up!