Chickens as Pets in the House
Are Backyard Chickens Allowed in Your House?
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You live in the city but you are a farmer at heart. You may wonder, “Are chickens allowed in my city?” In many towns and neighborhoods, the answer is no. But some people just can’t leave the farm behind and end up with a chicken or two as a house pet. I have known a couple of people personally who had backyard chickens as pets in their homes. Maybe you love chickens that much and you want them to be a bigger part of your life. What steps would you need to take to make chickens as pets a workable solution to getting fresh eggs daily in an area where you can’t raise livestock?
Sanitary Issues with Chickens as Pets
Excellent sanitary practices would need to be used to avoid the spread of disease commonly carried by chickens. Having chickens as pets means cleaning up after them. While there are some routine times that a chicken passes waste from its body, it also can happen unexpectedly. Can you house break a chicken like you can a puppy? I don’t know the answer to that. A puppy with proper training will outgrow the “accidents” of puppyhood, while a chicken may never stop pooping on the arm of your favorite chair. Chicken poop also can carry the bacteria and microorganisms responsible for serious illness. Salmonella, coccidia, and e-coli are a few organisms that are commonly found in chicken droppings, even if the chicken has no signs of illness. Keeping chickens as pets inside your home requires extreme care to clean up any droppings and disinfect the area.
And then there is the fact that chickens as pets will also be chickens on your table and your furniture. On this particular point, I don’t see much difference between a chicken and a cat. Cats use the litter box, scratch and then jump on your bed to take a catnap. Chickens scratch around in the ground, eat bugs, and in the case of house chickens, jump on whatever they want. If you are a bit squeamish, this may not appeal to you.
Chicken diapers are available for the enthusiast who really just has to have a couple chickens as pets. These are typically small cloth sacks that are fastened to the tail and vent area of the chicken with elastic straps that wrap around the upper wing joint. And yes, they do need to be changed, as all diapers do.
Other Factors
Do chickens need heat in winter? Normally chickens are very cold tolerant. They grow a heavy insulating layer of downy feathers before cold weather sets in. If you normally keep your indoor temperature on the warm side for your comfort, your chicken may overheat or be uncomfortable. In addition, the chicken’s skin and feathers may dry out from the forced air heat that many homes use for heat. The use of a wood burning fireplace or stove brings in a whole other set of concerns if you are keeping chickens as pets in your home. Chickens have sensitive respiratory tracts and the smoky dry air from a wood burning stove may irritate their breathing passages.
Why Bring a Chicken in the House
Often, a chicken kept as a house pet starts when the hen was being bullied, or was injured. As humans we feel bad seeing an animal that needs help and our softer side tells us to bring the chicken into the house for just a little while. But, those winning chicken personalities can sway us and it may be hard to take the chicken back to the coop! But then you have to ask yourself, who is ruling the roost here? I have had a chicken in our home for respite care and recovery from injuries and I think she enjoyed the extra TLC. I also think she was glad to get back to the coop and back to the business of being a chicken. Chickens like to be part of the flock. They are not solitary animals. In some chickens being separated from the flock is actually a stress producer. This may be a good reason to treat any issues with the chicken and return it to the flock as soon as possible. In some instances the chicken may be the lone survivor from a predator attack. In that case I would recommend either looking for more hens to join your survivor or possibly giving your hen to another chicken keeper, when it has recovered.
Chickens as Easter Gifts
Often, in the spring, well meaning parents end up buying baby chicks as a gift for their children, not realizing the proper care involved and how quickly the chickens will grow up to be large. People don’t always check to see if they can have a chicken coop in their neighborhood or town and then try to keep the chickens as pets. Usually this does not last too long before a farmer or homesteader is contacted to try to rehome the Easter gift chickens.
Are there certain chicken breeds that would make a better house pet? Perhaps bantam breeds would make better chickens as pets. They are smaller and would create less waste and mess. Also, the more docile breeds, such as the the Orpington chicken, might be well suited for chickens as pets. I am not saying that you can’t successfully raise a chicken as a house pet. I am sure many people do this and have mastered the art of keeping it clean and sanitary while enjoying the fun antics and personalities of their avian house pet. Before going into any pet situation it is always best to research the care needs of the pet, if keeping the pet breaks any laws, and what you will do with the pet if things just don’t work out.
Do you keep chickens as pets in the house? If so, share with us in the comments below, your tips and tricks for success.
My town has some pretty strange chicken rules! You can have as many chickens as you want, as long as you have enough room for them, and you don’t have a rooster. So where do they draw the line?? Believe it or not, you CAN NOT have a chicken in your house!!
We have a hen and a rooster as our house pets although it was only supposed to be temporary. Hahaha.
We have absolutely fallen in love with them, everyday they put a smile on my face. They love to sit with us be be pet or watch TV.
Never in a million years would I have thought I was a chicken lover.
We have 2 seramas (smallest chicken breed) in the house (temporary turned permanent, most likely). They are contained in a larger pet cage. We use dustless pure clay (cat litter) as the bedding. It is very good at keeping the ammonia & smell to a bare minimum. It is the best & most cost effective option. Our hedgehog smells worse. Our biggest issue is a bit of bird dander or an occasional feather if they fly within the pen, so it is no different than any other bird in the house. We gave them a roost, mealworms, poultry nipples for drinking (sounds like a manual typewriter) & a hanging children’s xylophone to play (which they do). They enjoy harmonious relaxing music and are so relaxed when we play it. I still need to give them a string to play with.
Is it allowed to keep the chicken inside the house? No permit from city/county or any approval (e.g HoA or similiar) is needed for keeping it/them inside the house?
It probably depends on where you live. You need to check that our for yourself.
In spring, we regularly have chicks on our main floor in a brooder until it is time for them to move out (usually at 2 weeks or less), and have quail in the basement (for now). We are rural and no bylaws exist to regulate what we do as far as a few birds.
Seramas would really be no different from a parrot (they are actually smaller, 19 oz being considered large), and technically are exotic birds considering that they originate in Asia.
Good thought about Seramas. I got 4 chicks and decided to keep them inside. They have a big Makaw cage. I don’t know if it will work out well. This is my first time keeping chickens inside. I chose the tiniest ones possible who will only be about the size of doves when they’re grown. I did keep doves in cages inside, years ago. I won’t keep the Seramas in the cage all of the time when they’re bigger but now, I do because I don’t trust my cat. I do have an outdoor cage to put them in for fresh air and change of scenery but haven’t used it yet due to the high temperatures. Which is another issue. Seramas don’t do well in the cold and I live in Ashland, Oregon. So, having them be indoor birds who I put out in a cage in the day, in good weather is the best option. And I like having them inside, they are so sweet!
My wife loves her chickens, ducks, turkey and g-fowl. After watching her cry so many times due to relentless racoons, hawks and other predators I agreed to let her have one duck, one chicken, one g-fowl and a turkey in the house. She keeps them in one room and cleans up well. My question is will it cause us harm to our health? Thanks
Good thought about Seramas. I got 4 chicks and decided to keep them inside. They have a big Makaw cage. I don’t know if it will work out well. This is my first time keeping chickens inside. I chose the tiniest ones possible who will only be about the size of doves when they’re grown. I did keep doves in cages inside, years ago. I won’t keep the Seramas in the cage all of the time when they’re bigger but now, I do because I don’t trust my cat. I do have an outdoor cage to put them in for fresh air and change of scenery but haven’t used it yet due to the high temperatures. Which is another issue. Seramas don’t do well in the cold and I live in Ashland, Oregon. So, having them be indoor birds who I put out in a cage in the day, in good weather is the best option. And I like having them inside, they are so sweet!