Petfinder.com forums :: View topic - Chicken Adoption and Care w/Mary Britton Clouse!! Jan 17- 23 [ ]

Ever wonder what goes into chicken adoption? Or how to foster or care for these intelligent, unique pets? Well, join us January 17th - 23rd when our expert will be Mary Britton Clouse, Founder of Chicken Run Rescue! Mary will be with us all week and available to answer all of your chicken care questions! A bit about Mary and Chicken Run Rescue:

Mary Britton Clouse served as President of Minnesota Animal Rights Coalition, founded the Minnesota Spay/Neuter Project, Legislative Efforts for Animal Protection and she and her husband Albert founded Chicken Run Rescue (CRR) in 2001. Their first introduction to chickens was placing roosters who had been seized in a cockfighting seizure and were slated for euthanasia. When they learned there were no rescue groups there to help domestic fowl, they saw a need to do something. Since then every chicken impounded by Minneapolis Animal Care & Control and 5 Metro Area humane societies has found sanctuary in their home. After their release from impound, CRR provides the birds with love, shelter and vet care, locates and screens adopters within 90 miles of the Twin Cities and transports the birds to their new homes.

CRR chickens are adopted as companion animals only to homes that will love them for who they are, not what can be taken from them as if they were no more than little egg machines. Chicken Run Rescue's mission is to foster a shift in critical thought about why we call some animals "friend" and others "food" through rescue, rehabilitation, adoption and education.

Chickens are highly intelligent, gentle, vivacious individuals who form strong lifelong emotional bonds with each other as well as other species. They are warm and silky and lovely to hold. They are primarily ground dwelling birds who are very home and routine centered and can thrive in a space the size of a normal urban backyard and home. They can coexist happily with compatible dogs and cats and have similar life spans. However, interest in "urban farming" is spreading across the US which has presented serious challenges regarding the quality of their care, backyard slaughter in the city, and an increase of abandoned birds in local shelters. As with any vulnerable animal, where there is use, there will be abuse. CRR has seen a 514% increase in requests to take unwanted birds since 2009.

CRR is the only urban chicken rescue of its kind. Based on 10 years experience caring for well over 700 chickens in her inner city home (no- not at the same time!), Mary has written and taught extensively on providing chickens with the same quality of health and vet care, shelter and behavioral enrichment as for any other companion animal. As any rescue group who depends on PetFinders will confirm, Don't breed or buy- Adopt! There are never enough homes for displaced animals.

We are excited to have Mary with us and we hope to see you there!

Welcome Mary Britton Clouse!!

Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 2:47 am Post subject:

I have been a foster home for cats and dogs in the past, but had never considered companion chicken before! I am curious as to what is needed in terms of housing when fostering or adopting a chicken? Do they need a specialized type of housing or enclosure? Do they do well indoors or do they prefer to be outside?

Mary's Answer:

In a nutshell, if you are set up for dogs, you probably have alot in place that will work for a chicken. They need healthy food, a place to sit (roost), room to jump and play, a place to hide if they choose to and shelter from the elements (chickens are all descendants of tropical Jungle fowl- optimal temperature range between 55 and 75 degrees) and protection from predators. They are creatures of the earth and thrive on sunshine, bugs, vegetation, dirt and social interaction and, like a dog or cat, can be quite happy in a house as well. Indoors and outdoors makes for a well rounded life.

We have tons of housing and care information on our main website links at the end of this message. Our Facebook albums are teeming with pictures about living with chickens- indoors and outdoors. Also, check out the photos entered in our annual photo contests and you'll see lots of ways people do it from all over the world!

Chickens are cheerful, highly intelligent, gentle, vivacious individuals who form strong lifelong emotional bonds with each other as well as other species. They are warm and silky and lovely to hold. They are primarily ground dwelling birds who are very home and routine centered and can thrive in a space the size of a normal urban backyard and home. They can coexist happily with compatible dogs and cats and have similar life spans. Chickens are really better adapted to living with us as companions than their exotic kin, parrots, who suffer terrible physical and psychological stress in captivity.

Most importantly, set aside prejudices about who belongs in the house and let a chicken show you how loveable and adaptable he or she can be.

Aerial Tour of Chicken Run Rescue - Where our rescues wait for homes.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=450331&id=475016785200

Model Backyard Coop and Pen - Installation of our set up at one of our city foster homes.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=463288&id=475016785200

City Chickens - Daily life at Chicken Run Rescue including vet care and rehabilitation

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=395051&id=475016785200

No Place Like Home - CRR alumni in their new homes.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=385483&id=475016785200

Basic Chicken Care

http://www.brittonclouse.com/chickenrunrescue/BASIC%20CHICKEN%20CARE.pdf

Run Rescue Photo Contest sites:

http://www.brittonclouse.com/chickenrunrescue/photos/

http://www.brittonclouse.com/chickenrunrescue/photos07/

http://www.brittonclouse.com/chickenrunrescue/photos08/

http://www.brittonclouse.com/chickenrunrescue/photos09/

http://www.brittonclouse.com/chickenrunrescue/photos10/

mbc
--

Mary Britton Clouse
Chicken Run Rescue
Minneapolis, MN

http://www.chickenrunrescue.petfinder.org
http://www.brittonclouse.com/chickenrunrescue/

Posted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 10:41 am Post subject:

Hi Mary- Can chickens be adopted individually? or do they tend to do better with others?

Mary's Answer:

Chickens see the world in the context of their membership in a flock. A single chicken is a sad chicken so best to have at least 2 (as long as they like each other- like us, every individual is different!) if it is a permanent home, and the more birds, the more important to have spacious lodging for them. One exception to this is a special needs chicken- ie blindness, missing limbs, etc. They can have great quality of life with special care in a one on one relationship. A couple of birds are easy to care in a house environment, but if more than 3 you'd best have dedicated spaces for them for their happiness, hygiene, safety and your sanity.

mbc

Mary Britton Clouse
Chicken Run Rescue
Minneapolis, MN

http://www.chickenrunrescue.petfinder.org
http://www.brittonclouse.com/chickenrunrescue/

Posted: Fri Jan 21, 2011 4:50 pm Post subject:

I've been to several fairs and scanned through hatchery magazines in the past- Chickens come in a fantastic variety! Out of curiosity- have you found certain types to be more social (or make better "pets")?

I adore anything bantam and the silkies are just beautiful!

Mary's Answer:

Probably without realizing it, you raise a couple very important issues in your question. Our motto is: Don't breed or buy- Adopt! There are never enough homes for displaced animals.

Here are a few factoids about "fancy breeds":

-Like us, every chicken is an individual. Some are shy, some outgoing, some are wild, some are sociable. A loved and respected bird will reward you by teaching you things that will surprise and amaze you everyday. Nurturing is far more important than breed or sex as a predictor of a good companion.

-All chickens are descended from Tropical Jungle fowl. Variations in breeds have been created by humans mucking about with cross breeding to suit the wants of humans, not for the benefit of the birds.

For example, breeding for ornamental traits always means serious consequences for animals- think of hip dysplasia in German Shepherds or deafness in Dalmatians. In the case of Silkies, the crest on their heads obscures their vision overhead and makes them extremely vulnerable to predators and also interferes with their ability to read the body language of other flock members interfereing with normal socilaization. It also creates a perfect habitat for lice and mites in an area that the bird is unable to preen. Silkies are also bred to have tiny non-functional wings that prevent them from normal flight which is the only means of prottection for prey animals. No flight is great if you want them to hang around to look at them but bad news for them if they need to escape.

-50 % of chicks hatched are disposed of as waste.  Since they are of no value in the production of eggs, a quarter billion male chicks a year are disposed of at the hatchery. Males, 50% of the chicks hatched by hatcheries and commercial egg breeding facilities, are killed as soon as their sex is determined at a day or two day old. The unwanted males and deformed females are suffocated in the garbage or macerated (ground up alive) for fertilizer or feed or they are sold for meat production. Only hens are wanted for their eggs. There are no laws to protect the chicks from any cost-efficient (read: cruel) method of disposal the producer chooses. Poultry is exempt from humane slaughter laws. At a hatchery, this amounts to tens of thousands of chicks per week, half of them doomed from the start.

This link shows footage taken during an undercover investigation inside a typical modern industrial hatchery with footage of chick sexing, rooster disposal and debeaking.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2009/09/01/2009-09-01_video_shows_chicks_ground_up_alive_at_iowa_egg_hatchery.html

We love all chickens regardless of sex or breed. The most important thing to know about a chicken is that they need your help. I hope you will reach out to chickens who need you. If it happens to be a Silkie or Bantam breed, they are very easy to care for and do beautifully as house companions.

--mbc

Mary Britton Clouse
Chicken Run Rescue
Minneapolis, MN

Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2011 2:29 am Post subject:

I have a two part question, I hope that's OK. First can a pet chicken be kept if you have other pets like dogs or cats? Second if you plan to have more than one chicken is the pairing of genders important? Do females need to be kept only with other females or male with other males?

Mary's Answer:

Absolutely! Of course it depends on the personality of individual animals (chickens and mammals alike), close supervision (at least initially) and lots of common sense, but once everyone is used to seeing each other, they accept that everyone belongs there there. Our kitties and dogs and chickens share the yard and the house and pay no mind to each other. We have one very reactive and prey driven dog, Jade, who we never thought would be calm around the birds, but after years of desensitization, seeing them come and go, she just shrugs and says "yeah, so, another chicken". Sometimes the chickens will even hop on a pillow, grab a snack from a food dish or roost on the cat tree and cozy up. On our Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Chicken-Run-Rescue/475016785200?ref=ts) there's a picture of our beloved little dog Marco with our sweet little hen Hannah sharing Marco's favorite pillow. Both the roosters and our dog chime in together when someone comes to the door. Our two rescued ring neck doves respond to the roosters crow.

You would probably want to be extra careful with a very tiny bantam or baby chick and of course with very young dogs or cats, but our mature dogs and cats seem to respect the mature chickens.

Second if you plan to have more than one chicken is the pairing of genders important? Do females need to be kept only with other females or male with other males? "

Nature designed them to be together in the wild- 50/50! That said, in a confined environment, they can't interact in the natural way they would with lots of space to avoid unwanted attentions. Again, they are all individuals and they are as selective as we are about who they want to hang out with. We have a couple bonded pairs right now and you can read about them on our Petfinders site- Buster and Capezio, Sarah and Damlo, and two rooster buddies Julian and Baillie. The girls will all generally get along pretty well with each other and choose best friends, but then sometimes there are bossy girls who are like the hall monitors we remember from school. Competition for the girls can also sometime cause conflict between the boys. You would never want to have more boys than girls. Some sanctuaries have "bachelor flocks" (tragically, so many unwanted roosters) and the boys get along just fine as long as hens are kept out of the mix. The key is to always be observant, have multiple and flexible housing arrangements and lots of things to do and places to go because boredom and over crowding are the most common causes of behavior problems.

Flocks have a highly developed social structure and depend on each for companionship and security. Naturalists have observed that they can recognize and remember 180 other individual flock members..

In the wild they roost in trees at dusk before they sleep or to escape predators. They hide their nests in cavities in the ground. The majority of their waking hours are spent active, wide ranging, grazing, foraging for food- plants, bugs and occasionally small rodents. In their natural state, they typically travel 1/2 mile from their roost each day. In the wild, they are never over crowded- if the population becomes to dense, members will break off into subgroups and spread out

Roosters alert the flock to danger, find food and call the hens to it and stand guard as they eat. They select and build nests and will even participate in caring for the young. They also act as peace keepers to intervene in disputes that can develop between flock members. Roosters will start to crow and display courting behaviors at about 6 months of age. It is essential to gently handle a rooster on a daily basis to establish that you are the flock leader (Alpha) and maintain a well socialized companion.

The hens spend their time scratching for food, dust bathing, nesting, preening, playing and napping.

Chickens are sociable, cheerful and intelligent creatures who can form lifelong bonds with each other and other species including humans, dogs and cats. Because of their keen intelligence and instinctive physical activity, they need a stimulating environment that mimics as much as possible the rich and diverse world nature designed them to enjoy.

--mbc

Mary Britton Clouse
Chicken Run Rescue
Minneapolis, MN

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