So I just got off an hour-long call with Cecilia's owners.
Yes. Her name is Cecilia. Crack. Me. Up!
So, here's the deal:
Apparently, they got her from some farmer who was going to cull her because she has a gimpy wing and a deformed toe. (Seems like pretty small beans to me, as she can walk just fine and flutters. And it's not like chickens are big flyers anyways. But I digress.)
So they took Cecilia and raised her indoors.
She's 16 months old.
She wears more than just a diaper. It's like an outfit as they described it. Similar to this, I think:
http://www.pamperyourpoultry.com/attire
Apparently the mom likes to sew and she has about 50 different custom-tailored outfits. (Which is great because those diapers/outfits are pricey!)
Diapering is pretty easy as I understand it. You put a maxi pad in the diaper part, so I think it works similar to a doggy diaper.
They've trimmed up the area around her vent so it doesn't get poopy.
She said they change her every 90 -120 min or so during the day. You just wipe with a sensitive skin baby wipe (yes, sensitive skin variety was specified) and replace the maxi pad.
They said that they can tell when she needs to be changed. (Maybe she walks funny? Not sure!)
At night, she goes "naked" (her words, not mine....So I guess she hasn't made any nighties for her.
)She sleeps in a custom-built hut. She described it as a little mini hen house structure on an elevated platform. She does her sleeping and egg laying in there.
The hut is surrounded by a small wooden sand box-type structure, which is enclosed with a small fence. So she hangs out in that area under the hen house until you wake up and put on her diaper and let her wander freely.
I asked about the smell. I DO NOT want my house to smell like a barn yard. I already drive myself nuts cleaning the cat litter boxes compulsively.
She assured me that there is no smell as long as you use the diaper and clean the hen house daily.
I am concerned about the potential for parasites and so forth, since I assume she was born to an outdoor bird in a farm setting. But they said they would let me treat her at their home before I take her. They were more concerned about her finding a loving home where she'll be treated like the princess that she is vs. getting rid of her asap. She seemed pretty confident that she is parasite-free and healthy and said she'd treated her when she first got her (yet they've let her outside, so who knows.) I know she believes she's "clean" as she obviously has no hesitation about letting her young children live in the same house as the bird.
I asked about aggression with the cats and she said it's not really aggression, just fearless curiosity. I think i know exactly what she means as my cats were terrified of the rats, who had no qualms about walking right up to them to investigate. So I suspect it's something like that.
I'm not too worried about the possibility of fallen babies, as I do all breeding in-cage. Abby the cockatiel makes that a requisite as she eats finch eggs like candy and tried to peck at one of the zebra finch hatchlings when I had them out once. (And if I hadn't moved quickly, I think she would have stolen him!)
So we're already limited to cage-only breeding.
Apparently Cecilia is just fine with small dogs. I currently have only small dogs, but I'd need to commit to keeping my pack all-small for the next 6-9 years (average Silkie lifespan). I'm not sure I'm willing to do that.
So I've got some thinking to do!
This is definitely a frou frou chicken.....one who's very loved. That's for sure!
As an aside, I pointed out that she sounds like quite the little chicken princess and she made a funny remark: "Oh, we don't dye her hair or anything like that."
So naturally, I googled "dyed silkie chickens" and the results are.....interesting.
I invite you to google that exact term.
You get images of chicken indignity such as this....
http://bit.ly/1xXmtN2
....though I must say, I really love their necklaces.
And the pink is actually quite pretty!
And a final funny: the friend who told me about Cecilia's plight said, "When I heard that this house chicken needed a home, I thought of you immediately!"
So I guess others think I'm the type of person who would have a house chicken?!
I hate to admit it, but I think they're right as I REALLY want her! She sounds like the type of pet who will make me smile.
