AITA for not wanting small kids to chase/ handle the chickens?

[McChooky]

Maybe someone here will be kind enough to give you a good rooster so it won't happen again!?

 

[McChooky]

I think these are both good ideas, my bantam hen, chestnut, comes up and I let the kids hold her if they want, and I capture one of my silkies and let them pet her if they want

Most kids will chase chickens if they've never been around them. Thats just my experience as a Boomer .Are kids different now days?

 

[Squawkers]

As a parent I would be absolutely appalled and embarrassed if my boys started chasing around someone’s chickens. My kids know that you respect animals, always ask before you go into someone else’s barn/coop, always ask before you pet/pick-up someone else’s animals and never put an animal in a situation where they feel threatened. If she wants those kids to learn a lesson it should be about basic respect for all living things. My nieces came to visit once. I explicitly said no one was to be in the barn around the animals unsupervised. Not even 10 minutes later I heard my animals going crazy and came out to them chasing my poultry around. One of the girls managed to grab a bird and got the crap scratched out of her chest. I am not a person who yells so when I raise my voice everyone and I mean everyone knows that I mean business. I very loudly and sternly said “Put down the birds, get out of my barn before I pack you all up, put you back in your car and send you home. I do not give a d**n that you just had a 7 hour trip I will make it 14.” Her mother came over and said “Did you warn her about their nails? She is all scratched up!”. I replied “That bird was defending itself against your little angel attacking it. Maybe your daughter will learn next time to listen to what she is told”. Guess what? That was 3 years ago and I have not invited them back.

Go you! Kids definitely need to be taught to ask before messing with other people’s pets. Some adults too for some reason when people see a golden retriever they think they don’t have to ask to pet. My golden used to be very reactive with strangers and it was so annoying when people would just walk up to him. But he usually started barking before anyone got within reach, so I didn’t really worry about anything happening.

 

[my spoiled chickens]

Most kids will chase chickens if they've never been around them. Thats just my experience as a Boomer .Are kids different now days?

I don't free range mine, so that's probably why, but the kids I deal with are my brother in law and sister's nephew and niece and she introduced them to her chickens and their other aunt also has runner ducks o these kid were taught to respect poultry

 

[my spoiled chickens]

Go you! Kids definitely need to be taught to ask before messing with other people’s pets. Some adults too for some reason when people see a golden retriever they think they don’t have to ask to pet. My golden used to be very reactive with strangers and it was so annoying when people would just walk up to him. But he usually started barking before anyone got within reach, so I didn’t really worry about anything happening.

Yeah I do that sometimes but only with dogs that are dragging their owners behnd them to come and meet me

 

[Squawkers]

Yeah I do that sometimes but only with dogs that are dragging their owners behnd them to come and meet me

That’s a good point it’s just annoying when people go out of their way to pet mine

 

[fowltemptress]

It's the adults who think my animals are "learning tools" for their children that are always the problem, and heaven help you if you suggest otherwise. I'm always the "meanie" who doesn't like or understand children. Of course, the people who actually put in the time and effort to teach their kids empathy and how to be around animals, and who understand other people's animals are "look, don't touch" until told otherwise never seem to have a problem with me. Interesting how that works. I'm sorry about your mom. Has she ever though about how it would feel to be chased around by things she finds disruptive and/or scary? Sometimes people have a hard time putting themselves in an animal's shoes, so to speak. Children aren't scary to her, so she's not seeing them through the eyes of a confused and upset chicken. I hope she can be convinced to understand that cruelty can look benign, and adopt a different attitude for the future.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I taught basic dog obedience at a local community college for over 15 years, and I do not pet or handle other people's dogs. Why? For the same reason I would not pet or handle their children. I will praise and admire them, but I think it's rude and disrespectful, to both animal and owner, to ... well ... maul the animal. The dog does not know me. Why would I do that? Some owners insist or seem to think I'm afraid of their dog or don't like it, so in those cases I will, but I prefer not to.

Typo, 15 years, not 25.

 

[Squawkers]

I taught basic dog obedience at a local community college for over 15 years, and I do not pet or handle other people's dogs. Why? For the same reason I would not pet or handle their children. I will praise and admire them, but I think it's rude and disrespectful, to both animal and owner, to ... well ... maul the animal. The dog does not know me. Why would I do that? Some owners insist or seem to think I'm afraid of their dog or don't like it, so in those cases I will, but I prefer not to.

Typo, 15 years, not 25.

Exactly! There is no reason to pet someone elses dog. Typically, the reason they are doing it is to make themselves feel good. Which is inconsiderate. Even though my dog no longer barks and growls at strangers and seems to enjoy being petted by other people. I know he would rather not.

 

[tlcmurphy]

I taught basic dog obedience at a local community college for over 15 years, and I do not pet or handle other people's dogs. Why? For the same reason I would not pet or handle their children. I will praise and admire them, but I think it's rude and disrespectful, to both animal and owner, to ... well ... maul the animal. The dog does not know me. Why would I do that? Some owners insist or seem to think I'm afraid of their dog or don't like it, so in those cases I will, but I prefer not to.

Typo, 15 years, not 25.

Would you pat someone else’s kid on the head? No, then don’t pet my dogs without asking!