Am I crazy if I let my kids to this with the chickens...

[LeghornLisa]

Please keep in mind that they are still cockerals and won't be roosters until they are a year old. Their hormones have not fully kicked in yet. I also had 6 chickens that are 6 months old. All were very friendly and 2 of them turned out to be boys. Not what I ordered, I wanted all pullets. I loved them anyway. This past weekend I had to re-home them because my very sweet friendly Black Silkie "Stanley" attacked me. Got me in the arm, thank God it was me and not my kids. Just be very careful!!! My girls are lap chickens, a few months ago I went into the run and one of them jumped on my shoulder. In the blink of an eye she pecked me in the eye. I always tell my kids not to let the chickens near your face. I didn't realize how close she was and thank God it wasn't a hard peck and didn't even hurt but I had a broken blood vessel for a few weeks, i was very lucky!!! Please be very careful and good luck!

 

[waterpossum]

that would be a good idea! i like my roosters and wouldn/t have a flock without one or more depending on how many hens i have. i don/t handle my roosters very much so that even when they/re a young cockeral they already are a little leary of me. it really helps when the mature and they walk away from me when i go into the coop or in the pasture where they are. they come to me when i call them to feed and i snatch one up every now and then but for the most part i don/t mess w/ the roosters. def find a hen or two that she could cart around. a rooster is USUALLY not a good pet.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

I think it's great that your DD, at such a young age, is so interested in your chickens. But it's also important for her to know at least the essentials of chicken care, so they don't hurt her or she hurts them. This could be the beginning of a lifelong fascination with chickens and she could grow to be quite the expert. Let's hope she doesn't have any negative experiences that could instead cause her to be one of those adults who dislike all chickens except the ones that come coated with breading and deep-fried.

Does she help you with the chicken chores of feeding/watering/cleaning? Is she learning facts about chickens and making observations on their behaviors? It's fine if she wants to hold & carry the chickens as long as she knows how to do it properly and isn't just treating them like toys. 4-H has information about chicken showmanship for kids to learn the correct way to handle chickens. As others have said, at this age she needs to be closely monitored around the chickens. You needn't frighten her, but just insist that she not handle the chickens unless you're with her. Using safety glasses might be a good habit for you all to begin, or at least wear sunglasses.

I tell my kids that Kindness To Animals means to treat them the way the animals wish to be treated. It's not kind to hold or pet an animal that doesn't want to be touched just because you want to. Not all chickens like to be held, but many will grow accustomed to it, especially if it means a food treat. It's often the ones that are struggling to get away that can cause the most injury in their frantic scrambling. And I agree that young cockerels can often change in temperment as they grow more mature, and become more aggressive/assertive. So watch DD most carefully when she's handling your roosters.

But I really don't think that chickens can feel embarrassed...

 

[Hotwings]

I would be leery having young children around roos. As much as we love our feathered friends we can't expect them to react in ways of dogs or cats. Roos react in ways that are mostly instinct. I have known people to treat them with kindness only to have them to turn on you. You can confront them and show them who is boss and they can challenge you. Roos are doing what they were wired to do. Protect their flock and sometimes they don't see that their human caretakers are any different. It is trial and error. Bantam roos can be some of the worst roos. There are some breeds that are more docile than others. Always supervise children around roos. Better to be safe than sorry.