Best chicken for little kids?

[Alexandra33]

Young children tend to gravitate towards bantams, due to their appealing size. Very easy on small hands. I find d'Uccle hens to be wonderful with kids, as well as Salmon Faverolles (bantams, although there's talk standards are every bit as docile), and Old English Game bantams. OEGB roosters are, in general, quite handleable by little ones.

Silkies are also reknowned "children's pets," but most of ours aren't cuddly in the slightest.

~Alex

 

[Chickassan]

Faverolles are sweet but a little nutty, they would be good for slightly bigger kids to pet but would mug smaller kids for food. Not that I would know about such things.

 

[JedJackson]

Lots of choices, actually. Buff Orpington, Brahmas, Faverolles, Sussex, Cochins and Sultans are some good ones. Bantams would be good too, so long as the children won't be holding the birds, because they can unintentionally squeeze too tight and harm them. But if the birds are just to look at or maybe pet, then Silkies, bantam Cochins, and D'Uccles are all good choices.

 

[ShannonR]

Silkies! I used to give my roosters away to neighborgood kids, they apparently make great pets despite their crowing. Never any issues with aggression, and I could just reach down and pick them up anytime. Broody hens would have to be kept away from the kids while setting, but think of all those cute little chicks and the educational opportunities that will provide.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Good suggestions here but...

I have found leghorns to be very flighty. They've always run like the dickens when I've had them. Not a great choice IMO...
But Australorps are also a good option. Very sweet. Mine always came up to eat out of my hands. Distant relatives of orpingtons and generally good birds (hardy and robust).

 

[Alexandra33]

Good suggestions here but...

I have found leghorns to be very flighty. They've always run like the dickens when I've had them. Not a great choice IMO...
But Australorps are also a good option. Very sweet. Mine always came up to eat out of my hands. Distant relatives of orpingtons and generally good birds (hardy and robust).

Funny how experience differs, huh? Truly shows that, in spite of breed tendencies, each bird is an individual.

This is illustrated by the fact that my four Leghorns have been incredibly personable creatures, whereas the Australorp was cold/distant. Interesting stuff.

~Alex

 

[eatbeef14]

I would definitely say an Orpington, they are very docile and great for children.

 

[TashaFrancois]

I adore my silkies and they are by far the tamest most gentle beings I’ve met. But they are also quite fragile. Favoralles however, are sweet and enjoy people too. They are a lot hardier than silkies too.

 

[JedJackson]

Funny how experience differs, huh? Truly shows that, in spite of breed tendencies, each bird is an individual.

This is illustrated by the fact that my four Leghorns have been incredibly personable creatures, whereas the Australorp was cold/distant. Interesting stuff.

~Alex

Very true. We can only deal with generalizations when recommending breeds, but individual personalities often trump breed generalizations.

The best advice I can give is to be around the pullets a lot as they are growing, to hold them, to feed them by hand sometimes, and to get them used to people.

 

[Alexandra33]

Very true. We can only deal with generalizations when recommending breeds, but individual personalities often trump breed generalizations.

The best advice I can give is to be around the pullets a lot as they are growing, to hold them, to feed them by hand sometimes, and to get them used to people.

Exactly. Which is why I'm a little hesitant to make recommendations, especially if I haven't raised multiples of any given breed. Even then, it's rather unsafe to make assumptions. Oh, the horror of potentially leading someone astray!

Socialization is key.

~Alex