Breed for a 9 year old girl

[Chickassan]

Faverolles, not aggressive big snuggle bugs even the roos. Big selling point they're slow! Soft feathers so they're a joy to handle, and they don't fight each other. Absolutely a perfect breed for kids or seniors.

 

[MageofMist]

I would suggest Silkies, I have 12 of the adorable fluffballs and they are the snuggliest birds I ever knew, I even had one sleeping in my jumper on Halloween and people thought she was a kitten, rabbit, parrot, ferret... The list goes on. I started with two, a roo and hen, and now have 12 from the hen hatching the eggs and the babies were a blast to care for. First clutch she rejected and so I raised them, but the second clutch she accepted and raised alongside me.

There is one thing for sure though, they are very demanding little buggers. If they don't feel like jumping over something or walking around something, they call me outside to 'rescue' them! Also while the eggs are smaller than market eggs, I find the taste way makes up for it! And you cannot sit down with them around or else you will be buried in fluff.

The boys are also super sweet and rarely if ever fight. I have 3 boys and I swear, it is the hens who are the aggressive ones! Rooroo, Peep-Peep and Scruffball don't have a mean bone in their bodies. They are also quite easy to train, my boys rarely crow as they know if they crow when outside during playtime, they'll be brought back inside for a while.

 

[DiamondSwan]

You sure did come to the right place! You'll find many kind and knowledgeable people here that can help you out.

Chickens can be like dogs if you give them lots of attention from a baby, but caring for them and housing them is waaay different. I strongly suggest that new poultry owners do their homework before diving in (especially if you're thinking about raising chicks). Things still surprised me even after two years of chicken-keeping.

 

[Chickassan]

This is what a faverolles looks like chick to big waddling hen, if your kiddo is big on hands on raising that's great they're very clingy and really imprint on their keeper.

 

[Jtp79]

Thanks for all the info. I believe we are going to place and order from murray mcmurray in the next week or so.

 

[WVduckchick]

For a 9 year old, I'd stick with a bantam to start. And my bantam choice for a youngster is an Old English Game Bantam (OEGB). They come in tons of beautiful colors/patterns, they are normally very friendly, easy to handle, non-aggressive, easy for tiny girl hands. They look fragile but they are very hardy! And they show very well at 4H shows.

 

[RiverOtter]

For a 9 year old, I'd stick with a bantam to start. And my bantam choice for a youngster is an Old English Game Bantam (OEGB).

I'm going to second this! These were my oldest's first birds when she was 8 and starting 4H, her little pet rooster I miss yet!
We're about to get them again for my youngest, who is 8 and doing his first 4H project! Ideal Hatchery has an amazing selection of colors.

Thanks for all the info. I believe we are going to place and order from murray mcmurray in the next week or so.

If you're doing 4H, before you order, call your club leader. Most leaders are delighted to be able to combine an order for their club, the hatchery will mark the birds and besides saving on shipping and not having to buy the minimum, many places offer a 4H discount!

 

[Killer Tomato]

I'd say if you hand raise them, with lot's of attention every day, they will bond and be cuddle chickens no matter the breed. We have a mixed flock of six, and all of mine fight to sit on my lap or shoulder and give kisses. I raised mine in our only bathroom last winter for months! (very messy!)

My Easter Eggers are the smartest, btw (biggest trouble makers, too!).

 

[Jtp79]

We are going to do the 4h chick train also. We will get a dozen red star or black star for that project. Our choice on red or black.

The daughter and I are leaning toward the red star.

For our order from mcmurray we are looking at a few buff orphingtons, rhode island reds, americaunas, new hamshire and some cuckoo marans.

 

[AmazingRachel]

Ok, Ive jumped off the deep end and went and bought a used 8 by 12 mennonite built chicken coop. We were going to get 4h chickens but that is still a few months away.

Are chickens like dogs? Where some breeds or varieties are calmer than others? What breed chicken would be best for a young child? We know nothing about any of them. Should we buy chicks and raise them? I would like to have some eggs sooner than later, lol

thanks

Yes, just like dogs chicken breeds differ in temperament. For a 9 year old to show a bird, it needs to be easy to hold and have good temperament.
Silkies are usually the top recommendation for this but, especially for a first timer, due to the fluffy feathering it can be difficult to point out the body parts when showing at a fair.
Brahmas and Buff Orpingtons, even though they are a very calm breed, are big birds so I can see how they would be difficult for a 9 year old to handle.
Leghorns and Polish are light (~4-5 lbs) and the Polish are very nice looking but they can be/are mostly flighty.
I would suggest getting bantam (dwarf) Cochins. They are very sweet and the hens weigh just two pounds. 4-H kids in my county have had a lot of success showing them. Unfortunately, they don't lay very much and the eggs they do lay are small.
If you aren't looking for anything exotic, then I would then default to getting a Buff Orpington or a Barred Plymouth Rock. They are both calm birds but the downside is that they can weigh 6-7 lbs. However, an upside is that the Barred Rock will give you ~4 eggs a week.
If you are looking at getting a lot of eggs, I suggest getting show birds (ex. Cochins) and production birds (ex. Red Sex-Links). I doubt you'll be able to show sex-links since they technically aren't breeds but they are the best choice for egg laying.

Getting mail order chicks at a day/couple days old is the norm and is cheaper and much less time consuming than hatching yourselves. Some good hatcheries are McMurray, Meyers, and MyPetChicken.