Chickens and kids

[UtahEgghead]

I'm going to get six hens. I've done some research and found that Buff Orpingtons and Buff Brahmas are calm and good with children (I have a 3-year-old). I've read they lay brown eggs. My wife wants some chickens that lay eggs of other colors. So, I've also considered Ameraucanas. Are these good with kids? Or can anyone recommend a chicken that lays colorful eggs that are good with kids. I live in Utah, so it gets cold out here in the winter. My plan would be to get three Buff Orpingtons and three Buff Brahmas, or two of each and two that lay colorful eggs. Does that sound like a reasonable plan or should I not mix the breeds so much? thanks.

 

[Hecate]

We have 4 kids, ages 8, 6, 5, and 3. All our chickens have been docile toward everyone - our kids and neighbor kids. Here's what we have:
Easter eggers (2) - sold as ameraucanas
Dominique
Cuckoo maran
Silky
Gold-laced Wyandotte
Blue cochin (standard)
Welsummer
White crested blue Polish

The Dominique has always been the friendliest of the bunch, and the Polish the most stand-offish, but none have been hostile to us, and the kids have always been involved in their care, including rounding up and picking up the chickens.

 

[TXmom]

Mixing breeds is no problem as long as you raise them together. If you get them as chicks, then they will all (most likely) get along well with each other and your kids. We had our chicks in a brooder in the living room for the first 6 weeks and we handled them daily...now they're all friendly, even the Leghorns!

Best wishes and

 

[UtahEgghead]

Wow. That was quick. Thanks for the info.

 

[Four Acre Bliss]

My Easter Eggers ("Araucanas" from McMurray) are my friendliest birds. At 5 weeks, they are the ones who will walk up to us and let us pet them. Our only Buff Orpington is a sweetheart once you catch her, but a bit of a scaredy cat, which makes her hard to pick up. She's gorgeous and graceful, though, I kind of regret not getting more BOs.

We have other breeds, but you specifically mentioned these two, so that's all I'll say before this becomes a book.

 

[SandraChick]

The best thing to do is handle them a lot from the beginning. If they're not handled...then it's harder to get those nice tame pickupable chickens!

 

[kycklingar!]

mix, mix, mix away! I have a variety, and I must say my Easter Egger is the sweetest of the bunch. But all mine are good with kids. It has to do with how you raise them.
Check out mypetchicken.com - it has a breed-by-breed selector, which gives you some very specific info on each breed. Most importantly - whether they handle confinement well, and whether they are docile or not.
Have fun! They're the best thing our family ever did.

 

[RuffledFeathers]

My hens are never aggressive toward my daughter (3 1/2 y.o.). I would think differently if I had a rooster, I'm sure, though sometimes you get a "good" one that is friendlier.
Our Buff Orps are very docile and curious (yes, sometimes that leads to trouble!) and follow us around the yard. My Ameraucana, Barred Rock, and Buttercup are less likely to be petted and aren't "lap" chickens but still love to hang with us.
The most skittish one we have is a Rhode Island Red. The Cochin is too busy being a broody mom to socialize with us.
I think it's so individual with each bird- if I got another round of the exact same breeds I would not expect the same results. We spent a lot of time with them and created lasting bonds with.... ready for it?... SNACKS! Once you have become the snack dispensing machine in their eyes, you are golden.
The submissive behavior comes around when egg-laying starts and they suddenly become easy to pet. It's like a miracle. It was at that point that my daughter was able to walk over and touch them.
We have 6 new baby Ameraucanas that hatched out 2 weeks ago. We needed more blue eggs. They hate being picked up but are already understanding that snack time is fun. In a few months when they mature I'll bet they will be our pals.

Get different kinds- it's fun to be able to look at the rainbow in the carton and know where each came from. Have fun!