Chicks or chickens

[Rebeccajo97]

looking for information about raising chicks or chickens, we’re looking to get them for our 4 year old. Any information or tips would be great!

 

[Gallinarium]

looking for information about raising chicks or chickens, we’re looking to get them for our 4 year old. Any information or tips would be great!

If a young kid is going to be around them, tip number one: choose a friendly breed. Flighty Mediterraneans are no good for children, and you should definitely avoid aggressive ones. I would recommend Favorolles, brahmas, or Plymouth Rock chickens, barred is the most popular.
Also note that little kids can't really help with chicken chores, except petting and possibly feeding under supervision.
Remember that chickens need AT LEAST four square feet in the coop, and twice that in the run.
Good luck!

 

[swamphiker]

It really depends on your situation. Some things to consider:
-Chicks are fun and could be educational for a young child, but are also rather fragile and require close care for the first few weeks.
-If you get adult chickens or older pullets, you'll need to have your coop and run already built and ready, but if you get chicks you'll have at least several weeks before they will be ready for the outside
-Do you want eggs soon or are you okay waiting 4-6 months?
-Four years old is pretty young, so you'll need to be prepared to do a most of the labor yourself. Chickens can be low-maintenance, but they require daily care (food, water, poop cleaning, etc.) Like any living creature, they can get sick or injured.