Kids Chasing Chickens, Opinions?

[Sunny Side Up]

I think the children in that video weren't old enough to know they were bothering/frightening that hen, but the adults standing around & taking the video certainly were and should have stopped them right away. I teach my children that Kindness To Animals means trying to see the situation from the animal's point of view. Which is different from the Golden Rule which says treat others the way you want to be treated. If something is fun just for you but not the animal then you shouldn't do it. That includes chasing, holding, picking up, petting, whatever. Some animals will enjoy that, but others do not.

I don't even like letting children chase flocks of pigeons or seagulls into the air just to see them fly. I always hope they get pooped on, especially while they're looking up & laughing with their mouths open...

 

[halo]

Sooner or later, this will happen:

 

[Tala]

How would YOU like it if a BEAR came and chased you around the yard for fun?????

Chickens are prey animals, and we are nothing but predators in their eyes. We can tame them with treats and time spent with them, but if you or your kids chase them around they are going to go with their instincts!!!!!

 

[TheReidHomestead]

My girls know better than to chase the chickens, and they know the rooster will come at them if they do. Their friends on the other hand, I always have to remind multiple times and repeat over and over, it's scary to the chickens. You wouldn't like it if something 10 times your size was chasing you.

Same with our little puggle. For some reason, all the friends want to chase the dog around and around the first floor loop. What's up with that?

 

[b.hromada]

Quote:
Carol you're a riot!!

But I also agree with you about those children not being old enough. The parents should know better though. It makes me so mad when I see this too! Poor chicken.

To those ignorant parents!

 

[Laurieks]

I hope someday that whole family meets a giant chicken that chases them, starting with the adults!

 

[kayri]

I never let mine or anyone else's kids chase my chickens. My kids knew better using the "How would you feel if it was you?" analogy. My neighbor's grandkids chased my chickens once and my other neighbor told me and after I talked to them, they promised never to do it again. Even when neighborhood kids want to pet my chickens I tell them them they can do it if the chickens come to them, they cannot chase the chickens. (I let them cheat with some corn sometimes.)

I don't think it's cute, or funny to watch scared animals.

 

[drumstick diva]

I agree that very young children don't know they are upsetting the chickens but, yes, their parents know and just think it's making a funny(to them) video. Let's hope it doesn't win any prize. I too watched the Karate kid get the daylights scared out of him when the chicken ran him down. Now THAT is funny!! I think the kid learned his lesson. Speaking of videos I hate that show where people, pets etc. are supposed to be"funniest videos,". I can't see anything funny about them and maybe no one gets seriously hurt, but they do get hurt - no doubt about it.

 

[ReiMiraa]

i sometime chase mine because they follow me or my car... and since they are not fenced in i prefer them not to go near the road.

my boyfriend loves to chase the rooster about 10 feet.

i guess its a good thing because my rooster is a coward 10pound buff columbian brahma he is a year old now and just getting its spurs... but he has never done bad things to me. he will check in on me to see why i am pissing off one of his hens (a few of them do not like me taking eggs out from under them) but never attacked me. probably never will. course if (no chance really) it did try or did attack me my bf says it will be turned into a football.

than and a little chasing isn't bad for the chickens, they need the exercise. overly spoiled. if they can outrun me and are smarter then if a predator comes they might have a chance.

they always forgive me when i have scratch. some come running from 1000+ feet away when my car pulls up or if i make a sound when opening the scratch lid.

or i chase them to put them in early. i think this reason causes them the get more of a workout because i have an intent to catch them rather than chase then walk away (they follow) and repeat.

i guess it depends on the intent. yeah maybe some of the overweight production line chickens might have a heartattack if your kids chase it, but that would be something that would happen anyway...

 

[tammyd57]

Letting kids chase your chickens is the same as letting a dog chase them. It is exactly the same to a chicken: both are predators chasing them and scaring them out of their wits. A panicked chicken can injure itself trying to escape.
Egg production really suffers in a stressed hen too. Stressed hens will pick each other. There are many reasons not to stress chickens.
I don't think children should be allowed to chase ANY animal, it's cruel and stressful.