letting young children handle week-old chicks

[bawkbawk]

We have our first flock of beautiful little chicks (8 of them).

My four-and five-year old daughters just adore them and want to hold them often.

I'm aware of the risks of salmonella, etc., and we're sanitizing and washing like crazy and have just decided to live with the risk. there's no way I can keep the human girls away from the chicken girls!

Anyhow, as much as I try to get them to approach the chicks quietly, and gently, they still move a little too quickly, and it looks like they get the chicks all hyped up.

I want the chickens to be comfortable around humans--should I continue to let the kids touch them, or would taking a break freak the little ones out less and lead to happier chickens in the long run?

 

[waibel zoo]

I think your kids should handle them often, several times a day. The only way they will make pets and not food, is by being handled a lot. What better then kids. I let my kids hold the chcks whenever and how long they want. Rules are: sit with them, use two hands, don't drop them, no grabing necks or heads, be gentle, put them back when your done and wash your hands.

 

[Emzyyy]

I would let them I got my first birds (ducklings) at 6 not much older and had no parent supervison around them they sat in my hoodie pocket and I took them everywhere with me.

 

[Frenchy chick]

I would agree with you friends. Just set the rules. It is a lot of work with cleaning the occasional poop on shirt, washing hands and supervising them making sure they sit and don't squeeze too hard. They will remember it for the rest of their life, it is the best!!!

 

[sandy sea]

I agree with Frenchy chick. Rules and washing.

 

[Glintgee]

In addition to letting my daughters hold the chicks (and help visitors hold them), I'm also "letting" them catch grasshoppers from the garden. Everyone gets a little braver for the experience. Children as young at 2 have spent time in our brooder.

 

[Andora]

I let my just turned 3 year old hold our chicks as soon as they are past those very fragile first few days.

When they are tiny she is allowed to pet them with 1 finger. Once they are a little stronger she can hold them in her lap and I remind her not to grab their necks or squeeze, and she understood quickly what it means when she scares a chick and it cries. She also quickly grasped to not touch the poopy, not put her fingers in her mouth, and to wash hands afterward. I think kids are capable of understanding a lot if you give them a chance and still keep in mind that they are little kids who might not always be able to reason as well as adults.

I say let them hold the chicks, and teach them to lay their hands down gently with some feed or treats on their palm so that the chicks can come up to them. Show them how to scoop up the chicks from under their bellies instead of coming down over their heads and scaring them.

 

[tomato lady]

My grandchildren held the chicks often. Now that they are half grown chickens, my 2 year old grandson will still pick them up. He has learned to be gentle and loves to be with the chickens in their run.

When the chicks are older the children will have lots of fun giving them treats. My grandchildren love to give them corn on the cob, watermellon, and berries.

Our 9 year old granddaughter has named them and helps care for them. We put them to bed every night together. She loves the chickens and is learning by doing.

By the way, she reads lots of the posts on BYC and will often call me to the computer to see a cute picture or read a post.

 

[Kotiya]

My lady BOs are 8 days old today. I can't keep my kids out of the brooder! My 7 yo son took a nap with them when they were first home. I was jealous that I woudn't fit.

This weekend we had scouts and other friends over and everyone handled the little ladies. Sometimes the kids move too quickly or loudly but everyone is learning. I just keep an eye on them. I see that the chicks might be startled, but then they run right back to check the humans out again. The chicks love the attention as much as the humans do. If the chicks were cowering or appeared to be hiding I would nix the handling. But the ladies run toward the kids.

 

[ChooksChick]

My kids hold my chickens whenever they like, as they know appropriate ways to handle the birds, including roos (who are more gentle and tame than the pullets), and appropriate hygiene.

I think it's great that you are being proactive not just about making your birds tame and socialized, but also about awareness of potential illness that can be cross-species.

If you want to learn about which diseases can affect your birds and also your family, this is a very good read, and you'll feel better about what the risks truly are when you have the facts.

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/PS019



A chart of zoonoses (diseases that cross between humans and other animals) http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/servlet/CVMHighLight?file=htm/bc/tzns01.htm&word=poultry,zoonoses

http://www.hehd.clemson.edu/MSP/farm_animal_training/farm_poultry.htm