Regarding kids.....

[OwensMom]

My kids are grown now but when they were small we used to set a time of day to meet at the brooder and hold chicks. A predictable time helps the kids to not get frustrated and to anticipate the fun. That was also a bonding time for us and the chicks were really tame!!

 

[A.T. Hagan]

Quote:
This is what I do as well. I've let kids as young as two hold chicks because I was right there with them in case something went wrong. My oldest is eleven and I don't supervise her at all. She knows how to hold them.

I don't usually let kids handle chicks if they are newly hatched. I prefer to give them a day or two to stabilize first. After that is fine within reason.

 

[ranchhand]

Kind of from the other end of the spectrum, but I think it's a good idea to also teach kids not to hold chicks, and especially adult chickens, near their faces. Chickens like bright shiny things to peck at- eyeballs are especially interesting!

 

[SilkieMama17]

I have a 3 yr old, and she is only allowed to hold a chick if shes sitting down and holds it in her lap. She's really good with them, and she loves to sit on the floor w/them while they are pecking around the carpet. She's a great "big sister" to these lil guys!

 

[Aemelia]

Yeah I forgot about that but we did wait 48 hours to play with our chicks to let them settle in.

 

[Keri78]

"holding while sitting" is a good rule You never know what could happen if their walking around with a baby chick...plus I limit the time they handle them or else my kids would never put them down. Only while I'm supervising is another "biggy" and of course everyone must wash hands...I must say a million times a day...."WASH HANDS...SOAP & WARM WATER!!!...Sing the whole ABC song TWICE! That's how I ensure that they have cleaned throughly!!!

 

[Truevalentine]

My DD is three as well as two of my dck's, they are DYING to hold the chicks that started hatching yesterday morning! I've told them no one can be held until everyone is done being born, so that will give some of the babies some time to get used to being alive. I'm more worried about the prospect of my dcb holding them than my dcg and my dd, sometimes he is destructive just for the heck of it... PUSHED the thermometer into the bator the day I set the eggs and broke 4! They will def be sitting down and supervised when handling the babies, but they WILL get to handle them as this is the whole reason we hatched, for the kids to have the experience. OH, and thanks for the lap pad tip!