Regarding kids.....

[kemclaughlin]

At what age both for kids and chicks, do you allow your kids to handle or play with the chicks?

 

[cackydoodledoo]

Mine are 6 and I let them but I do implement a rule suggested by a friend: They must always sit on the ground when playing with them thus preventing them from dropping them accidentally!

 

[homesteadmomma]

I have a 4 1/2, 3, and almost two year old. My oldest is the only one allowed to hold them without constant supervision, but she must sit on the floor. The youngest two are allowed to hold them but only on the floor with me sitting beside them to quickly intervene if the handling gets a little rough. Luckily, neither have the attention span to hold them more than a minute or two before they want to do something else.

 

[Knock Kneed Hen]

Any age for both as long as they're closely supervised. Unsupervised would depend on their maturity level. I have a 9 yr old that is sweet as can be but I wouldn't leave him unsupervised. I think about a chick getting it's foot caught in a thread and my son not having the ability to think it through. I always use unusual scenarios in my head like the aforementioned one and ask myself how my child would handle the situation. You have to know your kid. Cute little girl!

 

[stargazingmommy]

Mine are 17 and 15 now so I'm not to worried(and the biggest animal lovers in the world).
I probably would have let them at about 10 yrs old.

 

[ranchhand]

Don't forget hand washing, both before and after. Before to protect the chicks, after to protect the kids. Just plain soap and water, no need to get too worried about it.

Adorable pic, what a pretty little girl!

I don't have any kids, but if I'd been a mama I'd love a little girl who loved chickens!

My niece just had a baby girl, I am looking forward to being the crazy great aunt with chickens!

 

[smallcitychick]

I let all my kids handle the chicks from the day we bring them home from the store and/or post office. My kids are 7, 5, and 2, and my oldest is on the autism spectrum. I always supervise when they're out there looking at them though, and we hand wash before and after too.

 

[kemclaughlin]

I don't let mine be unsupervised at all and they all have to be sitting.

Thanks! She's three, almost four. She can be trusted holding them, but I still sit with her.

 

[TinkleTurkey]

Mine just turned 7, he is good with the chicks when he's being watched but he's killed more than a few of them when he's alone. Clumbsiness, morbid curiosity - don't know what. I have to make the bird room strictly off limits.

Once I just went to the bathroom and left some baby guineas in a bucket. I come out, one of them is suddenly sick, and dies a few hours after. My son later admitted that he did it (but wouldn't say what exactly)

Several other chicks have suddenly and mysteriously died in the past year. He just cant keep his hands off em.

 

[newchknmama]

I let my 9 year old hold them, she is very gentle with them. My 10 year old doesn't really care so I don't have to worry about her but my 6, 5, and 2 year olds I will let supervised if on the floor. and we do wash hands after holding them also.

I like to wait until they are home a couple days so they arent so stressed out.