What is the sweetest chicken, for kids ?

[City Gardener]

There is a tiny possibility that a teacher at my kids' school would be interested in keeping a few chickens.

What is the sweetest breed, the most friendly, that would be good with children?

The teacher I'm angling for is an animal-lover. She would only even consider the idea when I said the chickens wouldn't end up being eaten, and she's still concerned the chickens wouldn't have enough space.

She has a small class -- I believe the chickens would be well cared for. I want to make sure they would get chickens that would be nice to the kids.

( It's a bit off-topic, but I just have to tell this story: This teacher does composting and gardening with her class. They were working with compost one day, and one kid said the compost smelled like the earth. It turned out only 2 kids in her class of 12 knew what the earth smelled like. That just breaks my heart.)

Suggestions for a child-friendly breed of chicken?

 

[jerseygirl1]

Cochins, bantam or regular
The only cicken I have that runs up to me when she ses me, and I bought her at 8 months old

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

My vote would be Cochins – bantam or standards – but bantams would be great if she is worried about space.


That is sad about the dirt smell. I remember as a kid how amazed I was when my step-father told me “there are kids in the city who believe milk comes from the store not a cow or goat”. Course eventually I drank milk from the store and could not believe that the watery white stuff came from a cow!

 

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

Cochins yeah, also Black Australorps, Orpingtons and Wyandottes.

Barred Rocks and Rhode Island Reds are also pretty friendly and inquisitive, but maybe a little "nippy".

 

[vicki2x2]

Serama's! Incredibly sweet birds! So easy to tame, very tiny, so easy to keep in a small space and for small hands to hold. I am a 4-H leader and my littlest cloverbuds use my serama's for their show birds because they are so easy.

 

[Buff Hooligans]

I would say the sweetest chicken that kids would like would be Chinese Sweet & Sour chicken. It has that dark pink sauce that is so good you can eat it for dessert.

 

[Attack Chicken]

I vote wyandotte bantams! The roo is nice and never fights with people. The hens are talkative and friend and will just up on your shoulder or lap anytime they can. Their so funny as chicks to!

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

Quote:
Not fair - now I am hungry.

 

[thndrdancr]

I have a little porcelain D'Uccle housechicken. My lil niece is 3 1/2, who was at first terrified of any kind of chicken, yesterday commented to me "I just love them!" She chases her all over the house and picks her up and drags her all over with her. Its really cute to see. My Boo never pecks, and never wing slaps.

My little showgirl is also very sweet, but she gets scared when someone picks her up thats not experienced since she cant fly and is afraid of being dropped so she will wing slap. Never ever pecks tho, she is very very gentle with the fingers, even better than Boo.

As you can see, Boo puts up with it and I think even likes it, as when my niece goes home she runs all over the house looking for her.

My lil D'Uccle is about the size of a dove.

 

[SilkieTime]

How about a silkie?

Very sweet and can not fly. You just need to keep it safe.