What type of chicken??

I can highly suggest Black Australorps. That is what I have and I love them to pieces! They are a large breed, very docile, very friendly, love to be petted and loved on. They'll talk to you for hours, too! They are good layers of large brown eggs.



As long as your children are slow-moving around them and don't antagonize them they will become part of the family for sure. Best of luck in whatever you decide to do!!

 

Many chickens make great pets for kids, but I personally prefer bantams. They're smaller (which makes them easier for small hands to control), come in a wide variety of shapes and colors, and have very entertaining personalities. They also seem very intelligent, though I've never tried to train mine to do anything. As for what type of bantam, there are lots of choices.

If you want a really unique bantam, get some Silkies. They're cute, soft, and very docile. Another great breed is the bantam Wyandotte. They come in beautiful colors, are round and fluffy, and also have nice temperaments. An easy to train breed is the Modern Game, though they do have a rather unusual appearance. There are many other breeds that are good with kids, too: bantam Brahmas, Cochins, Dutch, D'Uccles, Plymouth Rocks, etc.

If you want to combine a pet with production, you could get large fowl chickens instead. Large fowl are just as easy-going as bantams; their only possible drawbacks are that they take up more space and can be a little harder to handle. Still, some good choices are Wyandottes, Cochins, Plymouth Rocks, Orpingtons, Australorps, Sex-links, Easter Eggers, and Ameraucanas. Those breeds will provide you with some delicious eggs, and are usually excellent around children.

In case you want to see photos of some of the breeds I mentioned, this is a good website (with photos) on poultry breeds: http://feathersite.com/Poultry/BRKPoultryPage.html

 

I strongly suggest that you get 4 chickens instead of 2. If you have 2 and one dies, you're stuck with one VERY lonely bird. 3 birds can leave one left out of the fun and games when the other 2 become BFF. 4 should be just right to keep your family supplied with eggs. IMO, you can't go wrong with Dominiques. They are very personable, not terribly big. Pretty birds with rose comb. Check out Henderson's chicken breeds chart for more ideas. One thing you wouldn't want is a production bird b/c they do not live or lay very long, and are prone to internal egg laying problems. Also, give your little flock more than the recommended 4 s.f/bird in the coop, and 10 s.f/bird in the run.