Thinking of getting chickens? Learn about the best kid friendly chicken breeds. These are the best chickens for kids and make great pets. They have a calm and friendly demeanor, and they will give your children a wonderful experience along with plenty of eggs for your family.
The Best Chickens for Kids
Raising chickens can be an incredibly rewarding experience, and there are plenty of benefits. Whether for eggs, meat, or just as pets, there are tons of reasons to raise chickens. However, finding the right breed is an important job.
Some breeds of chicken have different temperaments than others, especially around younger kids and other pets. Further, some chickens are naturally easier to take care of which is nice when you are already raising kids and other animals.
Whether you are looking for chickens for eggs and meat or looking for chicken breeds for pets, you have tons of options. If you want a lot of eggs, check out the best egg laying chickens for backyard.
Knowing what breed of chicken to buy is an essential part of the chicken raising process. Following is a simple guide illustrating the best kid friendly chicken breeds for you and your family.
No matter which breeds you end up, make sure you keep them safe in the winter by learning how to winterize a chicken coop and how to keep chickens warm in the winter. Keep your chickens happy with the best chicken toys for coop.
We love our chickens, and we also love our goats. If you're thinking of adding goats, learn more about getting started with goats and what you need to know before getting goats.
Selling eggs is a great way to earn extra money. Here are 35 ways to make money homesteading.
Keep track of your chickens with my printable chicken keeping journal. You can print the pages and create a 3 ring binder to track your flock.
Kid Friendly Chicken Breeds
Silkie Chickens
Silkies are renowned for their ultra mild temperament and ease of care, as well as their adorable head poofs. They are really nice and are some of the best chickens for kids.
Plus, they are about half the size of many other breeds of chicken. This makes it easy for kids to care for them and handle them during chores and play.
As a breed, Silkies are naturally submissive and have no problems being low on the pecking order. They are slower moving than other chicken breeds and are naturally calm critters.
They are not very fearful, however, meaning that they won’t run from or accidentally scare kids as easily.
Further, they are typically pretty comfortable being held and carried around and they are even known to enjoy the occasional cuddle session.
Buff Orpington
Buff Orpingtons have a few advantages as a breed, and are some of the best chickens for kids. They are very calm chickens and they are also great at laying eggs.
Buff Orpingtons are known to lay up to five eggs a week and up to 160 eggs a year! With so many eggs, learn how to make freeze dried eggs to preserve your eggs for several years.
They are great egg producers and are considered the golden retrievers of chickens. This is because not only are they calm, but they are also very friendly and get along with kids easily.
They are very good natured chickens and are known to be very docile even while the rest of the flock is making a chaotic scene. They can enjoy being handled and are okay with being held for longer periods of time.
We had several Buff Orpingtons and one rooster. The rooster was one of the few we had that didn't end up taking a freezer vacation for being mean. No matter where we were on the farm, he was there protecting us. Or maybe he was just being a creepy stalker, I'm not really sure.
Australorp
Australorps are on the smarter end of the chicken spectrum, and they are known to pick up on things much quicker than the rest of the flock. Some are known to be quite shy while others are known to be extremely friendly.
In fact, Australorps are known to be so friendly they will seek out their humans and perch on them when they are sitting outside. They love company and have no problems being around kids, or being chased around by them!
If you are looking for a smart yet sweet chicken breed, then the australorp might just be for you.
Sussex Chickens
Like Buff Orpingtons, Sussex chickens are renowned for their egg laying, and are capable of laying up to 220 eggs a year. Plus, they are incredibly kid friendly chickens and even the roosters can be quite docile.
They are very food oriented and do not play when it comes to food. They can be a bit aggressive if you withhold their food from them, so be sure to keep that in mind if you decide to raise them.
Cochin Chickens
Cochin chickens are beloved for being sweet and mild-mannered chickens. They are gentle giants and can grow to be over eight pounds, and with their feathers they look even bigger.
As a breed, they can be a bit particular and require a clean chicken coop as to not have their feet feathered soiled or infected. Further they are known to get quite large so treats are not a good idea.
For these reasons, Cochin Chickens are better suited for older or more mature kids who are able to abide by the dietary restrictions and stay on top of the coop.
Golden Comets
As a breed, Golden Comets are often left out of the discussion when it comes to kid friendly chickens, but I am not sure why, as they are some of the best chickens for kids. Golden Comets are a very loveable breed of chicken, and they lay tons of eggs.
Golden Comets are known to lay an egg a day and are incredibly playful and curious. They are a great fit for younger kids as they love to run around and even play tag. They are also very investigative which is super fun to watch with younger kids.
What's more, they are also a very pretty bird and a great breed to have around your kids!
Dominique Chickens
Dominique Chickens are very pretty birds, and they are personable as well. They are fantastic as pets and love to be by your side throughout the day. They are one of the better kid friendly chickens. If you are looking for a breed of chicken as solely as a fun loving pet, Dominiques are your answer.
They are one of the best chicken breeds for pets for a variety of reasons. They are calm and tame and love both to sit around with you, and play with younger ones. Plus they are very okay with being held making them great for younger children.
Unfortunately, Dominiques are on the endangered chicken watch list, so by choosing to raise them you can help preserve them as a breed! Not to mention that, as a whole, they are some of the best chickens for kids.
New Hampshire Red Chickens
New Hampshire Red chickens are adorable critters and are known to form bonds with their owners. They are great for snuggling, and as long as they are treated with respect they are very pleasant to have around.
They can get a bit of an attitude if they are rough housed with, so they are better suited for younger kids and not around pets as much.
As a whole, chickens are some of the most fun critters to raise. They are super curious and hilarious to watch. They are also very rewarding and some of the easier farm animals to raise.
Raising chickens is a fun adventure, and it is alway better to do with the whole family. However, some chicken breeds are better suited to being around kids than others. Plus, you also have the matter of egg laying and size if you are wanting meat chickens.
It's important to teach your child how to handle chickens and always supervise them. Although chickens don't bite like a dog can, a child can still get hurt by a chicken.
I also recommend raising chicks and handle them often. This will help the chickens get used to be picked up and handled, which will make them more friendly later in life.
All of these breeds are super lovable and great to have around your children. With the breeds on this list you can find the perfect breed or breeds to raise with your whole family.
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