3 Reasons Chickens Make the Best Pets for Kids

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Kassandra Smith

Senior Editor • Backyard Chicken Coops

Last Updated: 18 July 2020

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Hello current - and future - chicken keepers,

Chickens make the best pets for kids. A chook flock provides fun and love, a sense of responsibility and teaches our children the importance of compassion and care. PLUS chickens are super cute, funny and affectionate and make great backyard pals for toddlers to teenagers and all in between. Let's have a peck at the 3 reasons I think chickens make the best pets for kids.

1. Chicken Keeping is an Educational Eggs-perience

Pet chickens teach kids, and grown ups, egg-cellent lessons about the natural world. From avian sociology, to food and nutrition science, to seasons and natural cycles. Chooks really are the best teachers any backyard could have. Keeping chooks encourages sustainable thinking and establishes a fun and formative set of responsibilities that your kids, and their happy hens, will thrive on. Caring for a flock is great for kids who like to have a structured set of routines. In fact, chickens are increasingly being used as therapy animals for those on the autism spectrum to develop communication, play and interaction skills.

2. Lovely Ladies Make Low Maintenance Pets

Chickens are wonderfully low maintenance pets with their easy to care for and easy to love nature. A flock of 3 hens requires minimal daily effort and their weekly and seasonal care schedule is easy for kids to tackle on their own from primary school age onwards. The best thing of all? Chicken chores such as coop maintenance, feeding and playtime are rewarded with a trip to the nesting box for a delicious fresh egg!

3. Cute, Curious and Cuddly Cluckers

The wider world has finally clued on to the wonders of poultry personalities. Chickens are far from brainless, boring birds. Hens make for clever, individually minded and affectionate companion pets for kids. Raise your chicken flock from day olds, or hatch some baby chicks, and your kiddos will have a faithful feathered friend for years to come. Certain breeds make better pets, due to their docile behaviour and compliant nature, but most chooks will be great mates for your kids if they are socialised from hatching. Ready to raise a brood with your babies? Have a peck at our article here.

chickens make the best pets for kids

Deciding to introduce a fancy flock to your family is the easy part. The hardest is deciding on the most suitable breed. With so many amazing chooks to choose from, it can be eggstremely overwhelming. From looks to traits to egg-laying talents - where should you begin?

Cluckily, our friends over at Chickenpedia have created an amazing Chicken Breeds Course. This extensive online course shares helpful advice on choosing the top chickens for you as well as size & frequency of eggs laid. You will even learn about their individual personalities, and be able to use their family-friendly compatibility scale through this well-structured program. It really is a great way to discover your perfect backyard buddies which is why I highly recommend them to all of my readers!  The courses are beginner-friendly and filled with vital information to help you raise a happy, healthy flock.

As chicken keepers, we want to do an eggcellent job when caring for our feathered friends. Unfortunately, many of us struggle to handle chicken health or behaviour issues, especially in the first few years of having a flock. Chickenpedia have a broad range of comprehensive online courses that cover everything you didn’t know you need to know and then some more! From healthcare to raising baby chicks to feeding and behavior, get the knowledge and confidence to successfully look after your flock. 

As a member, you will get access to ALL their fantastic courses. So, no need to wing it, become a confident chicken keeper. Click here to check out Chickenpedia today!

After some more cheeky chook action? Of course you are! Have a peck at our Learning Centre and join the flock on FacebookInstagramTwitter and Pinterest!

Feathers Forever,

Kassandra X