Top 5 Best Chooks for Kids

Guest Post written by Sarah-Jayne McCreath from Backyard Chicken Coops.
Chickens make the best pets for your growing children. A flock of chooks provide love, a sense of responsibility and teach our kids the importance of compassion and care. They are super cute and affectionate and make great backyard pals for toddlers to teenagers and all in between. If you want your kids to have the best when it comes to pets – check out our top 5 breeds to choose for your kids below and get cluckin’ on that family flock!  
 
Orpingtonchooks-4-kids-1
These heavy-set, fluffy and cuddly ladies are super friendly pets for kids. Their docile and curious natures make them the perfect backyard companion – happy to follow your kids around and assist on their garden adventures.  For the grown-ups, Orpington ladies will make an “eggs-traordinary” addition to any chicken lovers flock, giving you good sized eggs on a regular basis.
 
Pekinchooks-4-kids-2
Pekins are docile and gentle-natured girls who are cute to boot! Their small stature makes them an adorable and easily handled pet for small children. Not to mention their beautiful full plumage which will delight young and old as they busily forage around the backyard.
 
 
Isa Brownchooks-4-kids-3
The humble ISA Brown chook may be a common sight amongst farms and backyards, but that doesn’t mean they exist to lay eggs alone! These amber-hued girls make wonderfully affectionate pets for children with their calm temperaments and curious outlook on life. Give an ISA Brown chicken a good home and some space to forage and you will have a friendly and faithful backyard companion to keep you and your kids company for years to come – not to mention a great supply of delicious eggs!
 
chooks-4-kids-4Silkie
These cute and quirky girls love nothing more than being tucked under your arm for a little bit of TLC. Silkie chickens are the very definition of all things cute and gentle. Easy to handle and easy to love, these girls are a great addition to any backyard flock and make calm and compliant pets for young chicken keepers who are learning to look after some laying ladies.
 
Plymouth Rockchooks-4-kids-5
These laid back chooks make for chilled and cuddly pets for kids! The Plymouth Rock chicken will let them practice their hen holding skills, is very relaxed about being showered with kid kisses and isn’t fazed by the missteps in proper hen handling procedure that kids will inevitably take.
 
If you are ready to take the plunge and get your kids some feathered friends for the backyard, it’s important to supervise them on initial interactions to make sure both your chook and your child get along well. While most breeds are true to temperament, each chook is an independent woman and may go against the grain! Once a relationship is established, your kids will adore keeping their chook charges well fed and loved up for many years to come!
 
Check out the Complete Beginner’s Guide to Keeping Chickens at Backyard Chicken Coops and enter their competition here drawn May 1st to win a Taj Mahal Chicken Coop and Starter Kit to start living the chook dream!