When I was nine years old , my family get our first batch of gist chickens . A determination that likely change the course of my life . I was enamored with the fragile new chicks . I mirthfully took on the responsibility of their daily care with my parent ’s tight supervision .
After two years of caring for nub chicken and falling in dearest with the birds only for them to be slaughter , I decided to buy my own chicken . At 11 years sure-enough , I begin my first of many entrepreneurial ventures to save money for my own raft of level breed . Pretty soon , I proudly brought home my firstbox of chicks . And my adventures have only snowball in the last several geezerhood .
It is not possible to full explain in just one article all that I learned from chicken keeping , but a inclination would admit economize , planning , responsibility , research , health care , writing and still the listing goes on .
In an age where children can scarcely be pull aside from electronic devices , young the great unwashed would undoubtedly benefit from this reconnection with a dim-witted life .
The Benefits of Involving Kids With Chicken Keeping
1. Knowing Where Food Comes From
With a disjointed solid food system , so many children have no idea where their intellectual nourishment is come from . Ask them where eggs come from , and the result would be the food market store . But also , it is so commodious , and we never recollect about the employment that run into those eggs .
Children that know what rifle into producing our food will be more likely to make aware alternative when it comes to what they put on their plates in the future .
2. Lighten Your Workload
We all know that when it comes to running a household , backyard farm , or full - blown homestead , the work to be done is incredible .
When you ’re able to channelize some of theeasier chores to children , it can leave time for you to get some of the large tasks done .
3. Teaching Responsibility
I must say , I trust that the biggest thing chicken keeping learn me as a young person was how to be responsible for . care for any experience matter is a huge duty . And the weight of another life story is seldom lost on an empathic tiddler .
As your tyke learn to like for chicken , they ’ll be well prepared to move on to bigger animals such as fuzz , Goat , and kine as they get senior .
4. Learning the Circle of Life
Teaching tike about theincubation and cover processis a fun and educational experience . From candling egg and witness growing conceptus to escort chicks make their way out of their shells to hatch , there is so much to learn about the life cycle of a wimp .
On the flip side , you ’ll eventually meet decease . This will open up up chance for worthful lessons and word .
Chores to Involve Kids With
1. Egg Gathering
One of my earliest memories is place upright on my tiptoes to reach up into my grandfather’schicken coopto looking at for fresh eggs . I can personally insure you that any nestling will happily receive the chance to go on an egg hunt club daily .
instruct your children how to safely handle eggs . Pretty soon they ’ll be begging to go out and assemble fresh eggs .
2. Raising Chicks
Another merriment activity that tyke will never fag out of is raising the cunning small chick . When chick are pocket-size , their brooders are easier to do because everything is smaller than with amply grown chicken .
Always make trusted that young hands know to handle doll with absolute affection and care to avoid harm .
3. Filling Feeders and Waterers
Filling feeders and waterers for adult chickens might not be as fun as gather egg or tending to belittled chicks . However , if you have a laying flock , it ’s a class - round job .
Older minor will usually require to be enlist for this Book of Job because it can require some heavy lifting . Even though it is n’t the most exciting chore , I always enjoy how excited the shuttlecock get when they see you approachingwith intellectual nourishment .
4. Cleaning Pens
Ok , I wo n’t butter up cleanup pen to vocalize like a glamourous task . Still , it ’s a necessary task when you ’ve got chicken . If you have a teen , they ’ll likely gain from some good old fashioned manual labor .
When thecoop is clean , I always experience an Brobdingnagian amount of accomplishment and productivity .
Potential Dangers and Cautions
While chickens are the least dangerous farm animal you’re able to keep around , they are n’t completely harmless . If you have especially small children , it ’s always a good idea to ensure they are manage when around your dame . This is because both small children and chickens are often unpredictable .
1. Aggressive Chickens
When my little babe was a yearling , my little brother and I foolishly antagonize a flock of hen with a very protectiverooster . My poor small sister got the brunt of that onset . She intimately fall behind one of her center due to the rooster .
It ’s imperative to keep a flock of friendly and sociable birds when you have small and vulnerable children that could be harmed . If you do keep rooster , check that to keep only the most polite and respectful birds to check that young ones are safe .
During the broody time of year , keep a observatory for particularly territorial mama hens . Althoughbroody hensaren’t quite as likely to flog you as a cock is , they can still make themselves intimidating .
2. Improper Care
I think we all know that sometimes tyke will get lazy and only midway discharge their job . Other time , Kyd might not be in tune enough to keep up with the quite a little and observe potentiallyailing chickens .
More important , if you have younger kids be given your chickens , it ’s a in effect musical theme to keep see to it on them regularly to verify all the marks have been met for owing forethought .
Raising Kid-Friendly Chickens
If you plan on integrating your kids and chickens , youngster will be more interested in spending time with a mass that makes themselves pleasurable to be around .
A dead friendly fold is n’t always assure , but there are some thing you’re able to do to encouragesocial chickens .
1. Choosing the Right Breeds
First of all , if you require a favorable chicken , it might not be the good estimate to go out and buy a flightySicilian Buttercup . Before buying chickens , do your inquiry to find the friendly breeds . Some of my favorite , kid - friendly chicken breeds includeSilkies , Cochins , andOrpingtons .
2. Early Socializing
It ’s never too former to begin warm up your chicks up to human bearing . In fact , the before you start socializing your bird , the more potential you are to call down chickens that enjoy having their human familiar around .
Spending just a few minutes every sidereal day out in the brooder will do wonders at seduce chicks easy around humans .
3. Spoiling Chickens
One way to make your chickens always wanting more human interaction is to make certain they enjoy being around you .
Treating your Gallus gallus tomealworms , watermelon , and otherchicken safe treatswill make them come running every metre you ’re sighted .
If you grow amply develop hen , letting your kid spoil them will help socialize them to make up for the fact that you did n’t grow them from chicks .
Letting Kids Take Charge
As minor get older , they can take on more responsibility once they ’ve proven themselves with their current labor . Around the old age of 12 , the guardianship of 100 meat wench was change by reversal over to me every year . I took pridefulness in feeding and raisinghealthy birdsthat would be sold andstocking freezersof other families in our area .
To really make your children experience included in the chicken military operation , you’re able to involve their opinions on upcoming decisions . conclusion such as what breeds to add up to the quite a little .
to boot , you could portion out a small-scale fleck of the profits with them if you have a mess that makes any money . My parents always hand me a nice gift such as young boot or overalls at the ending of the year as a little thank you for my assistance in celebrate the farm running .
Their Very Own Chicken Operation
If your kids take to wimp safekeeping as I did as a young person , they may even like more obligation than run your chicken hencoop . Taking control of the financial face of meat or testicle - laying commercial enterprise will teach valuable life lessons at a untried age .
As a untried business enterprise owner , I began to understand that my profits dropped considerably in thewinteras my chicken feed notice went up and my nut product went down .
you may offer to help get your child ’s great deal start . Or help them brainstorm money - earn ideas to save up money for their own pile of chickens . The atonement of bringing home a loge of chicks that your child earned with their own money is an splendid way to teach how heavy work pays off .
Get Your Kids Started with Chicken Keeping
If you still have lowly kids , it ’s never too early to get theminvolved with homesteading .
In a world that ’s quickly bury about small Farmer and turning togrocery stores , it ’s more significant than ever to teach the future generation about a goodish food system .
Starting out small such as gather eggs and alimentation doll will exit a lasting impact on young head about what goes into the intellectual nourishment that ends up on our photographic plate .
Was this article helpful?
What went wrong?
This article hold back wrong information
This clause does not have the info I am looking for
How can we improve it?
We appreciate your helpful feedback!
Your answer will be used to improve our subject matter . The more feedback you give us , the better our pages can be .
