Family Fun: Raising Chickens with Kids Made Easy

Inside: Raising chickens with kids in a fun, safe, and educational way. Discover tips for making chicken care a family-friendly experience.

I never thought I would be raising chickens but here I am. Raising chickens with kids together as we homeschool. There are many benefits to doing this, one being that raising chickens provides food to growing children. Raising chickens with kids has been an experience for both my kids and myself.

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Family Fun: Raising Chickens with Kids Made Easy

This week in our homeschool was all about birds. We had chicken eggs hatching throughout the week, and on Saturday we bought our eldest daughter her birthday present a month early (She'll be 12 in March). She got 5 silkie chicks, something she wanted.

This is going to be such an amazing learning opportunity for her.

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She is going to be in charge of:

their care
their coop
their feed
deciding what to do with eggs – eating, hatching, selling

So much learning! And the best part is they are young birds so this learning is going to be almost a year of learning, just to get to the point of getting eggs.

I am so excited to have the freedom to do this in our homeschool. My soon to be 10 years old has started to think about maybe getting chickens for her upcoming birthday as well now.

Benefits of Raising Chickens with Kids

Taking care of animals helps children learn responsibility, gentleness, and the importance of looking after other living things. They learn empathy and compassion. They also get to experience the joy of friendship with those animals.

These feathered friends are relatively simple to care for, make enjoyable pets, and a good laying hen will reward you with up to 300 eggs a year!

All three kids are included in caring for the chickens in all aspects. From helping to feed them, to cleaning out their coop.

Learning through the Chicken Lifecycle

If you are lucky enough to be able to hatch chicks with your kids, you are going to have a world of learning happen. From having to learn about turning eggs to how long it takes for them to hatch.

Watching a chick hatch is something your kids aren't going to forget soon. Raising chicks in a brooder before taking them outside and watching them become chickens.

It's a fun and educational experience to experience whether you are a child or an adult.

Learning on the Homestead

Your kids are going to have a first-hand experience with the aforementioned lifecycle. They are going to know where food (eggs) comes from, not just the grocery store.

Life skills with building and maintaining a chicken coop and run. They have been learning about making sure the coop is safe from predators, has roosts, and nesting boxes, all things that chickens need to be safe, happy, and healthy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it okay for kids to be around chickens? Always supervise children around poultry and while they wash their hands after being around poultry.

What are the friendliest chicken breeds for kids? Orpingtons and Plymouth Rocks are quiet, gentle birds. Other kid-friendly chicken breeds include Cochins, Brahmas, Australorps, Polish, and the colored egg-laying Easter Eggers.