I ask this because we have 6 children aged 2-13, and I want to know what animals are good for children to work with. I'd like them to learn to do all the chores involved themselves. We already have rabbits which my 9-year-old cares for. I also plan to get some chickens. Currently we only have one acre to work with, but we plan to get a larger place within the next year. Thanks.

-- Cathy N. (keeper8@attcanada.ca), June 08, 2001

Answers

Well, I am a kid, but I LOVE horses. I especcially love my own mare, Jabbers. ~Meghan

-- Lizbeth (evelyn@valuelinx.net), June 08, 2001.

Oh yea, I'm 12 years old and a homeschooled girl.

-- Lizbeth (evelyn@valuelinx.net), June 08, 2001.

At only 22 months old my daughter is too young to use a computer (she sure is trying though!) but she absolutely delights in helping my feed my hens. She looks forward to seeing the dog everyday but she gets mighty put out if I don't take her with me to feed the hens and gather the eggs.

={(Oak)-

-- Live Oak (oneliveoak@yahoo.com), June 08, 2001.

My Ruthie, 18 mo, likes to watch me feed the chickens and bunnies, and she also likes "ticky" (aka The Kitty). She shows promise as a very good pointer....

I can't wait until the ducks get here. LOL.

:-)

-- Marty (Mrs.Puck@Excite.com), June 08, 2001.

Horses and calves are always a big hit but the cutest and most entertaining are baby goats. They are so comical with their jumping around and following you like a dog would.

-- Pat (mikulptrc@aol.com), June 08, 2001.

I start my littlest kids out on chickens, starting with chicks and help them until the pullets move to the coop. Now she feeds them and gathers the eggs and has named her favorite hens and they are her pets and she snuggles them. As the kids grow, they can choose what animals they want to aquire and take care of.

My middle kid had pet potatoes when she was 18 months old, six of them she kept in a basket. She would circle them around a "food" dish, move them around to the water dish, line them up to sun on the window sill, take them outside for fresh air and tuck them in the basket with a linen napkin for the night. She was quite dedicated to them. From there, she moved to night crawlers in an ice chest so Mom would have fish bait. She now has a 10 year old cat, 9 year old dog, 2 rabbits,(2 died of old age) and her own horse.

My youngest was comfortable under the feet of our horses but a bit timid about riding. We adopted a 30 year old shetland for her to take care of and learn to ride. Now she is at home bareback on one of our big horses and is very good with her pony.

-- Laura (LadybugWrangler@hotmail.com), June 08, 2001.

Kids and animals is a great combination, they will learn so many things. My 8 year old started in the lambing barn at 4 months. I know that's a little young, but hubby was finishing his MBA and gone a lot, so it was take her with me or leave her in the house alone. By 2 her job was to help towel the lambs off, kiss them on the nose and welcome to our ranch. Later she named them.

We also have cattle, and now 9 calves. She dosen't get too involved with them because they are so wild, but she still has her favorites. She has chickens and a rabbit. At 4 we started her off with banty chicks because she was afraid of the standard breeds - almost as big as she was at the time.

I love watching her experiment with which animals she likes best and I don't mind the minagery a bit. We've had abandoned kittens and ducks that had to be fed with an eye dropper and new sheep added to the flock that had to be tamed, she likes it all.

I think what's important is to let the kids decide and not force them into things that are too much for them to handle. You see little boys with big 'ole bulls at the shows and I don't care how tame the parents think they are there is always the possibility of it getting spooked and injuring the child.

Good luck deciding and have fun watching your kids grow, it's great.

-- jennifer (schwabauer@aol.com), June 08, 2001.

MY son who is now 17 says that goats are a good animal for children. He has raised angora goats since he was 7 and added cashmeres as a 4H project two years later. He suggests getting a smaller doe to start with the younger children. Since you do want more than one goat at a time, the older children may want to try a bigger wether (his suggestion). Fiber goats require different skills than dairy goats. My youngest daughter had her first cashmere wether following her around like a dog when she was 7 and can still walk outside seven years later and holler his name and have him respond. My children love the goats and are thrilled with the kids and their antics every year. If, however, you aren't into fiber, I'd suggest looking at dairy goats.

-- Sandra in CO (ColoradoDaisyMae@aol.com), June 08, 2001.

My children both love all sorts of animals. When they have friends over, everyone wants to help milk the goats in the evening (and I have a doe who will stand there with the patience of a saint while everyone tries a squirt). Collecting eggs and petting the hens is another activity loved by all. A terrarium for temporary housing (a day or 2) for all types of small wildlife is a great thing too. Tree frogs, tadpoles, newts, snakes, and a whole miriad of insects can come and go over time, educating as they go. Oh, I should mention that my children are 5 and 8 years old.

-- Sheryl in ME (radams@sacoriver.net), June 12, 2001.