Local day care fighting to keep its chickens

A day care in Colorado Springs is challenging new state regulations that will force it to get rid of its chickens.

New Department of Public Health and Environment rules ban poultry including adult birds, chicks, and ducklings, reptiles and amphibians at child care facilities.

Little Sprouts Learning Center in Colorado Springs has eight chickens.

“We’re passionate about chickens and animals in general. but we feel that chickens are a very good learning experience,” Laura Newman said.

The kids interact with the chickens, teaching them compassion for animals and giving them some insight as to where their food comes from, Newman said.

“So they’re able to see them from the time they’re little chicks, and then as they grow up and they start to lay eggs, they will tell Mr. Kevin, ‘Mr. Kevin, Mr. Kevin, the chickens are laying eggs!’ Just based on the sounds that they’re making,” she said. “So the children have an opportunity to learn that, that they may not have living here in the city,”

But new regulations give day cares until August to get rid of their live poultry. Newman started an online petition hoping to reverse the rules.