Hatching Chicks and Ducklings

Hatching Chicks and Ducklings

We started by making a list of all the things we needed to do before getting eggs. What breeds are good with kids and for laying eggs (it turned out that what we could get and what was cold hardy was more important, but it was a good topic to research), figuring out how to set up the incubator and testing it out, how to care for the eggs and how to care for the chicks, a calendar of what we needed to do during the incubation, a list of rules for the eggs to keep them safe, what to look for when you candle an egg, and whatever else was interesting. The kids took on what they were interested in, or what needed to get done.

When the eggs came, the class explained what they knew to the younger class. We then did a little research on chicken coops. They visited a house with a chicken coop and looked at the design. Then Brent explained all the requirements for the coop, how many square feet per hen, how far off the ground, ventilation, etc…. The kids took different aspects and worked on a designs, then they started building.
As we went along, we candled the eggs and took notes on what we saw in the different eggs. As we got towards the end it seemed only one egg was still alive. The egg hatched, but it was the only one, so we got 4 more pullets to keep her company and start our flock. We kept the eggs that did not hatch and we opened them to see what we could. They were at a range of development, from just a fertilized egg, to an 18 day old almost viable chick.

A parent had some duck eggs, so then we hatched 6 of them and two survived. The kids named them Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, and they were a huge hit! They learned how to swim in the sink.

Finally, we finished the chicken coop. The chicks and ducks are in various homes for the summer, and when fall comes, will be back with us where they will be a big part of our fall curriculum.