January 18, 2007 - Baby Chicks
Yesterday, dh brought home 27 little fuzzy chicks from the hatchery. The breed we got is Black Australorps. This is a new breed to us, so it will be fun to watch them grow. Right now we have them in the house, in an old trough. We are enjoying having chicks once again. The girls are each enjoying them as well. Chicks are new to Paige and she just can't get over all the peep, peeps.
The trough is housed in our school room. We planned on putting it on the porch, but the weather is just too cold at this point and the heat lamp does not keep them warm enough, so we had to improvise. The school room is the only room the cats cannot get into, other than our bedrooms... so that was really our only option.
Here is peeking in to the one end where the lamp is.
And here is the other end of the trough with the food and water. The chicks are just a day old in this photo.
This picture is one of the darkest chicks with one of the lightest ones.
I was thinking about how raising chicks is such a wonderful learning experience. They are great for all ages. I will try to share some thoughts and maybe this will get some ideas flowing.
Younger children can learn lots of basic skills with chicks. If you see the two chicks above, you will notice that even in the same breed, there are some variations. Taking note of the variances is a wonderful way to practice those basic skills. 1) Sorting. Sort by color, sort by markings on beaks and feet and feathers. Sort by size. 2) Counting. Count the chicks when they arrive. Count how many have black feet, how many have yellow heads, how many are under the heat lamp, how many are eating, etc. 3) Safety. This is a health skill. Learning to wash hands after handling. Washing hands before handling if you had handled other animals. Keeping hands out of eyes, ears, nose and mouth until they are washed. 4) Care of animals. Learning needs specific to any species of animals. Examples might be... the feed, the equipment needed, etc. 5) Birds. How are chickens similar to other birds? How do they eat? Can they fly? What is unique to this particular species of bird? 6) Hatching. Hatching is always interesting. Isn't it amazing how God creates life in this little egg. How long did it take to hatch... what needs to be done to ensure a good hatch? Turning each day, several times a day takes diligence, patience and care.
The older children can take more responsibility for them, remembering to check for problems and keeping things fresh and safe for the chicks. Some things an older child can look for that may not have been noticed by a younger child... 1) Sexing of chicks. (biology). 2) Specific needs of chicks with feed, supplements, equipment... why and how these things are used. 3) What does a chicken need nutritionally? Can you make your own feed rather than using the bag from the store? What does a chicken require for feed, space, healthy growth, etc.? 4) What type of housing is adequate for the stages of growth? Why is change in care needed from hatch to adult chicks? 5) What are peculiar habits of chickens? How do they eat? What do they eat? Do they roost? Why? When do they lay eggs? What are their daily habits? 6) What is the difference between layers and broilers? What is the usefulness of a bantam chicken? 7) Cost of raising chickens. Keep records of expenses and track costs. Is there ways you can save money? Are there ways to raise chickens that is more frugal than buying all the equipment from the farm store? How much does it cost to produce eggs? How many eggs does your chicken lay? How much does a broiler chicken cost from hatch to butcher age? (all applied math type questions?) 8) What is the pecking order? Have you observed how it affects the culture of chickens? 9) Trace family roots... follow family, class, order, species, etc. 4-H has some wonderful booklets on raising chicks which are usually free from your extension office with many and probably more of these ideas.
Take credit for your chicken projects. Many times we take it as a unique experience and just say... oh we had a little science adventure... but look at all the other things learned... math, reading (if you are doing research), language (if you write a story about the chicks or even journaling about the experience), science, work experience, character training with responsibility, diligence, patience, carefulness, etc. Don't feel guilty trimming some schoolwork if the kids are excited with the project... learning is still being accomplished. Consider paring down to your basics for a short time while interest in the chicks is high. Have fun with your chickens.
Warmly, ~Melissa
