Angry vegan claims school hatchings are irresponsible.

[LaFleche]

Your always going to get into fights with people on FB, some people just like the drama.

That is one of the many reasons why I would never sign up there.

 

[Cornishboyraptor]

That is one of the many reasons why I'll never sign up there.

It's my main platform to get rid of and gain more chickens. I don't use it for anything else.

 

[Skyle]

I agree with if the teachers has no idea to look after them. I never had a teacher not know how to look after the chicks. And sorry I'm familiar with celsius. I'm guessing that's around like 32 degree celsius. In my experiences I had teachers that know how to care for and look after chicks. We have a lot of people with farm animals or relatives with them in Cornwall being its very rural.

70°F means about 21°C
Here there are many small farmers that have chickens and othet animals (but less and less, unfortunately). The bigger cities near here (very small compared to the capital cities) are not far from the countryside. Anyways there is less and less knowledge about these animals, even if they live not far from home.
I studied in an agrary school and there was a lot of people that didn't know even the basic things about farm animals (I guess they did't even care, many of them enrolled in this school because they tought it was pretty easy spoiler: it wasn't lol, most of them regretted this choice because it was as hard as any other school and they didn't even liked the subjects, so for them was even harder studying). I once took hard boiled quail eggs for lunch and some of my classmates tought it was strange (like the eggs contained boiled chicks) to eat fertilized eggs
Then, there are lots of kids from the bigger cities (where the countryside is far from the middle of the city) like Rome or Milan that have no clue of what a cow or a chicken is.
One of my friends once saw two adults from a big city that were on vacation in the mountains. They saw a guinea and were arguing if it was a turkey or a chicken

 

[Cornishboyraptor]

70°F means about 21°C
Here there are many small farmers that have chickens and othet animals (but less and less, unfortunately). The bigger cities near here (very small compared to the capital cities) are not far from the countryside. Anyways there is less and less knowledge about these animals, even if they live not far from home.
I studied in an agrary school and there was a lot of people that didn't know even the basic things about farm animals (I guess they did't even care, many of them enrolled in this school because they tought it was pretty easy spoiler: it wasn't lol, most of them regretted this choice because it was as hard as any other school and they didn't even liked the subjects, so for them was even harder studying). I once took hard boiled quail eggs for lunch and some of my classmates tought it was strange (like the eggs contained boiled chicks) to eat fertilized eggs
Then, there are lots of kids from the bigger cities (where the countryside is far from the middle of the city) like Rome or Milan that have no clue of what a cow or a chicken is.
One of my friends once saw two adults from a big city that were on vacation in the mountains. They saw a guinea and were arguing if it was a turkey or a chicken

I think schools should be teaching us more about were our food comes from as lots of students are often clueless about farm animals. I want to be a vet with a homestead with a lot of poultry and goats and maybe other animals

 

[Skyle]

I think schools should be teaching us more about were our food comes from as lots of students are often clueless about farm animals.

I completely agree. Maybe even just with oral lessons (so no chick hatching or plant growing), but you have to know what you eat and how many adversities farmers have to pass trough for take your food on your table. And I'm not talking only about animals but also about crops, orchards, etc.

 

[AntiqueB]

We live in the New York City suburbs. My child's school does hatches from a local farm every year for grades K-3. All they do is watch the eggs in the incubator, hold the chicks for a couple days, then send them back. I agree that this is useless, but it's hardly cruel, as these are eggs that would just have been hatched at the farm anyway.

I hatched my own chick, and found it to be fascinating, but you need to candle to see the development, and a few hours to hover in front of the incubator watching eggs rock back and forth as they hatch.

I think hatching in school would be better for older kids, and I'm thinking high school. Candling is important; without that, it's just an egg that mysteriously becomes a chick. Care after hatching is important, too, or the chicks become disposable objects. Done right, it can be educational, but my guess is that most schools don't do it that way.

 

[Iluveggers]

I’m planning to hatch eggs with my inner-city middle schoolers next year. I live about 25 minutes outside in a suburb/rural area. Many of my students have very limited knowledge of where food comes from. One had an apple fall on the floor, and when a cafeteria worker told her she could wash it off, she thought that was disgusting which led us into a conversation about how apples sometimes fall onto the ground in the dirt, how vegetables grow in the dirt, and the importance of washing fruit after 100s of people pack it, display it, and handle it at the store. We talked about how foods get from farm to store, alternatives to grocery stores (farmers markets, CSAs, growing your own). One of my girls actually had her mom get two planters for their apartment balcony and grew tomatoes and cucumbers for her family after this. We took a field trip which drove through a rural area, and another of my kids asked me if the cows in the field were horses as they had never seen either. Some of my kids have more knowledge than others but many benefit from new experience. We did a virtual farm tour next year, and they all wanted to see chickens but unfortunately it was a dairy farm with no chickens. We also planted a classroom garden, which about half the students said was their favorite event of the year.

I know the majority of my students have probably never seen a brown egg, so when I put blue, green, speckled & brown eggs in the incubator that will be an experience in itself, especially when they see all chicks aren’t the same color either! I am going to let the kids help with the whole process, even if it means that hatch isn’t as successful as if I do the whole thing myself. They will also feed the chicks, give them water, and clean their brooder. I am only keeping the chicks at school for 2 weeks maximum. I’ve found that given responsibility, even my tough behavior kids act appropriately. Carrying our vegetable plants outside, one of my big tough guy bullies was extremely gentle and careful, instructing the others on how much water to put on their plants and to be careful around the stems so they didn’t break.

We have a store around the corner that gets a handful of chicks at Easter time that they put on display until they move them outside to their farm outside the city. I took my kids (one of my toughest behavior classes) on a walking field trip there, and they were angels, quiet, not touching anything, asking lots of questions about the chicks. The woman was very impressed and told me I could bring my classes every year. I am now in a different building on the other side of the city so I can’t take advantage of this anymore.

This project will be one of the biggest educational opportunities for hands on learning they will have in their life. I already know where the chicks are going, and I know how to care for them until then. In no way do I consider this project harmful to anyone. We are going to read about incubating/candling, chick care, watch videos, and design coops/pens on graph paper as a geometry activity. (Talking about 4sq ft per bird, so they have to design it appropriately). Luckily my administrator gave me her blessing, as she understands how this will also benefit the kids. If you guys have any thoughts, please let me know. Sorry for the very long rant...I know there are probably teachers that hatch and don’t know what they are doing or don’t have a plan, or who don’t really “teach” the kids anything during a hatch, but it is unfair to lump everyone into that category.

 

[AntiqueB]

I’m planning to hatch eggs with my inner-city middle schoolers next year. I live about 25 minutes outside in a suburb/rural area. Many of my students have very limited knowledge of where food comes from. One had an apple fall on the floor, and when a cafeteria worker told her she could wash it off, she thought that was disgusting which led us into a conversation about how apples sometimes fall onto the ground in the dirt, how vegetables grow in the dirt, and the importance of washing fruit after 100s of people pack it, display it, and handle it at the store. We talked about how foods get from farm to store, alternatives to grocery stores (farmers markets, CSAs, growing your own). One of my girls actually had her mom get two planters for their apartment balcony and grew tomatoes and cucumbers for her family after this. We took a field trip which drove through a rural area, and another of my kids asked me if the cows in the field were horses as they had never seen either. Some of my kids have more knowledge than others but many benefit from new experience. We did a virtual farm tour next year, and they all wanted to see chickens but unfortunately it was a dairy farm with no chickens. We also planted a classroom garden, which about half the students said was their favorite event of the year.

I know the majority of my students have probably never seen a brown egg, so when I put blue, green, speckled & brown eggs in the incubator that will be an experience in itself, especially when they see all chicks aren’t the same color either! I am going to let the kids help with the whole process, even if it means that hatch isn’t as successful as if I do the whole thing myself. They will also feed the chicks, give them water, and clean their brooder. I am only keeping the chicks at school for 2 weeks maximum. I’ve found that given responsibility, even my tough behavior kids act appropriately. Carrying our vegetable plants outside, one of my big tough guy bullies was extremely gentle and careful, instructing the others on how much water to put on their plants and to be careful around the stems so they didn’t break.

We have a store around the corner that gets a handful of chicks at Easter time that they put on display until they move them outside to their farm outside the city. I took my kids (one of my toughest behavior classes) on a walking field trip there, and they were angels, quiet, not touching anything, asking lots of questions about the chicks. The woman was very impressed and told me I could bring my classes every year. I am now in a different building on the other side of the city so I can’t take advantage of this anymore.

This project will be one of the biggest educational opportunities for hands on learning they will have in their life. I already know where the chicks are going, and I know how to care for them until then. In no way do I consider this project harmful to anyone. We are going to read about incubating/candling, chick care, watch videos, and design coops/pens on graph paper as a geometry activity. (Talking about 4sq ft per bird, so they have to design it appropriately). Luckily my administrator gave me her blessing, as she understands how this will also benefit the kids. If you guys have any thoughts, please let me know. Sorry for the very long rant...I know there are probably teachers that hatch and don’t know what they are doing or don’t have a plan, or who don’t really “teach” the kids anything during a hatch, but it is unfair to lump everyone into that category.

That's the right way to do it, @Iluveggers !

 

[Cornishboyraptor]

That's the right way to do it, @Iluveggers !

I agree.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

I’m planning to hatch eggs with my inner-city middle schoolers next year. I live about 25 minutes outside in a suburb/rural area. Many of my students have very limited knowledge of where food comes from. One had an apple fall on the floor, and when a cafeteria worker told her she could wash it off, she thought that was disgusting which led us into a conversation about how apples sometimes fall onto the ground in the dirt, how vegetables grow in the dirt, and the importance of washing fruit after 100s of people pack it, display it, and handle it at the store. We talked about how foods get from farm to store, alternatives to grocery stores (farmers markets, CSAs, growing your own). One of my girls actually had her mom get two planters for their apartment balcony and grew tomatoes and cucumbers for her family after this. We took a field trip which drove through a rural area, and another of my kids asked me if the cows in the field were horses as they had never seen either. Some of my kids have more knowledge than others but many benefit from new experience. We did a virtual farm tour next year, and they all wanted to see chickens but unfortunately it was a dairy farm with no chickens. We also planted a classroom garden, which about half the students said was their favorite event of the year.

I know the majority of my students have probably never seen a brown egg, so when I put blue, green, speckled & brown eggs in the incubator that will be an experience in itself, especially when they see all chicks aren’t the same color either! I am going to let the kids help with the whole process, even if it means that hatch isn’t as successful as if I do the whole thing myself. They will also feed the chicks, give them water, and clean their brooder. I am only keeping the chicks at school for 2 weeks maximum. I’ve found that given responsibility, even my tough behavior kids act appropriately. Carrying our vegetable plants outside, one of my big tough guy bullies was extremely gentle and careful, instructing the others on how much water to put on their plants and to be careful around the stems so they didn’t break.

We have a store around the corner that gets a handful of chicks at Easter time that they put on display until they move them outside to their farm outside the city. I took my kids (one of my toughest behavior classes) on a walking field trip there, and they were angels, quiet, not touching anything, asking lots of questions about the chicks. The woman was very impressed and told me I could bring my classes every year. I am now in a different building on the other side of the city so I can’t take advantage of this anymore.

This project will be one of the biggest educational opportunities for hands on learning they will have in their life. I already know where the chicks are going, and I know how to care for them until then. In no way do I consider this project harmful to anyone. We are going to read about incubating/candling, chick care, watch videos, and design coops/pens on graph paper as a geometry activity. (Talking about 4sq ft per bird, so they have to design it appropriately). Luckily my administrator gave me her blessing, as she understands how this will also benefit the kids. If you guys have any thoughts, please let me know. Sorry for the very long rant...I know there are probably teachers that hatch and don’t know what they are doing or don’t have a plan, or who don’t really “teach” the kids anything during a hatch, but it is unfair to lump everyone into that category.

You are awesome! What wonderful experiences you are giving to the kids.