Classroom hatching project

[arlee453]

Well, my Andrew went to school talking about his incubator and eggs at home, and now his class wants to do an incubation project. (2nd grade) I'm happy to work with the class to do this, but I have one main concern.

My incubator is manual turn (the homemade rubber-chickenabator) Would the kids turning the eggs first thing in the morning, at lunch and before they leave be frequently enough? Seems like 3pm to 7am is too long a stretch to not turn them at all - would it be OK?

And... if not... anyone have any recommendations for an inexpensive auto turner that would fit in my cooler? The inside dimentions are: 11.5" X 18". All the ones I find so far are too wide for the 11.5"...

I'm really excited to help out - I like being involved in the kids classes and as a 'recovering' public school teacher (you never totally get over it...) it's fun to get in there and do some teaching again!

Also, any suggestions for activities, etc for 2nd grade class?

I figured I can go in on a Monday and get the bator setup and get them to record temps and humidity to check for stability, then set the eggs on a Wed and teach them the parts of the egg and how to turn them.

Then back in a week for candling etc and a lesson on chicken development.

Then back another week for candling and lesson on chicken care and anatomy.

Then back the next week for hopefully hatching and follow up.

Of course the chicks would be very welcome at our house after the project is over...

 

[MissPrissy]

I am trying to convince a couple of my teacher friends that they need to do this. LOL

 

[Tuffoldhen]

A couple years ago one of the elementary teachers came to me wanting to do this same thing and it was 2nd grade too.....I gave her hatching eggs and went in to help her candle twice...she did not let the kids turn the eggs tho nor did she let them help candle, (afraid of dropped eggs)..lol.....she did that herself and I'm sure she only did it 3 times a day while she was at school for the day.....on weekends I know that she personally went in to turn...

She had a 65% hatch for her first try.....That was so much fun to see their eyes when they saw the eggs developing....

 

[speckledhen]

In a classroom, you need an autoturner or someone will have to go up on the weekends to do it. Ask MarkR how his last classroom hatch was ruined by "helpers" secretly letting their curiosity get the best of them! AND, the incubator will need to be under lock and key.

 

[JenniferJoIN]

We hatched eggs when I was in 3rd grade and the teacher did all the 'work'. We learned what the chicks looked like as they were developing and then got to take two home. I've read some criticism about the egg-hatching-at-school project, but I learned a lot when we did that AND I got chickens out of the deal!! (It only took me 15 years after that to get more chickens!

)

I think it's great that you're willing to help out!!

 

[jackiedon]

I did this with my DD's 5th grade class last year and I bought a webcam. The teacher already had a projector hooked up to her computer so when they candled. I candled and the teacher held the webcam so everyone got to see it. The same thing with the hatching.

jackie

 

[arlee453]

Good ideas! I knew there had to be some experienced classroom hatchers out there.

I had already figured on picking the bator up on Fridays and taking it back to school on Monday morning. It's only a 5 min trip from home to school, so not too worried about the temps if I cover the cooler with a towel to and from.

BUT, if I can get an auto turner to fit, then I'd leave it on the weekends...

 

[skeeter9]

I don't know of a turner that would fit in those dimensions. Maybe you could make one patterned after the Hovabator or Little Giant turners - I know there are little motors out there that cycle very slowly. . . .

 

[BantyChickMom]

I think the classroom thing is a great idea.

I have 3 kids in K, 7th, and 10th, and had thought about the same thing.
I second guessed myself tho, thinking K may be a little too young and the whole idea may be a little too elementary for the older 2.

But I truly love the idea!!

 

[silkiechicken]

Classroom hatchings are great, but one thing to keep in mind is if you have weather swingsin the rooms. I know in Seattle schools at least, all heating in buildings are "shut off" on weekends so the temp of the rooms dropped to as low as lower 50's in the weekends and the teacher I was helping out did not get any chicks, nor did the teacher next door... and both tried twice. Temperature was too hard to maintain on weekends. The kids did get to see some chicks though as I brought in day olds, 3 week olds, and an adult. The teacher turned eggs 3x a day and went in on weekends twice a day.