Classroom project - hatching eggs. Noooooooooooo!!!

[alicefelldown]

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[ladybug99]

I am a Recreation Director in a nursing facility and we do the same hatching project as the schools do. The farm I deal with has a variety of education projects. My residents love the egg hatching project the best. This is how it goes... a farmer, dressed in overalls and a straw hat brings in a pair of chickens... usually a hen and a roo. The residents are allowed to hold and touch the chickens with supervision. He discusses the life cycle and the how the egg becomes a chicken, they assign residents different jobs.. egg turner, tempeature keeper etc....and then there is an answer and question session.. and the residents always ask what do they do with the chickens.. and thier answer is that they go back to the farm... the hens will be used for thier eggs and the roos will be used for meat. They are very open and honest with the residents. I have even asked them my self and they say they free range the males for meat and use the hens for eggs. I have seen pictures of thier farm and they do have a lot of chickens... on top of other animals. After the eggs hatch we get to keep them for a week and the farm comes and picks them up. You do have the option to keep the chicks if you want. My brother in law kept a few one year and he said they grew into the ugliest , biggest white chickens that layed really big eggs LOL I think this project really is great for kids and adults a like.

 

[rnorris1234]

I have a 5 year old and a 2 year old. We are hatching eggs ourselves and they are both so excited about seeing the baby chicken in the egg -- the heart beating and the chick moving, etc. I think it is a wonderful introduction to biology and development. If they can find a home, then wonderful, but if they ahve to be humanely culled after the project, then they've served a valuable purpose of educating and inspiring children. That is a better purpose than they many. many chicks who are hatched and then destroyed for various other reasons.
Robert

 

[galanie]

Tell her yes, they should be delicious.

Just kidding, I understand both sides of this story and have nothing to add. I was just picturing what they would think if you actually said that. OK it's mean.

Back to my cave...

 

[dsqard]

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theFox, I meant a friendly talk with the teacher not a sermon. I just think that too many people (and I am not including the people on this site since I have seen mostly the opposite here) just think about the excitement of that new chick, new puppy, new kitten etc without thinking of "down the road" when the experiment is over or the puppy or kitten has grown into an adult and is not so cute any more. I am not saying that is what the teacher is doing, and it seems like she is thinking about down the road but I really think not only is watching chickens hatch a good lesson but thinking about our responsibilities after the initial excitement is just as important. Personally, I would talk to the teacher, offer to help find them homes before they hatch and leave it at that. I would not preach to the teacher or the school or make a big fuss but you just see too many throw away animals. Just go to a shelter. OK I am off my soap box!

 

[dragonlair]

while living in a large city, I was an Aggie student. We raised a clutch of eggs in the classroom. There was already a list of people who wanted the chicks, even the roos (sex links). I got 2, a pullet and a roo. I raised them in my bedroom in a box. Once they feathered, I took them out every day for a walk with little yarn leashes attached to a leg. The neighbors thought I was crazy (I am...animal crazy), because i would walk not only my cats and dogs on leashes, but also the chickens, rats and rabbits. My brother refused to admit I was his sister and I am sure I embarrassed my parents.

I kept Dumplin' (pullet) and Fricasee (roo) until the roo started to crow. My parents said the noise would bother the neighbors. They went to a friends farm to join his flock, and lived happily ever after.

 

[acid_chipmunk]

I just spoke with my sons teacher for the first time yesterday. He is going into 5th grade and I offered for his class to do an incubating project and I also plan to offer the same thing to my daughters first grade class. My husband and I will provide the eggs and even take the babies back, if need be. Also, we will be there to help with all the important things, such as candling, lock down, and hatch.

I think it is a great experience for kids to have. Especially ones that would never have the chance to see something like that. We also take eggs in to the classrooms every year from Dr. Seuss week, since we have green eggs for "Green Eggs and Ham". The kids and teachers both love it (tho, the kindergarteners were disappointed that the actual egg wasn't green when they cracked them)

There are so many kids who live in an urban environment, or even a suburban one, that they have no idea where things come from. Yes, everyone knows a egg comes from a chicken, but even my 65 year old Grandmother didn't know that you don't need a rooster for eggs and she lived on a farm and had chickens when she was a kid.

I agree with the posters that said to speak with the teacher. I know how horribly things can get twisted when your child comes home with a message from the teacher.

 

[swordgeek]

Thanks to everyone for responding and talking me off the ledge. I was just so stunned, I needed to get it out. I'd known too many people over the years who thought getting some baby chicks was such a cute thing, but then the buggers GREW on them and they didn't know what to do with them (and I'd heard horror stories both at the MSPCA and the museum of science about classroom projects that didn't end well). I imagined the worst. Just the other day, I was visiting the woman I got my last 5 pullets from, and she said that somebody had recently dumped a bunch of roosters in her yard overnight. She'd had to scramble to re-home them, since she already has more than she needs.

Even though I can't take more, I would certainly do everything I could to find people who might take the classroom chickens once they were grown. I've got enough poultry-friendly contacts that somebody ought to know somebody. I'd never just leave them cold like that, knowing I might be able to help.

I agree that watching the chicks' progress into life would be an amazing experience, one that most of those kids would otherwise never have. I will contact the teacher in a nice, friendly way, not a sermon, I swear. Just to see what's going on, and ask if they need help. I may even offer to bring one of my friendlier chickens in to the class for them to see what the end result will be once their chicks have moved on to (hopefully) greener pastures. The teacher may already have long-term plans. I hope so!

 

[rnorris1234]

Good for you! with help like that, this project can really be educational and rewarding for everyone invovled (including the chicks).

 

[TNRIRRoo]

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Just be glad the teacher is trying to do something fun instead of just teaching the tests