Just one chick?

[litljenarey]

Well that's just terrible!! As a parent, I would be super ****** if my kid came home with a pet of any kind from school. No 6 year old is capable of fully handling the responsibility of an animal so it's a class project that becomes a parent responsibility. I hope the teacher is asking the parents and making sure they have homes before hatching chicks.

We took my kids to a fair for my daughters 4th birthday, my other daughter was 2 at the time. I had a random person walk up to my mother and my two girls, hand the girls fish in bags and then turn to my mom and say "can they have these?" Before she could answer, the guy was gone in the crowd. I didn't have the heart to take the fish from them at this point because they were so happy and it was her freaking birthday. So the next day I bought a fish tank, I have to buy fish food and guess who feeds and takes care of them? ME. I'm currently trying to nurse a stupid, free fair goldfish back to health because it's sick and dying and my kids are crying when honestly, I secretly hope it doesn't make it.

These were FISH. They had rabbits at one of the game booths...I can't even imagine if someone handed my kid a bunny. It would end up dead or on craigslist as soon as the kids lost interest. I'm thinking 4 weeks.

 

[blondiebee181]

My niece's class have been incubating eggs, and they will be sending a chick home with each student. Knowing I already have chickens, she asked if her chick could live with me.. and who am I to deny a six year old's pleading request.

I have raised chicks before, but I had six. Will one chick be okay in the brooder alone? I know this may sound silly.. but will the chick be lonely? Won't it be harder for it to regulate its temperature without all of its friends to pile on? Maybe I'm just worried for no reason.. it just seems strange to hand out a chick to a six year old!

Yeah, I would definately speak with the teacher about sending the chicks in pairs instead of alone, because single chicks will get lonely. And I know from talking to a lot of people that chicks are cute at first but not everyone is ready to deal with a full-grown hen and one that has no companion will rely on it's human counterparts way more. Like most have said, the chick will be okay in the brooder alone if it has heat and some entertainment/attention but I would recommend getting at least 1-2 more if you can. That teacher needs to be made aware of the responsibilties of owning a chicken, not just a chick and make sure that the kids' parents who accept these chicks into their homes know that information too and are prepared for it.

 

[cafarmgirl]

I've raised chicks up to 3 weeks apart together with no problems.

This teacher needs some serious education. She's looking at two dozen dead chicks, easy. Sorry, it kind of torques me that so many classrooms use chicks as "projects" and don't think of the fallout. Think what an uproar there would be if they bred cats or dogs each year and handed out a kitten or a puppy. Same darn thing in my opinion, except more folks seem able to keep a mammal alive than a baby bird.

Oh I so agree with donrae 150%! Aside from the issue of sending home single chicks with these kids you cannot tell me that every family whose child brings home one of these poor, hapless chicks is set up to properly raise a chick and keep a chicken. I don't care if some teacher see's them as "just" chickens, this is NOT a good example, in my opinion, of teaching kids the proper way to care for a pet. A much better example would be to make arrangements in advance of the hatch with a few people willing and able to care for the birds properly and then including a follow up field trip for the kids to see the grown birds in a proper living arrangement, gather some eggs, and learn a bit about their care. But I realize that probably is a little to much inconvenience for some who just want the fun of the hatch and then to get rid of the results by sending them home with kids like a party favor.

Sorry for the rant, I'll get off my soapbox now, it just irks me so badly seeing chicks treated like a disposable Happy Meal toy.

 

[blondiebee181]

Oh I so agree with donrae 150%! Aside from the issue of sending home single chicks with these kids you cannot tell me that every family whose child brings home one of these poor, hapless chicks is set up to properly raise a chick and keep a chicken. I don't care if some teacher see's them as "just" chickens, this is NOT a good example, in my opinion, of teaching kids the proper way to care for a pet. A much better example would be to make arrangements in advance of the hatch with a few people willing and able to care for the birds properly and then including a follow up field trip for the kids to see the grown birds in a proper living arrangement, gather some eggs, and learn a bit about their care. But I realize that probably is a little to much inconvenience for some who just want the fun of the hatch and then to get rid of the results by sending them home with kids like a party favor.

Sorry for the rant, I'll get off my soapbox now, it just irks me so badly seeing chicks treated like a disposable Happy Meal toy.

Totally with you.

 

[Coop Deville]

I'll second the thoughts already expressed here:

1) Chickens are social creatures and isolating them is torture;

2) A single chick is a very, very loud chick, so it won't be good for the family either.

 

[duckie mama]

most of the time in east Texas they hatch cornish croses so the chicks are so big at 7 weeks they either die of a heart attack or they die of fatness that the kids never get to see them survive It is no problem if they are like my niece andnephew who were raised to know that extra chickens were to be supper. thank you for FARM KIDS!!!!