Teacher wanting to put a broody in a classroom...advice

[cassie]

I don't know if this will help or not. Years ago I wanted to see baby chicks hatch. I had a cochin broody and I put her in a fruit box and put the box in my living room. The fruit box was an orchard lug and it is about 2 feet by 18 inches or so and the sides are about eight inches high. She sat there in the box on her clutch of eggs while everything went on around her. If a bug came by she would jump out of her box and grab it. I don't remember the smelly broody poo. It is possible she went outside for a short time each day. When the chicks hatched she jumped out of the box and the babies followed her across the room and out the door. At night she would come back with her brood in tow and peck at the glass in the door (I had a french door) and I would let her in and she and the brood would settle down in the box for the night. In the morning I would let her and the babies outside. This went on for several weeks.

 

[Spore]

"how a hen raises eggs into chicks"

outside.

children would enjoy the incubator even more than a broody hen.

 

[mandelyn]

The kids would learn more from the incubator... like the importance of humidity when you add water, when and why. (not so with a hen) Watching the temperature... and explaining the why and how. (not so with a hen) As well as actually seeing the progress of the hatch and the resulting chicks (not so with a hen, everything would happen under her out of sight.)

If you have a broody though, you could keep her hanging on with fake eggs, and bring her into the classroom at day 21-22 to give her the chicks, so that the children see the whole process followed by the happy family. The hen won't have to live in a classroom, just pop in for a visit to get some chicks. Less stress on her. And I don't know if you've ever seen a broody come off the nest to eat.. but most of them cause a scene and are quite loud. Your broody would have to be quite tame to not peck every kid that poked fingers into the cage.

By having the incubator you don't have to rely on the hen, who may lose her broodiness in the classroom from stress and the move. No children would get pecked and tell their parents about the mean 'ol hen, and you could still utilize the hen when the chicks hatch, completeing the cycle from egg to chick to chicken.

Really all I see with the hen option is a ticked off bird in the corner of the room who cackles like a lunatic when she comes off the nest, disrupting class and most likely the class 3 doors down too from the noise. The smell of poo... hay on the floor... and the potential learning about the process with visual aids removed because the hen does everything on her own and under herself.

The incubator would sit quietly in the corner, not disrupting the class, or pooping, or cackling.

 

[newchickmom09]

I would suggest an incubator. I know how cool it would be for the kids to see a chicken every morning sitting in there classroom but you always have that chance that the hen isn't going to like just that one kids getting close to her and get pecked. Some parents might not like that idea either. Some are sticklers.

But an incubator you can see inside and look at the eggs. I think the kids will be just as thrilled to run inside the classroom and see there eggs. A broody will hid the eggs under her so they won't really be able to see the eggs, and that is the main focus of the project.

Plus you can run wild with all kids of ideas to teach the kids. With growth charts what the chicks are going threw, humidity, hot/cold temps, responsibility, the list just goes on and on.

I would first bring in the incubator explain everything about that to the kids one day. Make it like a class present.
Then bring in a hen (tamest one you have) explain that the hen lays the eggs so the kids can get an actual visual.
Then bring in the eggs and put them in the incubator.

I would defiantly send out a letter to the parents explaining what you are going to be doing step by step. My kids are in school now and I can't believe how some people over react.

 

[Wooden_Pony]

I run an incubator every year in our local Kindergarten class. Started 3 years ago when my son was in her class. Now every year we do it.

Here is what we found works the best for our situation... Just another idea for you.

I have 2 incubators so I incubate the eggs day 1~18 at home. The kid's have a count down egg on their calender in their class and at circle time them move the egg. They also have a WONDERFUL picture book that shows the day by day development of a chick in it's egg so they get to see what is happening at my house in the eggs.

A week before day 18 I bring in my second incubator and set it up and get it running in the class room. That way I know it is stable.

Day 18 arrives and I bring the eggs into the class room. I only live down the road from the school so the trip is not long at all for the eggs.

Set them up in the hatcher and watch the kid's as they glue themselves onto the incubator. We plan the hatch so that they are hatching for Back to School night. It is great to walk into the class and see parent's glued to the incubator as well watching the chicks hatch.

This year however since now all the grades know I hatch eggs in the kinder class I want to hook up a camera so instead of everyone fighting over the little incubator windows they can watch it on a TV with a live feed.

Here is a link to the box my husband made for the class room incubator... It is towards the bottom of the page.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=3506-lg-incubator-journel

Good Luck with whatever you choose to do! Your kid's will totally love it!!

 

[hipeatall]

Quote:
Brilliant! I need a lock box like this for my incubator... and someone else to hang onto the keys during lockdown