You're absolutely right ... and these are definitely planned-for!
Our county's Agricultural Extension Service puts the incubators in the classrooms and oversees the hatching and care of the chicks. They provide everything needed to hatch and raise the chicks to a few weeks old. The children take care of the babies, and learn all about how to care for and raise them. It's a wonderful learning experience for them!
I have a funny "Leftover Chick story ..."
Since we live in a mostly rural area, most of the babies go home with an approved school family. The very rare leftover peeps get returned to the Ag Extension Service, where they are sold or given to 4H youngsters.
Last year at our school, there were two chicks left after the adoptees all went home. The class knew I had chickens, so they ganged up on me! Have you ever tried to say "No," to seventeen five- and six-year-olds, all pleading with you to "Save our babies!"? {{...Sigh...)) Both "babies" ended coming home with me.
I got lucky, as both of my kindergarten dropouts are pullets. The only issue is that they tower over my poor little bantams! One is a sweet-natured New Hampshire Red. The other was supposed to be an Australorp, but turned out to be a really big Black Jersey Giant. She's gorgeous ... but she's HUGE! Based on her size, the judge at the MD State Fair guessed her age at about eight months. She was barely three! She's gonna be a BIG girl! She's also as friendly as a puppy - they both are. Despite their size, they fit into my bantam flock rather nicely ... so I guess they're not going anywhere any time soon!
, a CHICKEN OUTLAW!!
