The highlight of our week was "Hatch Day." It would probably be wise to rename it "Everyone-is-Crazy-Excited-and-Can't-do-Anything-Productive-Except-Talk-About-Chicks Day."
It started late on Sunday evening with a few "pips". The chicks use their beaks to break the air sac inside the egg, then poke a little hole in the shells so they can breathe. Even though they are inside the egg, we can hear them peeping.
After a nap, the chick starts to work in earnest to break out of the egg.
This is what the eggs looked like when the students arrived on Monday morning. So exciting!
Finally, the chick hatches in the incubator! We leave them there to rest, warm up and dry for about 8 hours. Then the chicks are ready to move to the brooder box.
The next day, the chicks are fluffy and adorable! It's hard to imagine that just one day earlier, they were tucked away inside a little egg.
We will keep the chicks for about ten days, and then return them to the farm where they will live a long and happy life. I love this unit because it really teaches the students about the miracle of life. Students who have a hard time being still or staying focused will sit endlessly and hold a sleeping chick.
If you are thinking about hatching or raising chicks, I highly recommend Raising Happy Chickens. She has a wealth of knowledge and thousands of beautiful pictures to help along the way.
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