The highlight of our farm unit is hatching chicks. I started hatching chicks when I taught second grade as a part of our "Life Cycles" unit. Now, in preschool, we hatch chicks to learn about life, birth/hatching, birds, and of course farms!
We get our fertilized chick eggs from a nearby general store. This fascinating little place opened in the 1840s. Walking inside is just like stepping back in time. It is currently owned by an equine vet who lives on a big, beautiful farm.
When we got the eggs back to school, they went straight into the incubator. The eggs have to incubate at about 99.5* for 21 days in order to hatch. We turn them during the day, and make sure that the incubator has water for humidity.
Here is a picture of the incubator set up in the classroom.
Of course, the most important lesson on the first day is "Show Self-Control" around the incubator! Preschoolers are tactile learners by nature, so having a Look Only center is a challenge! We show them the thermometer and the temperature controls, and we open up the lid so they can see the water and the fan.
We have a really great Chick Life Cycle set that shows what the egg looks like each day. The students can open each egg and look inside. It is a good substitute for touching the real eggs!
I know that people often wonder what we do with the chicks after they hatch. No worries! We will keep them for about a week and take very good care of them. At that point, they will return to the farm to soak up the sun and chill with the other chickens. I promise they will live a good farm life!
Have you ever hatched chicks with your children? It's such a fun and memorable learning experience for them. We are looking forward to sharing the pictures of our fluffy new chicks around May 20.
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