Checking Out Chickens

Today we met Farmer Abby in the outdoor classroom (see below) to talk chicken.  Farmer Abby told us that the chickens have a lot in common with us.  They need food, water, shelter, AND they take baths.  Ask your child what chickens bathe in (it isn't water).

We learned that chickens like to eat little bugs, grasses and grains.  We also learned that foxes like to eat chickens.  Because some of the farm's chickens have been eaten by a fox, we could only look at the chickens in the chicken house.



The kids were excited to see the different colored chickens. They learned that during warm seasons hens lay an egg a day, especially when they are two to three years old.  We learned that the eggs that turn into chicken instead of quiches must be kept warm.

This was a great extension to our service project of collecting water bottles to purchase a flock of chickens from Heifer International.  We have talked about how some animals can help a village in many different ways.  The chickens help by laying eggs, producing manure to fertilize crops, and then meat.

Our bottle drive had a sudden boost as Camden's mom told a co-worker about our drive and he brought in THREE big garbage bags of water bottles.  Now we have to practice counting by fives (the nickel deposit) to see how many times we get to one hundred.  When we get to one hundred twenty times we will have enough money to buy a flock of chickens.  The kids will be hanging their posters advertising the bottle drive tomorrow.  Just think, this all started from a discussion about what the Pilgrims needed to survive in the New World.  You never know where learning will take you!