Sharing Our Chicks with Our Buddies

Experiencing the eggs hatching is a very special event, so special that we wanted
                                          to share it with others.
    
                
Two afternoons this week our big buddies visited our room to meet and get
                                          to know the chicks.

Then Wednesday morning when we came together we made a craft, learned a poem
                           and listened to a story about chicks.
                  
  
   
We worked together to make cotton ball chicks hatching from egg carton cups. 

Then we said this poem:

Five eggs and five eggs, that makes ten

Sitting on top is mother hen.

Crackle, crackle, crackle

What do you see? 

                            

A fluffy little chick as cute as can be.

                 
I found this funny story called The Singing Chick by Victoria Stenmark.  The chick hatches and is so happy that he walks along singing until he meets a fox and is eaten.  The fox starts to sing and ends up being swallowed by a wolf.  The story continues with a bear swallowing them all but don't worry it ends with everyone happy.  I think it would make a wonderful felt board story.  If I get it made I'll share it with you.

Saying Hello to Our Chicks

Day two and we arrived to find six more chicks, two of them freshly hatched. 
 
Once they were dry we moved them from the incubator to the brooding bin.
 
I wanted the children to have the opportunity to hold the chicks but I was nervous of how careful they would be so we established a few rules.
   
Only a parent or myself could take a chick out
and the children had to be sitting down.
 
It was a highlight of my day to introduce a chick to a child.  Then handing the responsibility over to them to gently care for it.
  
They were so careful as they checked it all over.  Gently pulling on it’s little wing,  counting it’s toes and snuggling it close.
    
      
It has been a wonderful time for grown up and child to share this special moment.
   
And for our youngest to reach and stretch and try to get their hands on them.
     
                  
Many parents used the opportunity to use our resources to reinforce how the chicks were made.  They also took the time to read a few stories about chicks as they sat together.
   
The children were shocked to see the chicks poop, and we saw a lot of it on day 2.  Does that mean they are eating?  Another Mother Hen worry.
 
We’ve named some of the chicks and will continue to think of some for the
others as we continue to watch them.

Experiencing Birth

During the last two days we have been so fortunate to watch two chicks hatch from their shells.

                      

It has been fascinating to observe and realize how much effort it takes for each chick to hatch.

       

Once their head is out they use their feet to push and push.  Also we watched how the chicks, that have already hatched, respond to the hatching chick. 

       

Sometimes we saw them pecking on the outside the egg as if they were helping.

       

Or they would stay close to offer support, cheeping and cheeping.

       
       

And then when the chick is finally free of the egg they cuddled up beside the newborn.  Was it for warmth and a gentle welcome?

                       

As we watched I started to hear children and adults ask questions.  I recorded them so we can look for some answers.

       

One question I did hear several times from the children was “Why is it taking them so long to come out?”  We tried to explain but I decided that experiencing it may prove more interesting.  So I pulled a box out of the storage room and we pretended it was our egg.

                                    

The children were encouraged to go in and try to break a hole in the side of the box (and no we did not seal them in).

                        

They couldn’t.  They did tire quickly which gave them a glimpse of how the chicks might feel.

                                   

They had a lot of fun being a chick hatching.

                   

 By the end of the morning four chicks had hatched.  There are still 12 more eggs.