Springtime in Leslie County means one thing for many local students, baby chicks! This year’s 4-H Chick Incubation Project once again sparked excitement, curiosity, and hands-on learning in classrooms across the county. We set 12 incubators, reaching over 230 youth in elementary, high school, and FMD classrooms.

With fertilized eggs provided by the UK Poultry Research Facility and a local farmer, students had the chance to care for several breeds: Black Australorps, White Leghorns, Rhode Island Reds, and the always-popular “mystery eggs,” which featured green and blue shells. These mystery eggs encouraged curiosity and conversations about Ameraucanas, Easter Eggers, and the role of genetics in poultry breeds.

Throughout the 21-day incubation process, students participated in four structured lessons:

1. Setting Up Incubators – Covering the basics of temperature, humidity, and egg rotation.
2. Egg Nutrition & Anatomy: Explore the parts of an egg and its nutritional benefits, and sample healthy egg recipes.
3. Candling & Hatch Predictions: Using lights to check embryo development and making educated guesses about which eggs would hatch.
4. Chick Care 101 – Teach how to prepare brooders, provide proper feed, water, and warmth, and handle chicks safely.

This year, we also introduced concepts like egg production by breed and what it means for a bird to be dual-purpose, used for eggs and meat. These lessons gave students a broader understanding of agriculture and helped them imagine what it would be like to raise poultry themselves.

The final week brought plenty of excitement as chicks began to hatch across the county. Every classroom witnessed this special moment, and each student had a chance to hold or gently interact with a chick before they headed to their new homes. Families with existing flocks were invited to adopt the chicks, while others were rehomed through the Extension Office or used in future 4-H programming.

Our evaluation results show the impact:

• 100% of students said they learned how to care for baby chicks.
• 98% understood the parts of an egg and their purpose.
• 96% learned something new about egg production or poultry breeds.

A few student highlights:

• “I didn’t know chickens could lay a different number of eggs depending on the breed. That was cool!” – 3rd grader, Stinnett
• “My favorite part was seeing the chick move inside the egg when we candled it!” – 4th grader, Mountain View
• “I want Easter Egg chickens now! They lay green and blue eggs!” – 3rd grader, WB Muncy
• “I want to do this every year!” – High School Ag student

This program continues to grow in popularity and educational value each year. From science to agriculture to personal responsibility, chick incubation makes a lasting impression on students and we’re already counting down to next spring’s hatch!