2019 Chick Incubation   We traveled to 8 classrooms in Leslie County Elementary Schools during March and April.  We taught a series of interactive lessons to 146 Third Graders and 8 FMD students at our High School this year!  Only about 8-10% of the students reported that they currently raise chickens.  According to the 2012 CENSUS of Agriculture, Leslie County has declined 35% since 2007 in number of farms.  This data raises concern for agricultural production in Leslie County, making our lessons possibly more valuable than ever!

Our science lessons begin on Embryology/Chick Incubation by asking 3rd graders a question. Can you name animals you know that come from eggs?  We discuss the term Embryology, and ask the students have they ever seen chickens hatch?  We cover The Needs of Living Organisms: Air, Water, a Habitat/ place to live, Protection (from predators), and a proper climate.

Next, we present the incubator which holds 7 eggs.  We refer to it as “The Hen”.   The incubator is plugged in and begins to heat as we place the eggs inside.   We discuss the importance of adding water for humidity and keeping watch to make sure that the temperature stays at about 99.5 degrees F.  We discuss why it is important to be responsible for taking care of these living animals.  A poster is left for the teacher and students to date each of the 21 days that displays the development on each day.

We discuss the many functions of eggs and label a poster with all of the PARTS of an EGG.  Each week we visit the classes until 21 days has passed.   We cover the nutrition of the egg and serve a delicious sample of baked egg cups to each student.  We candle the eggs and they see the development of each egg. They make observations and hatching predictions. The marketing part of “why raise chickens” is also an important and fun lesson with the third graders.   They get to pretend they are Farmers, Grocery Store Owners and other roles.  It is lots of fun as they “play act” their parts!

Our last lesson on “Hatching” finds the students attached to their feathered friends and often have been giving them names. Our culminating activity for each class was sharing poems or stories about their chicken incubation project.  We had so many creative writings shared with ribbons awarded to each participant.  Congratulations on your successful written communications!  

  Thoughts shared were:

…it takes 21 days to hatch a chick, it is amazing that a chick can grow inside an egg, the shell protects the chicks, they are so cute and fluffy, the chick may not survive

Two questions asked of each 3^rd grader:

1. How many of you know more about hatching chickens after our 21 day project?

               100%  raised their hands!

       2.  How many of you are interested in becoming chicken farmers some day?

              99% raised their hands! 

Our Chick Incubation Project was a huge success! This lesson is more than science it is leadership, responsibility, communication and making friends.  Third graders have an excellent start on their knowledge of chickens.  4-H truly empowers youth to reach their full potentials and this project has truly touched their Head…Heart…Hands…and Health!  #redefinekentucky4H