Halcyon Posted May 1, 2013 Share Posted May 1, 2013 We just got 11 chicks and both kids have loved learning about caring for them feed, different types of poo (fun!) and more. I am wondering if others who raise chocks make things a tad bit more formal in terms of how their kids learn about chickens, a unit study, in other words...thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2_girls_mommy Posted May 1, 2013 Share Posted May 1, 2013 Oh, I am listening. Although, to add to yours, I would like any ideas about making the hatching process a bit more interesting than just waiting and what to do as far as observations. We pick up an incubator and eggs in 2 days, so I will be watching this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted May 1, 2013 Share Posted May 1, 2013 Lots of nice resources here on egg and chicken http://lancaster.unl.../4h/embryology/ For grade 4-5 http://extension.ore...credibleegg.pdf ETA Chicken anatomy (gross photos) http://www.ca.uky.edu/poultryprofitability/Production_manual/Chapter3_Anatomy_and_Physiology/Chapter3.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwik Posted May 1, 2013 Share Posted May 1, 2013 Ellen McHenry has a chick development wheel to make in her free resources. It shows the chick developing in the egg over 21 days. It would be fun to do while the chook was nesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celia Posted May 1, 2013 Share Posted May 1, 2013 Oh dear. My first thought when I read the title of the thread was to dissect them. Don't do that. I think I need a psychiatrist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ecclecticmum Posted May 1, 2013 Share Posted May 1, 2013 lol. I think I'm going to be giggling for a bit about Celia's post. It would be cool to do some sort of scrapbook/notebooking, including pictures as they grow, measuring their size, comparisons (see if the kids can tell them apart and how), lifecycle of an egg (difference between them being eaten, to when they actually start to grow baby chicks), about the fur/feathers changing, and noting when it happens and why. Taste testing (and before Celia mentions it, not tasting the chicks, lol, but seeing which foods they prefer :p) If it were me, I would use what I said above (and any other ideas I can note down on paper) plus have a search through currclick, and maybe google if I were after certain things (or google "chick/chicken/baby chicken" and "unit study" even then there may be too much on google......I can tend to get sucked into researching if i google too much...lol). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rainbird2 Posted May 1, 2013 Share Posted May 1, 2013 My 7 year old son just won a first prize ribbon for his "Raising Chickens for Eggs" science fair project! :) Our city-wide homeschool group puts on a project fair/science fair each year with judges, ribbons, etc. It was a great experience for him. He had a tri panel with several different categories on it: How to get baby chicks (where to buy, etc.), Chicks from 2-4 months old, The anatomy of a laying hen (he drew a picture of a hen and labled the parts, What do chickens eat, Housing (he drew a picture of their mobile coop and labeled it), Health and safety, and Frequently asked questions (do you need a rooster to make an egg? When do hens begin to lay and stop laying? etc.)...there was something else, but I'm too sleep deprived to remember. He took photos of the chickens from day 1 up to now, and also posted photos of him and his favorite chickens. For his display, he had a bucket of his beautiful brown eggs and some cracked eggs to display the colorful, dark orange yolks, and a 1/2 dozen of store bought (factory eggs) and some cracked to show their pale yellow yolks. His looked so much nicer...I think that was what got him his first prize...and his nice handwriting! He now sells eggs to some church members and is saving his money to buy a horse. He'll have enough cash when he's about 40! Have fun with your chickens! They are a blast, and the eggs are fantastic!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lailasmum Posted May 1, 2013 Share Posted May 1, 2013 The only thing I did last time I had chicks was to photograph them every couple of days we could look through their growth .and that is quite cool to look back on now they are huge grown up chickens We already had chickens though so my kids were well aware of the many types of chicken poop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted May 1, 2013 Share Posted May 1, 2013 The 4H Embryology stuff is very good; DD took that class a couple of years ago and learned a lot. My kids have enjoyed keeping logs/calendars of development when we've raised ladybugs and butterflies; they draw a picture every few days of what the creature looks like as it changes. So I would definitely have the kids do that, either as pictures or photographs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
l&r'smom Posted May 1, 2013 Share Posted May 1, 2013 If your kids are into lapbooking, homeschoolshare has a chicken lapbook for free. We used the book Chicks and Chickens by Gail Gibbons. Even if you don't do the lapbook I would suggest the book. It is a good resource for your younger son We also did a few experiments with eggs. Your ten year old would love the folding egg trick. If you search chicken unit study , you will find delightfullearning.blogspot.com. We used some of these ideas. Good luck with your chicks! We just did this about a month ago. My girls really enjoyed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kbug Posted May 1, 2013 Share Posted May 1, 2013 If you want to try a true experiment you could maybe separate them into two groups and do a growth study based on different diets. Once could be pastured and the others grain fed. Track their weights and make a determination on which group grew better. Kbug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdamsFamily Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 If this is your first time with chickens, get ready for many learning opportunities that will come all on their own! We have learned about predators, diet, rubber egg shells/egg shell development, parasites, chicken diseases, pecking order, different breeds, egg shell colors etc. just from owning them. I found a fascinating book written in the 1910s on various chicken diseases. http://archive.org/stream/cu31924000931570#page/n1/mode/2up This site also has tons of information: www.backyardchickens.com We own a set of the 4h poultry books, but we have not really used them much. Sorry that I don't have anything formal offer. Enjoy your birds! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WishboneDawn Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 If this is your first time with chickens, get ready for many learning opportunities that will come all on their own! We have learned about predators, diet, rubber egg shells/egg shell development, parasites, chicken diseases, pecking order, different breeds, egg shell colors etc. just from owning them. I found a fascinating book written in the 1910s on various chicken diseases. http://archive.org/s...age/n1/mode/2up This site also has tons of information: www.backyardchickens.com We own a set of the 4h poultry books, but we have not really used them much. Sorry that I don't have anything formal offer. Enjoy your birds! Same here. Experience beats formal lesson plans and work sheets any day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kalypso Posted May 4, 2013 Share Posted May 4, 2013 My kids always go outside and play with our chickens for much longer than I intend. I often ask myself, "Can giving chicken baths count for science today?" I think we might try to incubate some this summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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