Our amazing chicks!

We have hatched chicks from the eggs that came from our local farm. We had to keep the eggs warm in the incubator whilst the baby chicks grew inside. They take 21 days to grow big enough to be ready to hatch. Then they start by 'pipping' using a little tooth on its beak to break a hole in the egg shell. It uses its wing as a guide and its legs to push and it works in a circular motion to create a hole which will eventually be large enough for it to squeeze its legs through! It can take many hours for a chick to hatch and it is hard work! When the chick finally gets out of the shell it is exhausted and it is very wet. Slowly it dries off and its feathers fluff up. It is not long before it is walking around and eating and drinking in the brooder with its friends. The children have learned a lot about caring for living creatures and also about growth and change through this experience. The video shows the process of a chick hatching so you could watch this together and talk about what is happening.