Central Kids Hazelmere Kindergarten’s 40 pint-sized poultry farmers are eagerly awaiting their first servings of scrambled, fried and boiled eggs – and enjoying some fluffy cuddles in the meantime.
The students have incubated and hatched five chickens this year and are now raising them, thanks to a cracking idea cooked up by teacher Rachel McQuilkin.
Noah Williams and Wyatt Foreman with one of the chicks.
The Te Awamutu kindergarten is part of the Enviroschools programme.
“Rachel thought it would be great learning for the children to be part of the life cycle of hatching chickens,” head teacher Tina Singh said.
“She borrowed all the equipment needed from her sister-in-law Renee, who also gifted nine fertilised eggs.”
With an incubator installed at the kindergarten, students dutifully turned the eggs every day for 21 days and watched in amazement over the internet as five hatched successfully at Rachel’s house, where they were taken over Auckland anniversary weekend.
“The children and their parents were so excited,” Tina said.
“The children were just enthralled watching the baby chicks breaking through their shells.”
There was one hen in the mix, since named Cinnamon, and four roosters, which were traded back with Renee for two females.
“Naming the others is our next project,” Tina said.
Since arriving back at the kindergarten, the tiny birds have been cared for by the students, who showed them how to find their chicken mash and water.
Now about six weeks old, they live behind a gate in a safe area where they can scratch happily in the grass and stretch their legs.
The Te Awamutu Community Menz Shed chipped in by modifying their coop to make it sturdier and more portable.
“The chickens have escaped out of their enclosure a few times and come out to the sandpit to play,” Tina said. “The children find it hilarious trying to gather them up and pop them back.”
Tina said the birds had inspired many rich learning experiences and would remain at the kindergarten permanently.
“We’ll see how we go with these three hens, but we might look at expanding in the future,” she said. “Watch this space – we might end up being a free-range chicken farm!”
Kindergarten students (from left) Wyatt Foreman, Maddie Shingleton, Ella Tregoweth and Avery Claydon with one of their chickens.
