“The Henny Penny Hatching staff have delivered this eleven-day incubation program to Tillys, this was an opportunity for our children, families, and educators to watch the eggs hatching in a specially designed incubator, and then to observe the hatched chicks at play in a large, clear-sided brooding pen”.
Henny Penny little chicks has arrived at Tillys since Monday 4th July. We all have been excited to see the little chicks grow watching them hatch from the egg in the incubator and placing them in the chicken pen. From babies to our school age children, we have been learning the life cycle of the chicken.
The baby chickens have been a talking point when we arrive and leave Tillys. Some of our friends will say, “I like the black one”. Others will look inside the incubator and will count how many eggs that are still inside. Other children will just watch the little chicks move around the brooding pen. Some families have been curious how they can adopt the little chickens.
Throughout, the educators and children have been coming in small groups and talking about where the eggs come from as we look at the poster of the ‘life cycle of the chicken’. This also encourages the children how to be gentle and when handling the little chickens. We discuss what the chicks eat having special chicken feed and why we place a black balloon inside the brooding pen. The reason for this it simulates their mother and keeps the chick’s calm. Children have noticed that there has been asking questions why.
On the way home one child said to their mum, “the balloon is in there because it looks like there mother”.
Some groups will come down and count how many more little chicks hatch from the egg. At the time a group of the lion children have counted 6 little chicks inside the incubator (EYLF Outcome 4.1) and Amity noticed and said, “there is one pecking out of the egg”. We all looked at the little chick trying to come off the egg as it was using its beak to push themselves out. (EYLF Outcome 5.1)
