After a lengthy 21 days wait, we would like to introduce the newest member to the Triciclo Learning Community, Chickira! Aptly named after the pop singer Shakira, after this little chick wiggled and danced it's way out of it's egg.
We were delighted when we were told by Janet that we would be given the opportunity to hatch chickens in our "Mallungang Sanctuary" - a place the Preps have been exploring through role play and research.
Janet collected several eggs from her farm, without knowing which were fertilised or unfertilised - the process was truly authentic as it was a game of luck to whether we had fertilised eggs and whether they would hatch or not. Knowing this, we carefully and excitedly placed the eggs in the incubator and counted down the days on our calender.
Did you know?
Did you know that it takes 17 hours of light for a chicken to produce one egg??? Chickens have adapted an egg-sit routine to cope with the delay in egg production. As most of you will know from your little chickens at home, hens lay eggs around the yard in many different places. In a natural setting, some of these eggs will have been fertilised. Different hens may lay their eggs next to eggs laid by others and after a few days, a clutch of random eggs will have accumulated. One of the hens (most likely the hen who laid the last egg), will then sit on the clutch and it is from this point that the eggs will begin to develop. The hen will sit on the eggs for about 21 days without eating or drinking- quite a commitment! So even though the eggs were laid days apart, we are able to predict their hatching day from the time we popped them into the incubator.
Did you know that it takes 17 hours of light for a chicken to produce one egg??? Chickens have adapted an egg-sit routine to cope with the delay in egg production. As most of you will know from your little chickens at home, hens lay eggs around the yard in many different places. In a natural setting, some of these eggs will have been fertilised. Different hens may lay their eggs next to eggs laid by others and after a few days, a clutch of random eggs will have accumulated. One of the hens (most likely the hen who laid the last egg), will then sit on the clutch and it is from this point that the eggs will begin to develop. The hen will sit on the eggs for about 21 days without eating or drinking- quite a commitment! So even though the eggs were laid days apart, we are able to predict their hatching day from the time we popped them into the incubator.
The chickens hatching has played a major role in our curriculum this term and has been explored and embedded through our writing, reading, maths and philosophy sessions, as well as during Independent Learning Times.
Over the course of the 21 days we have learnt the following about chickens -
Not all the eggs have chickens in them!
Some chickens will not be strong enough to hatch properly and this is natures way of ensuring the healthy chicks survive
Then.... one morning as we were packing up for ILT we heard a chirp. Then another and slowly as we watched throughout the day we noticed the egg being pecked and as we left for the day we estimated how many chickens we would find the next morning.
We were over the moon when we returned on day number 22 and found one teeny tiny little chick wriggling her way out.
We were over the moon when we returned on day number 22 and found one teeny tiny little chick wriggling her way out.
Following the arrival of little Chickira we have been having so much fun feeding her, drawing her pictures to put in her home and writing her tiny little letters for her to read.
Most of all, we loved creating videos with Chris our student teacher. Take a look below at how it turned out!
Most of all, we loved creating videos with Chris our student teacher. Take a look below at how it turned out!
At the end of the term we will have to say goodbye to Chickira as she goes to live with Janet and all of her other chickens on her farm, however we will always remember her fondly and we will be kept up to date with her regularly!
Comments
Post a Comment