During April and early May 2015, eggs and baby birds were of immense interest in eight primary classrooms at Northside Elementary School, 520 N. Genesee Street, Morrison, IL.
Duck and quail eggs were brooded and hatched in Kindergarten classrooms of Melissa Christensen, Wendy Connelly, Fran Smith, and Carisa Swanson.
Chickens of various breeds were the delight of 1st graders in these classes: Laura Duncan, Karen Mayberry, Jennie Pruis, and Andrea Wolever. Students colored and completed activities in little “Chicken Life Cycle” booklets. During the 21-day wait, they watched for “pips” in the shells, as in the first photo below. These were recorded daily, as were hatchings. Toward the end of the hatching period, each day brought fluffy new additions in a variety of colors. The one shown above with “chipmunk” markings seemed to be the favorite.
During a family visit in the school library on Thursday, May 7, Mayberry said the first grade classes began with about 100 eggs. She had three dozen. “Seven didn’t make it to day 18;” she took those out of the plastic brood box. “You keep them at 95° for a week, then you can adjust that [temperature] until it matches the outside temperature. You have to put marbles in the water trough, so they don’t drown in it.”
Of the 29 remaining, 26 survived. One had a rotated foot that ended up-side-down, probably from misalignment inside the egg. She doubts that disabled bird will be able to get sufficient food. One morning, a chick was stuck to the bottom of the brood box when she arrived. Likely the wet membrane from inside the egg pinned it there. Mayberry expertly cleaned and released the chick before her first grade brood arrived, and “Tuffy” seemed fine.
Mayberry has conducted this nature project for “16 or 17 years. The University of Illinois Extension [Office] gets them for us; the PTO pays for them. One family has taken them home for at least ten years.” Now, Mayberry’s class chicks will be adopted by a student’s family.
Before their departure, Mayberry used her iPad to create photos for a DVD. Curious little fluffies came close to see what that object was, which should make for a charming farewell picture. The chicks left the building Friday, May 8, for happy homes.
