Newly-hatched chicks teach children about life

By DICK HAGEN

The Land Staff Writer Emeritus

The community transit bus (and its very accommodating driver, Jim Hanson) took my wife and I and a few others on a short trip from the retirement center here in Northwood to the NorthwoodKensett Elementary School for a very special learning experience recently.

Excited third-grade youngsters were bubbling around us. We were about to learn the birthing process of newly-hatched baby chicks. Yes, lots of chattering from students. They told us about fertilized eggs cracking open revealing the justborn baby chicks! Little did we know that baby chicks have a special beak given to them solely for the purpose of pecking away at the shell during their “birthing” process. This special beak then falls away and the chicks’ regular beak takes over. Some of the students were already naming their new friends.

Their class had received six fertilized eggs. The eggs were placed in a small incubator so the students could keep a watchful eye over the entire process. We were informed incubation is only a 21-day process.

We were shown a special display depicting the growth of the baby chick inside the egg throughout the 21-day incubation process.

But once hatched, learning is quick for these squiggly, soft little creatures. Standing up is first priority; then picking up tiny morsels of feed. It’s a joy to listen to the third graders telling us how quickly baby chicks fit into their new world. And that’s the new life adventure for these students too! It was a great experience for us elders also as the students carefully covered the table with plastic and gently placed a few of the baby chicks in front of us. The chicks were cute, soft and chirpy while the students were taking great joy in explaining everything they had learned. The interaction of the youngsters and we elders was absolutely priceless.

Nine-yearold Lucian explained, “They’re shy at first, but pretty soon they are running around. We gave each chick a name. I called one of them Jeff because he’s the fast one. Another we called Tricky because it was always making faces at the other chicks.”

Added Iihlynn, Lucian’s classmate, “They’re such cute little creatures. And quick learners too. I could see changes in the days we have had to observe them.”

“We named another one Flappy Bird because he would jump around, flap his wings and try to fly,” added Lucian who also mentioned they named another one after a famous basketball player.

Commented Teresa Stehn with the Worth County Farm Bureau “Ag in the Classroom” program — who helped coordinate this unique learning experience, “Yes, this is certainly better than if they were reading books about the birth of baby chicks.”

Stehn also mentioned the ‘kiddie barn’ at the Worth County Fair. “Working with the local Farm Bureau, we set up a special Ag Learning Center at the fair. Each day at the booth we have a local farmer telling