Egg Incubation Project
9:00 am - May 7 - Final chick count: 20
The final chick arrived yesterday late afternoon, bringing the total count to 20 chicks. Four of the eggs were "bad", which is pretty common. Mrs. Berens had been told to expect 20 chicks out of the 24 eggs. The chicks will be moved to the farm on Saturday. Until then, we will enjoy watching them grow!
3:45 pm - May 6 - We have nineteen chicks, going on twenty!!
An ongoing parade of parents and students stopped by today to check out the hatchery. Three more chicks made their appearance this afternoon, with another in the process. The chicks move to the brooder after 24 hours in the incubator. Once in their new home, they spend time resting and checking out the food and water. And of course, making "peeping" noises, must to the delight of everyone!
9:45 am - May 6 - Nine chicks arrived during the night!
This brings the total chick count to sixteen, counting the one that JUST hatched.. Mrs. Berens predicts at least two more will hatch during the day. Eleven of the chicks "fluffed out" and have been moved to the brooder. Several of Mrs. Boonstra's art students are working on sketches of the chicks and a few fortunate ones watched chick #16 hatch this morning.
3:30 pm - May 5 - Total chick tally for the day: 6
The afternoon proved to be a busy time in the incubator as three chicks made their entrance into the world between 1:30-3:00 pm.
11:50 am - May 5 - Announcing the arrival of two more chicks!
Several fascinated students (& staff!) watched the hatching of chick #3! Life is such a miracle!
10:00 am - May 5, 2008 - We have a chick!
Students on Monday morning were excited to hear that the first baby chick had emerged from it's shell! As of Monday morning, it is resting on the bottom of the incubator with its' "former" home nearby. Several other eggs have small holes pecked in them so the chick should be receiving a few friends soon! Watch our website for regular updates on our baby chicks!!
Egg Incubation Project On Display in ES/MS Library
Over a twenty-one day period, elementary students at Timothy are watching two dozen eggs develop into chicks! So that every student has the opportunity to be a part of the process, an incubator containing the eggs is set up in the library. The students are able to see the eggs whenever they visit, and a nearby poster lets them know what’s happening with the embryos at each developmental stage.
On Friday, students will "candle" several of the eggs, which will allow them to see inside the shell to the developing embryo. This is done by shining a bright light against the eggs. The incubator will be taken into several classrooms, and Mrs. Berens, who is the brains behind this project, will use the ELMO projectors to display the whole thing on the SmartBoards!
The chicks' “due date” is May 6th (an educated estimate). The Timothy library will be buzzing with excitement as the chicks emerge…a birth announcement over the PA system will alert the students of their birth. The chicks will remain in the library in a brooder for a week or so, and will then be taken to Kopping Farms in Lemont, Illinois.
More pictures will grace our website when the chicks are born. Stay tuned!