4 th Grade Chick Project

Life Cycle of a Chicken

Incubator’s Job The incubator keeps the eggs warm ( degrees). The incubator slowly turns the eggs all day like mama hen to make sure the chicks develop properly. The incubator keeps the eggs safe so that they don’t accidentally crack. It also dries the chick’s fluff after they hatch. We also added water in the base of the incubator to create humidity (moisture in the air) to keep the eggs’ membranes moist.

Thermometer Thermostat Egg Turner Insulator Heating Coil Fan

Where do you get chick eggs and how do you take care of them? * Hens lay the fertilized eggs at a farm. * Farmer collects the eggs and puts them in an egg carton. * Then the nice 4H teachers pick them up at the farm and bring them to our classroom where we then gently placed them on the egg turner in the incubator. * Before you put the chicks in the incubator make sure that your teacher has added water to the base and that it has preheated to degrees.

Chalazae Baby Egg Parts

21 Days Until Hatching

Scientists Collect Data * It was important for us to monitor the eggs so that we could make predictions (guesses) as to what traits they would have when they hatched (ex: color, size, gender). *Data helped ensure that they were turned properly and kept at the right temperature. *Data also helped us keep track of the amount of days they had been incubating. *Data also helped us note any observations and changes that were occurring (ex: growing, number of pores, color, shape, etc.) * Once the chicks hatched we also used data to make sure that they were eating and drinking appropriately.

What Happens When the Egg Turner Comes Out? *Make sure that you turn the eggs by hand at least 2-3 times per day. *Check for problems or piping (start to hatch). *It is important to take the egg turner out 3-4 days before their expected hatch date so that the baby chicks do not get hurt (stuck, legs trapped, heads bumped) *They also need a flat surface to learn how to stand and walk.

What Happens When They Hatch? *They use their egg tooth on the tip of the beak to break out through the air cell and then out of the shell. *When they first hatch they are VERY wet and have to stay in the incubator for a few hours to start to dry from the heat. *They are also extremely clumsy when they first hatch. They can barely even stand up and it’s hard for them to stand up for long periods of time. *They also stink really bad like rotten eggs. *While in the incubator if they get hungry they will eat what is left of their shell and its contents. *Once they are able to stand and walk consistently you can take them out of the incubator and put them in their temporary home you created while they were hatching.

How to Prepare Their Temporary Home

How to Care for Baby Chicks *Wait 3-4 days before allowing several people to handle or pet them. *Make sure not to bump the incubator or enclosure. *Keep foreign objects away from them such as pencils. *Don’t touch or unplug the heat lamp because you will get burnt. *Monitor their food and water supply. *Room to exercise.

WARNING!!!!!! Don’t help the baby chicks hatch as they will not survive on their own if you do.

Rules * Be Quiet! * Be Responsible (Make sure to keep a safe distance away from the incubator). *Be Respectful to the Chicks. *Be Careful When Handling Them. * Keep their enclosure clean and safe.

Meet Dabber and Popcorn Popcorn is the lighter chick who hatched on March 14 th. Some of his favorite things to do include wrestling with his brother, eating, sleeping, chirping, and learning how to fly. Dabber is the darker one who hatched on March 13 th while we were at home. His favorite things to do include climbing on their sponge, following fingers, eating, sleeping, running, and learning how to fly.