Which Came First? The Chicken or the Egg?

If you have been following our blog, you know that we started chicken eggs in our incubator awhile back. Unfortunately, we did not have any luck hatching our little chicks. (We will try again soon.) Fortunately, my dad still raises chicks and when we went for a visit this past weekend we were able to borrow a few chicks from the farm for a few weeks to watch.

Baby chicks are quite amusing, I've found myself parked in front of their brooder box for quite some time. The children have been enjoying their company too. Here is what they have to say:

"Baby chicks are pretty cool"

"They can jump"

"They put their feet up like an ostrich and a flamingo"

"They put their feet in their food and water a lot"

"They sleep when they are standing up. When they start to sleep standing up they fall down a little bit and then they wake up."

"One of our chickens is really mean and he tries to jump out"

"One of the chickens tries to peck its way out"

"They really eats some drinks some water and eats some food"

"They are really tiny and everybody likes them"

"They were drinking and they were eggs and they wanted to get out, they very funny"

We moved some markers and clip boards near the brooder box so that our friends could record their observations.

And of course, we had to ask.... Which came first? The chicken or the egg?

The children are still debating this out. "It's like a circle. It is hard to find the start" (coming from my 8 yr old.) Then of course, after talking with Mr Allan, it is apparent that eggs were laid by other animals long before chickens were around, so if you get technical about it, eggs were here before chickens. The debate continues.

(You'll notice that our brooder box looks different in different photos. The original light/heat source that came with our incubator to use as a brooder box light was not sufficient enough to produce enough heat, so we invested in a better heat lamp. Our "chickies' are now nice and warm, and growing fast!)

Easter Egg Caterpillars!

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My friend died

I learned a hell of a lot from Dan Hodgins. He was mentor, a friend, and a "bone shaker" for many of us in the field of Early Childhood Education. He was and will always be a champion for children, and protector of childhood. I have so many great memories of time spent with him, it just doesn't seem like we had enough time. Dan died this past Saturday. Interestingly enough, Dan and I talked about death quite a bit. It is one of those topics that isn't talked about all that much in our field, but is super important. All living things eat, all living things poop, and all living things die. Dan and I recorded a podcast for awhile called "Shaking Bones." Dan was always shaking bones, even before I met him. To say I was honored to be asked to be his co-host would be putting it lightly. I loved recording with him. He was never afraid to touch on topics that were a bit edgy, or issues that sometimes weren't talked about much at all. We even...

A Few Ideas With Marker Caps (As Promised)

Yesterday, I hope I convinced you not to throw away your markers that "don't work." Today, I will share with you a few ideas for what to do with all of the caps. The possibilities are nearly endless, but here are a few of our recent creations: 1) A Leprechaun/Fairy Ladder/Rope Ladder: 2) #1 if not permanently secured can also double as a rope bridge: 3) #1/#2 can also be made into a train track for your homemade trains :). (No photo available) 4) You can use them as beads for a necklace: 5) You could make them into a wind chime. (No photo available). 6. You can use them as small manipulatives to count, sort, and make patterns with. (No photo available). 7) You could use them as playing pieces in your own homemade board game. (No photo available). 8) You could put them on a wire and glue them in place to make a twirling whirly-gig. 9) You could top them with a lid from a milk jug to make tiny tables or toadstools. 10) You could make them...

Mullin Avenue Workshop said…

Amy,
What fun to hear your childrens' interesting thoughts on these chicks.

I love your husband's explanation, and answer to the time old question, of "What came first...":)

Your 8 year old had a good answer too, very thoughtful.

For several years at one daycare I worked we had eggs to hatch at Easter time, and we made a home made box for them , with the warming light, etc. And one year, our chicks were with us for quite awhile, and were getting fairly large. While the children were resting, a chick managed to hop out and make it up the stairs. :)
Brenda

April 27, 2011 at 9:04 PM

Ms. Amy's Blog @Child Central Station

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