[quiltycats]

I am booked to give a talk on chickens next week, well it is actually on the subject of eggs and egg production and aimed at 8 to 9 year olds( whole schools full of them). Granted, it isn't the first talk I have given on hens, but I am wondering..if you could, just what would you say to the next generation about hens and all things chicken?

[plumseverywhere]

I have an 8 and 9 year old right with me now. I think learning about how eggs are good for us and all the things we use eggs in when we cook would be useful. My girls are understanding of 'free range' and the different ways hens are kept for egg production and they have their own views, I would imagine though that many of their school friends still believe eggs come from Tesco 
India, my 8 year old, says she'd like to learn more about the hens who don't free range and what a day in their life might be like compared to those who have lots of space to roam about in.
She also said it might be nice to learn about different kinds of chickens 

[Mammyshaz]

Having to deal with pet owners who, through ignorance, neglect the main needs of their pets, resulting in welfare issues, I say teach them young. Yes it's great learning about eggs and where they come from but also that they only produce happily if kept healthy. Even the ex batts were kept with a daily supply of food and water ( I would hope  ). The hen is easy to keep but still a daily commitment,then the end results are worth it. Especially going from a fertile egg through the stages to a laying adult hen  I'm so hoping to achieve this by summer 

Take in a few Banty eggs and some large eggs to show the difference too. And piccies always go down well especially of fluffy chicks 

Hope you have great fun doing it.  And let us know how it goes 

[goosepimple]

How keeping hens safe and away from other pets like dogs, large cats, and the whole rat and stoat issues.  Hen heirarchy.  How most of them turn out to be cockerels and what would you do to deal with that.  What it means for the egg eater if they are fed the wrong things.  The very important business (to a hen) of laying an egg and where is the most comfy place to lay it.  A day in the life of a hen in a clean house well looked after, and the same in a neglected house.  How some hens are 'feral' and prefer to roost in trees rather than houses.  How some hens get bored and how to deal with that.  What hens like to eat as treats.  What are good names for hens.  We have Mrs Cluckerhen, Spookyhen, Chicken and Licken, Scritch and Scratch, Dot, Henny Penny etc.How to tell how old a hen is by looking at her legs - you can do that with Primary School teachers too! 

[HesterF]

My kids (oldest 7) are really interested in chicks so I reckon the whole life cycle thing would be good (the other aspect of eggs, not just for eating!)- pictures of the chick developing inside the egg, what they use the yolk for, how they can be looked after by a broody or incubated (do they have an incubator in the school - my kid's school does and it's amazingly popular), how they break out and how they need heat for a while until they get feathers.

I'd also use the opportunity to talk a lot about how most supermarket eggs are produced with a few pictures of the lines and lines of tiny cages and how things like 'barn kept' chickens is only marginally better. Do a big sell on free range at least, even if they can't have their own chickens free ranging in their back garden.

H

[Anke]

Actually some pictures of chicks that are not bright YELLOW, but for example black may be interesting, some (adult) friends of ours had never thought that chicks can be black too and were amazed when they saw ours hatching... (Marans)...

[goosepimple]

Buy 3 boxes of supermarket eggs and crack one out of each on a plate and then one of your own.  Might be worth cracking one open from pellet fed (cardboard fed) hens and one from mixed grain (real food). Now, have I started something ........

[mentalmilly]

My hens are fed pellets (cardboard) and corn for a treat in the afternoon and we have lovely golden yolks, tasty too.  They are free range and l think that makes a difference.  Good idea to show the difference in coloured yolks.

[sabrina]

keeping hens happy and stress free means lots of eggs, moulting, worming. Pecking order, costs.

[goosepimple]

Poultry marts, poultry organisations ... TAS ..

[chrismahon]

I don't know what I would say. Could be there for a week! How on earth you extract the basics for a short talk to school kids I don't know. Perhaps their interest would be gained if you told them that chickens are the most numerous bird species on the planet and also the oldest. Having remained virtually evolutionary unchanged for 2 million years. They have a 46 'word'  vocabulary and are the closest living relative to the dinosaur Tyrannosaurus Rex, which was in fact a very very very large chicken.


Good luck Quiltycats.

[plumseverywhere]

I think Chrismahon has hit upon a great idea - mention dinosaurs to that age group and you will have them captivated from the off!
Lots of pictures and hands on things to touch and do will help as well.

[goosepimple]

yeah, some freaky examples!!! Modern Game etc (no offence keepers).

[Mammyshaz]

I wish I could be at this talk myself, Im sure to learn a thing or three 

[quiltycats]

Could always smuggle you in.......Last year's June talks I had a glamorous assistant from oz, least she was glamorous until Malcom the Marran sorted that out..

I had back yard keepers among some of the teaching staff that accompanied the kids last year, and I was delighted to be able to share info with them too.

By the end of 2 days my voice was shot !!!

Getting children to respect where their food comes from is kinda fun and rewarding.