In the fall of 2024 ERCS students learned about incubation, the life-cycle of chickens, and animal husbandry through their Chicken Project.
They started with 40 fertilized eggs, saw how to candle the eggs, learned how to tell which were growing and which were not. Finally, there were 12 viable eggs, and the students watched as they grew and then hatched. They took took care of the baby chicks, and were sad when some of them didn't make it. But they took great care of the ones that did.
At the same time, they were also designing and building the chicken coop. They had a lot of help from a few parent volunteers, and eventually the coop and run were finished. Then the chickens were introduced to their new home.
Most of the chicks turned out to be roosters, so they went to new homes and we are left with one full size chicken and a banty chicken rooster. They are now laying eggs, and the one hen hen has a batch of chicks she is raising.
This student designed and student built sandbox doubles as a beach volleyball court, and holds several tons of sand.
This project was designed and built by Echo Ridge Students during the winter and spring of 2024.
