Chickens in Schools?

[BUFFS]

as has been said,what do you do with the chooks over the holidays,they get more time off than a prisoner with good behaviour,who would be prepared to go to the school all thru hols? would the chooks be safe with the yob element that are left to roam about creating havoc, and destroying anything their small minds cant understand or even comprehend..

[MrsC]

Sorry guys but I am looking to get chickens in the school I work at. What a fantastic learning opportunity for the kids, that's how I see it.

[BUFFS]

Sorry guys but I am looking to get chickens in the school I work at. What a fantastic learning opportunity for the kids, that's how I see it.

so you are going to be at the school every day including xmas? or trying to keep moving the birds every few months?they would never settle anywhere, i hope you have it all worked out,chicken welfare that is,not trendy lessons that could be done by a visit to an urban farm..

[Bramble-Poultry]

my sister helps out at the local primary school - close to Richmond actually. each year she takes in half a dozen fertile orpington or sussex eggs and the kids get to learn about incubation and hatching. once the chicks are off heat, she either takes them home or the teachers adopt them for their homes. but they dont then keep them at school because the logistics are just not possible for them to ensure the welfare of the birds. this is, and must always, be the priority in all these situations

[MrsC]

so you are going to be at the school every day including xmas? or trying to keep moving the birds every few months?they would never settle anywhere, i hope you have it all worked out,chicken welfare that is,not trendy lessons that could be done by a visit to an urban farm..

Hi Buffs, I'm at school everyday apart from holidays and weekends. The chickens kept at school (looking at 3 hybrids) would be housed here with me in their own hen house and run (exclusive to them) and free ranging also in my garden during holidays. We have the good fortune to have the site manager living opposite the school and willing to look after them at the weekends. Sorry, but I'm not into trendy lessons that could be done by a visit to an urban farm, we are in a pretty rural location to start with. I do have my own hybrids and bantams with me at home and increasing in numbers and chicken welfare comes 1st in my books. I have first hand experience of that.

[its hilly]

Well theres one junior school near me who have done it brilliantly

Theyve set up a small allotment, and to get round the holiday problem theyre doing it as a 'community' project. (The local community actualy own the field the school stands in and have (keyed) access.) Theyve offered the allotment to someone from the neighbourhood...ME so that the plants are cared for/harvested in the hols, but the kids learn about growing stuff.

More to the point when I mentioned that I keep chooks, they decided to add a coop and run, so that I can keep some chooks there. It works well for me as I keep pure breeds as well as hybrids, so they have to be penned for a while to allow me to hatch pure eggs. I can keep some there for a while, then take them home to the others and bring a different type up. Means the kids get to see different breeds, and learn that there are more than one type or colour of chook in the world, and the basics of care, all without having to be responsible for their welfare.

[Bramble-Poultry]

mrs c - i am confused? are the school birds (teh 3 hybrids) kept at the school where you go each day except weekends and holidays, or are they kept at your house with your oter birds, albeit in their own run, visitted by the school?

just trying to work out who's got what and where

[MrsC]

Just to add, imho children need to experience things first hand, not a nice day trip to wherever. Give them the responsibility to care and look after animals/the environment will allow them to grow into respectful caring adults and not yobs. I don't like the word yobs to describe young people, it's very much stereotyping them. They are children, give them the chance the learn and stop the broad brush approach to stereotyping that is so commonplace today. It might change people's mind into how people view the future generation. Off on a rant, give young people the chance, they might surprise you!

[MrsC]

mrs c - i am confused? are the school birds (teh 3 hybrids) kept at the school where you go each day except weekends and holidays, or are they kept at your house with your oter birds, albeit in their own run, visitted by the school?

just trying to work out who's got what and where

Hi Bramble

The hybrids would be kept at school during the week and weekends (with site manager on site from 7am in the morning) and here with me at home during the holidays.

[MrsC]

Well theres one junior school near me who have done it brilliantly

Theyve set up a small allotment, and to get round the holiday problem theyre doing it as a 'community' project. (The local community actualy own the field the school stands in and have (keyed) access.) Theyve offered the allotment to someone from the neighbourhood...ME so that the plants are cared for/harvested in the hols, but the kids learn about growing stuff.

More to the point when I mentioned that I keep chooks, they decided to add a coop and run, so that I can keep some chooks there. It works well for me as I keep pure breeds as well as hybrids, so they have to be penned for a while to allow me to hatch pure eggs. I can keep some there for a while, then take them home to the others and bring a different type up. Means the kids get to see different breeds, and learn that there are more than one type or colour of chook in the world, and the basics of care, all without having to be responsible for their welfare.

Good for you, what a super idea!

[Scarlet]

Hi Bramble

The hybrids would be kept at school during the week and weekends (with site manager on site from 7am in the morning) and here with me at home during the holidays.

How will you settle them in? Different coop? Introducing young birds to old birds can cause disease in the younger birds who haven't yet built up immunity. Different flocks build up antibodies to the strains of illnesses that they have been exposed to.
Moving chickens does cause stress.
I agree that children need to learn about animals, where their meat comes from, what is inside an egg etc - I have two kids of my own! - but surely the welfare of a chicken comes before education? - Some of that education needs to be cared for at home and I think that includes having 'pets'.

[MrsC]

How will you settle them in? Different coop? Introducing young birds to old birds can cause disease in the younger birds who haven't yet built up immunity. Different flocks build up antibodies to the strains of illnesses that they have been exposed to.
Moving chickens does cause stress.
I agree that children need to learn about animals, where their meat comes from, what is inside an egg etc - I have two kids of my own! - but surely the welfare of a chicken comes before education? - Some of that education needs to be cared for at home and I think that includes having 'pets'.

Hi Scarlet

As previously posted, a run and hen house totally for them! Not all children have pets at home, maybe their only opportunity is to learn that in school. I'm well aware of the disease element etc etc etc. I also have 2 children of my own. Maybe caring for chickens at school will lead to an interest of keeping pets at home and therefore the cycle begins. Why can't the welfare of a chicken and education be all one and not comprimising the welfare of a living creature I might add?

[MrsC]

Just to add, I do have chickens of my own and I am quite aware of the health and welfare of them

[Bramble-Poultry]

oh thats ok - clear in my mind now cheers!

[di]

Just to add, imho children need to experience things first hand, not a nice day trip to wherever. Give them the responsibility to care and look after animals/the environment will allow them to grow into respectful caring adults and not yobs. I don't like the word yobs to describe young people, it's very much stereotyping them. They are children, give them the chance the learn and stop the broad brush approach to stereotyping that is so commonplace today. It might change people's mind into how people view the future generation. Off on a rant, give young people the chance, they might surprise you!

You imply the word 'yob' was used to describe young people in general...I don't think that was the case,just someone acknowledging that there is a 'yob element' in the community.Where I totally agree it's wrong to label youngsters as yobs imo I also think it wrong to dismis that this culture exists.
I think the worry was more that word may get out that the school have them some chooks and this unnamed'element' may see it as a fun target?
I think most of us are aware that the majority of kids are good

Back to the chooks...I wish you all luck introducing some to your school,maybe it's setup will allow for it to work.I just think that for a lot of schools it would be far too ambitious and the welfare of the chooks would become an issue.Also,sorry but I think the kiddies DO gain a lot from their trips out to either farms or local allotments and it seems to me you're dismissing the relevance they have.