KVC 7Bd

7 Bd are keen to have chickens on the farm. We are just starting out with inquiry questions to focus on but hope to have a plan in place for the 16th June presentation


Some questions

1. Are other classes thinking about chickens, if so would you like to put the budgets together for the chicken coop?
2. We are investigating different breeds, trying to decide if egg production is more important than ease of care?
3. Training chickens to use a feeder looks like a good idea, but how easy is it?

We have been investigating calcium and egg shells. Testing what happens when we add acid to the egg shells.
Grinding up the shells                                 Adding acid to the shell, watching bubbles being produced






22 comments:

  1. Hi 7Bd students. Well done on your great work getting your presentations together; and now you are getting ready to do some investigating. Can I come along too? Have you decided on what type of chickens will work best. I don't know the names of many different breeds. How big is best? Go for it! Dr McMillan Kaikorai Valley College

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  2. Thanks you for being so keen to learn today 7Bd! I found it interesting finding out about eggs and how they are made and what makes them up. Ms Eley and I will think about the calcite experiment and see if we can get everyone getting some bubbling. Dr McMillan

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  3. Ms Campbell: I have chickens and we use a grandpa feeder which is a box that the chickens can open themselves and eat from. Rats and sparrows are not heavy enough to open it so we don't waste the chicken food.
    Alyssa: maybe think about moving the chickens around because they will eat all the grass in one spot: 8Lj.
    Braden: you can feed the egg shells back to the eggs for calcium. 8Lj.
    Aedan: Are they going to be caged or free range?

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    1. Thank you Ms Campbell, some of our class will be investigating grandpa feeders today.
      Thank you Aedan, the class think the chickens need to be in a shelter overnight for safety but we are still deciding whether they could roam free or be in a fenced area. 7Bd think that they may need to be fenced in initially.
      Thank you Alyssa it would be good to investigate a movable system, it would be easier if we had small moveable coops.
      Thank you Braden we have been researching the egg shells in class and watch how they bubble when you add acid to them. We have also discovered lots of interesting shaped eggs if the chickens don't have enough calcium. We found out that you need to grind up the shells otherwise they learn to eat their own eggs.

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  4. Keely,Balaclava.Hello 7Bd, chickens sound like fun! I wanted to do chicken with our school, Balaclava, but then we thought where we're gonna put them and who's gonna look after them during the holidays!So we decided to stay with composting!What are the egg shells made of?Keep going 7Bd!

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    1. Hello Keely
      Thank you for your comment, there is a lot of calcium in egg shells. We will make sure to organise someone to look after the chickens over the holidays. But we will be creating a lot of chicken waste to compost, hopefully your group can help with this.
      Kind regards Samantha 7Bd

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  5. Ella and Catie BVA: We read a School Journal about chickens (School Journal August 2013 Level 2). It gives you information about owning a chicken coop, such as the types of chickens to possibly get and how many eggs they may lay.We may be able to lend the books to you if you can't get a copy.

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  6. Great thoughts Keely. Ella and Catie - thanks for sharing. See you on Thursday. Dr. McMillan

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  7. Hi 7 BD, What are you planning to do with the chicken eggs, are you going to hatch to build the chicken population or are you going to sell them? from Dylan and Callum

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    1. Hello Dylan and Callum
      We are planning to sell most of the eggs at various places such as the farmers market and canteen. We will also use some of the eggs to get more chickens so that we can gradually build the amount of chickens that we have. Thank you for commenting.
      Zaria from 7Bd

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  8. Hi 7Bd students. Great presentation today!

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  9. Madeleine BVA School.I think the chicken idea is a great idea.I have got chickens at home I heard they poo alot.Good Luck

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    1. Hi im from 7Bd some chikens do poo alot but the poo is really healthy for the farm thanks for the comment have fun with the farm.

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  10. Jordan bva what type of chickens are you getting.

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  11. Alexa Balaclava. Hi 7BD I heard oyster shells harden there egg shell

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    1. Hey Alexa
      We will have to investergate this our selves. Have you tried this yourself?
      Aria 7Bd

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  12. Zoey BVA At my dads farm we have chickens and we leave the rooster out all the time with the hens. Good Luck.

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    1. Hi Zoey
      Thank you for your contribution,we will have to look further into investigating whether we want chickens or roosters or even both.
      Is it actually any harder look after roosters?? Do roosters eat the same amount of food as chickens??
      Kind regards Jaiyushka 7Bd

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  13. Hi 7Bd. Are you still thinking about visiting a chicken farm to see what it is like?

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  14. Hi 7Bd and 8Nk
    Don't forget that you are both doing chickens! The classes should get together and chat about things. We can combine our finances and maybe we could get some chickens now and keep them at my house. My chickens might teach them to self feed over the next few months. I could bring the eggs into school and then we would really have to think about what we will do with them! Then in Nov we could organise what is needed to keep them at school and build/get it?

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  15. Hi to 7Bd students! How are your plans coming along for chickens on the farm? Setting up a place for them to stay sounds like a good action plan for November. Go for it!

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  16. Hi 7Bd,
    You and 8Nk are just beginning to collaborate on the chickens. Some students from 8Nk are coming to talk to you about being on the chicken roster they are making. I will also get the students who are thinking about getting a scrap bucket going for students to put food scraps in to come talk to you to see if you can encourage the Yr 7s.
    The chickens are arriving tomorrow!!

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