7th-12th - Hatching and Raising Poultry

I would like to bring in a cabinet incubator about a week before the class starts to give us time to see chicks hatch on the 20th. We will be incubating quail and chicken eggs. Each week we will use an egg candler to check the progress and viability of the eggs. While we wait for the birds to hatch we will learn how to care for them. The first week will cover constructing a proper coop and nesting area, feeding, watering, medications, and coop maintenance. The second week will cover predator control. Students will learn how to recognize the signs of all possible predators (raccoon, opossum, fox, coyote, hawk, etc.) and how to prevent them from taking birds. We will learn about guardian animals, alarm animals, and nuisance trapping. The third week we will watch our baby chicks hatch and learn what needs to be done for them in the first week of life. I will review the process of incubation thoroughly and we will have and we will spend time discussing all that has been learned in the first two weeks. I will give an exam on all material covered on our last day of class.