Eggs and Chicks

This year the children were captivated by the delivery of some eggs. They patiently observed the eggs, some noticed they were moving and that they could hear a sound coming from the eggs. Children suggested many things that could be inside the eggs "Chicks... dinosaurs... crocodiles... let's cook the eggs!" 
After a couple of days some yellow beaks were spotted, pecking their way out of the shells. When the newly hatched chicks were fully hatched they were transferred to a larger heated container. All 10 chicks hatched successfully.
Children helped to care for our visitors: cleaning, feeding and watering them. They gently handled the tiny chicks and talked about how they felt. Children observed the chicks closely, noticing changes such as their size, the colour of their feathers and how they moved.
Four of the chicks went to live with a member of staff. The remaining six went back to the farm. 
Enrichment experiences like this are so wonderful in developing language and empathy.
We are always mindful of living creatures and as a staff we are reflective about this process. 
We will review next year whether we feel this is an ethically sound experience to be part of.