Cheep Cheep

Cheep and Peep + 2 more have arrived in my Kindergarten classroom. 3 weeks ago a farmer arrived with 12 chicken eggs and 1 duck egg. After 21 days there was the possibility (try explaining that to a group of 5 and 6 year olds... that their chicks may not hatch ... just because??) that some of them would hatch.

Well low and behold ... ours held out for exactly 21 days! While other classes were having chicks hatch on the 20th day and I started getting nervous, we noticed a small crack in our egg on the 21st day. And what to my wondering eyes should appear on the morning of day 22!?!?!

Chicks!!!!!! (well... chick - who we voted and named Cheep)

And then.... ANOTHER ONE! Which was amazing because my class actually got to see it hatch from the egg which was an experience that I think they will always remember. They loved it!

The one we got to see hatch - who we named "Peep"

Peep about 5 minutes old!

The following morning I took Cheep and Peep out of the incubator and into their new home (Cheep is far left with the darker coloring, Peep is the perfectly yellow one, in case you were wondering)

And then... 2 MORE ON DAY 23!

There are 4 of them in there but the Cheep and Peep stole the show (yes, I know the difference of all of them... they each have different colorings)

And... when I left school yesterday there was one that we could see it's beak and probably a 1/4 of its body... but it (we don't know he/she) just couldn't muster up all of the energy to crack open before we left.

There is #5... no names yet for 3, 4, or 5 - we just lost track of time yesterday!

If it manages to fully hatch we will have 5! And who knows, more could be hatching today but being that it's Good Friday we do not have school. Don't worry... I am going up to school tomorrow morning to clean out their little home (aquarium with food, water, and shavings) and I'll check on if there are any more. They have to stay in the incubator for at least 24 hours to fully dry so don't worry, they won't die from being in there.

The duck eggs take 1 week longer so we shall see if we are lucky enough to have it hatch! We will keep them in our room (cheeping and all) for about a week and then the farmer comes back to take them to their farm.

They really are so funny to watch. They love to snuggle on top of one another and sleep and they just peck at everything. What a great springtime surprise for us with only 27 days to go! (WHAT WHATTT).