From Egg to Chick: The Life Cycle of a Chicken

How do you get a chicken? You lay an egg. Then wait for it to hatch. Sorry, you can’t lay one. Or hatch one either. You need a hen, and a rooster.

Can you find the roosters? They're the boy chickens. They're bigger in size. Their combs are bigger too. The comb is that red hat, on top of their heads.

Can you find the hens? They're the girl chickens. They're smaller in size, and so are their combs.

How do chickens hatch a chick? First the hen lays her eggs in a nest. She sits on them. That keeps them warm so they'll  hatch.

Humans hatch eggs in an incubator. It gives the egg heat. It even moves them around so the whole egg is warmed.
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If you’re lucky, you have an incubator in your classroom. If you’re super-lucky, you’ll watch a chick hatch. I hope you’re super-lucky!

If your class is super-lucky, you’ll have a set of 21 plastic eggs. Peek in an egg every day. You’ll see your chick change. Why 21 eggs? It takes 21 days to hatch a chick. 

Look! Seven days…one week. Your chick starts as a yellow yolk. It grows a red dot, an eye. Then red lines, veins for blood. Finally, a body. In one short week!

Seven days…two weeks. 7 + 7 = 14 days. Your chick gets bigger. It has a comb and a beak. It has feathers and toes. Wait! Look! It’s a bird!

Seven more days…that's three weeks. 14 + 7 = 21 days. Your chick is covered in feathers. It has hard scales, claws, and a beak. It’s Day 21. It’s time to hatch!

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How does the chick get out?

Did you guess the egg tooth? You’re right! The chick taps and taps with its egg tooth. Finally its shell cracks. Can you see the chick peeking out?

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Does hatching look easy or hard?

I think it’s hard! Look at that first chick. I think  it needs a nap. What do you think?
 
The second chick looks better. Maybe it had a nap! 


Why is this chick cuter? It just hatched. ​

It got a nap. Its feathers dried. When a chick is born, it’s wet and covered in yolk. Yuck!


Do chicks hatch at the same time?

 No! Three chicks are waiting for a brother or sister. What will it be? A hen or a rooster? I wish we could see!

​This post is dedicated to Miss Harrison’s Kindergarten class who inspired it.​