By Lauren Schiavone
Hometown Weekly Reporter
Needham kids made an afternoon stop at the NFPL for an extra lesson. “From Egg to Chicken,” taught by farmers from the Natick farm, opened children’s eyes to the various functions that chickens provide to us every day. Taking kids out of the classroom allowed them another environment to learn. Farmers brought the farm with them to get kids interested in agriculture.
Children learned about animal survival. A special diet and parts of the body, such as the claws that help them dig, can allow chickens to thrive on a farm. They soon understood that adequate food, shelter, and water are essential to them, just like humans.
Kids found out what’s inside an egg and how long it takes to hatch. They were exposed to proper terminology, including the shell, air cell, chalazae, yolk, and germinal disc. Chickens lay only one egg a day at the rate of one egg per 27 hours. It takes 21 days for a chicken to develop inside the egg. An instructional video showed the visual progression of a chick. Children were astounded to spot differences in developmental stages throughout the three-week process.
Different breeds of hens breed different types of eggs. For example, an Americana chicken hatches blue eggs. The Americana made a special trip to the library. Chickens such as these exemplify diversity in species on the farm. Taking learning even further and promoting children’s education, kids will be able to view eggs in an incubator at the children’s library with hopes of witnessing eggs hatching.
The Needham Free Public Library has a myriad of programming for children and adults. Stop by the library or visit https://needhamlibrary.org/ for a full event schedule.
