By Nora Weber and Mrs. Sucato

 For 15 days this spring, Bradley Beach Elementary School was home to a flock of 18 chicks brought to the school by Ms. Jessica Mack, a special education teacher whose family owns a small farm in Colts Neck.

As part of an Environmental Club project run by science teacher, Mrs. Sauer, 30 eggs were placed in an incubator in the science room on May 8. The incubator was kept at about 100 degrees for 22 days. The first egg hatched on the early morning of May 28. Many of us saw the chick’s first moments on a live webcam that our I.T. coordinator, Mr. Monterrosa, put on YouTube.

After the chicks dried off, they were placed into a large brooder (tub) with cedar bedding and a heat lamp. They had bowls of fresh water and chicken food fortified with vitamins, Ms. Mack said. After two days, 18 chicks had hatched. There were five different breeds: Rhode Island Red, Bantam, Buff Orpington, Black Ancona, and mixed breeds.  Twelve eggs did not hatch. Mrs. Sauer and the Environmental Club examined the unhatched eggs but did not find signs of developed embryos.

Students were able to visit the chicks with their teachers, hold them, and give them names like Peanut, Butter, Jelly, Gregory, Shayla Ashley, Dill Pickle, Jamal, and Gotherinia. There was a play mat for them to use as they grew bigger and stronger and began to develop feathers.

“I was surprised to see how much the chicks contributed to our well-being and mental health,” Mrs. Sauer said. “They brought us calmness and peace just looking at them.”

On Thursday, June 12, we said goodbye to the chicks. They were so well socialized that they sat and napped on students’ laps. There were some tears at the end of the day when Ms. Mack took them home to her farm.

As of June 19, the chicks were still under the lamp in the brooder at Ms. Mack’s. Her daughters, Kyra and Kallie, were playing with them every day. In about three weeks, as soon as they get all their feathers, they will join Ms. Mack’s 14 bigger chickens in the coop. 

“You can tell they were socialized because they are so calm,” Ms. Mack said. “The girls even brought two into the living room.”

Our students (and staff) will always remember them fondly.

“We loved the chickens. They were so adorable,” said seventh-grader Stella Covert.

“This is one of the best things we have ever done, in my opinion,” said Molly Flynn, also in the seventh grade.

Stay tuned for more updates on the chickens as the weeks go by. We may even have an answer to the question: Is Gregory really a rooster?