How to Raise Baby Chickens at School

Cute, fluffy baby chicks make a perfect classroom pet. These small animals can be easily accommodated in a classroom, and provide students with the opportunity to practice animal care and watch an animal develop first hand. Having classroom pets also provides students with a lesson in responsibility, as they play a part in caring for the helpless creatures. Setting up a classroom chick station is simple and economical. With a few inexpensive supplies you can make your classroom inviting to both students and baby chicks.

Things You'll Need

  • Baby chicks
  • Aquarium or rodent cage
  • Towels
  • Heat lamp
  • Chick food
  • Small bowls
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Instructions

    • 1

      Select a habitat. Use any number of things as a habitat, from a rodent cage to an aquarium. It is not required that your habitat have see-thru sides, but your interested students will likely want to peer in at their fluffy pets regularly, so a clear sided container is best for viewing purposes. Select a container that is at least 1 foot by 1 foot to ensure your chicks are not crowded.

    • 2

      Line your habitat with soft towels. Place towels or linens along the bottom of your habitat to create a cozy home. Check your towels to ensure that there are no loose threads, as chicks can eat these, and become ill.

    • 3

      Place a heat lamp above your habitat. Place a 100-watt bulb or reptile light above your habitat. This light will ensure that your chick's habitat stays warm.

    • 4

      Put your chicks in the established habitat. Have everything ready before you get your classroom chicks, to ensure they have a nice, comfortable place to call home as soon as they arrive in your classroom.

    • 5

      Clean the habitat regularly. Change the linens in the habitat at least once a week. Handle soiled linens with care, as they can harbor illness-causing bacteria. Only teachers or other adults should change the habitat linens.

    • 6

      Check the food and water daily. Feed your chicks specialized chick food. This food can be purchased at any pet or livestock feed store. Place the food and water in small bowls or mason jar lids, ensuring that the chicks can easily reach the sustenance.

    • 7

      Provide the chicks with attention regularly. Hold and pet the chicks frequently. The more often the chicks are handled, the more acclimated to people they will become.

    • 8

      Plan a new home for your chicks. Once the chicks have grown too large for their habitat, they will need to graduate to an outdoor chicken coop. If you have a place on school grounds that is appropriate for a coop, you can establish one. If not, find a nice home for your grown chicks, so that they can flourish.