Chickens More than Scratch the Surface

Students at Touchstone Community School learn more than the traditional subjects of reading, writing and arithmetic.

They also have the opportunity to learn about animal husbandry with the recent introduction of two young chickens.

Living in a 4-foot by 12-foot portable pen, the roughly 8-month-old birds were hatched the last weekend of May. Because chickens need between 5 to 8 months to mature, the two girls have just recently begun to lay sporadic eggs.

“Occasionally we get two eggs, which is really exciting,” said Seth Mansur, assistant middle school science teacher and one of the garden's main volunteers. As they grow, they'll get on a more regular laying schedule, he said, probably producing about 20 eggs a month.

Despite the snow and the sometimes whipping wind throughout February, the birds are now “happily scratching and pecking,” Mansur explained.

He described how students huddle around the coop every day to watch them, and have also each come up with their own personal names for them (they have no accepted, communal names just yet).

Dedicated parent volunteers check in on the chickens daily, to make sure that they're fed and that their water hasn't frozen.

Ultimately, it's a lesson for both students and parents that chicken-tending is a manageable, fulfilling experience.

“It isn't rocket science,” said Mansur. “If you can take care of a dog, you can take care of 100 chickens.”

Anyone who wants to learn more can attend the Touchstone Community School annual auction at 7 p.m. April 9 at the Worcester Senior Center.

Mansur is auctioning off a consultation for prospective chicken owners.