Ducklings - finally

Normally, everything I post on here is to do with life at Number 2, but tonight's post is about something that has been happening in my classroom.

 

Tonight I can relax!  I don't feel anxious! Why? ...

 

Back in April one of the parents asked me if I would like to borrow their incubator and try to hatch some ducklings with the children as part of our class topic.

 

After checking the Health and safety element (as you have to now a days) I said "Yes, Please!"

 

I didn't really know what I was letting myself in for.

 

Sixteen eggs arrived with the incubator on the 22nd May.  The children were so excited.  We watched in awe as the eggs were carefully placed inside the incubator, the parent told us it would take 28 days.

 

We have watched and waited since May.  The children in my class have checked them everyday, we made a count down chart and crossed off the days.

 

Tuesday 18th June was Hatching Day! Imagine 26 six year olds arriving on Tuesday morning! They all went straight to the incubator.  Nothing!  (I didn't mention that every morning at 8am the first thing I have done is check the eggs!)

 

Yesterday (Wednesday morning) they all did the same.  One of the eggs had "Pipped" a little crack in the egg could be seen! Imagine the excitement.

 

This morning ( Thursday) the children arrived, parents and siblings too, all to see if the egg had cracked even more.  It had and you could just make out the ducklings beak!

By lunch time today we had a very cute, very wobbly, and very little duckling!!

 

It has been wonderful, but totally stressful.  I feel relieved today, I can relax finally as at least one of them has hatched. There was a dreadful moment on Tuesday evening when I started to plan how I could explain to the children why they hadn't hatched.

 

Anyway when I left this evening at 5:30pm the little duckling was fast asleep, laid on the other eggs and another one had pipped.  Maybe tomorrow morning we will have another duckling!