Pupils at a Meltham school certainly have something to crow about, thanks to the arrival of some new chicks.

Four new lovable bundles of feathers are proving to be even more than they were cracked up to be after they were born at Meltham CE Primary School in the last couple of days.

The children cannot get enough of their new feathered friends, who have been given a new roost in year five classrooms as part of their science project on life cycles.

And they have been encouraged to hold the as yet unhatched offspring so they can feel them moving and hear them squawking in the eggs.

The birds are the first of possibly dozens which could be born in the coming week, following a donation to the school by the organisation Eggs for Education head Andrew Brearley after teaching assistant, Sharon Price, came up with the idea to bring the eggs to the school.

Newly hatched chicks at Meltham CE School.
Newly hatched chicks at Meltham CE School.

Called modern game birds, the new chicks are sleek and feisty breeds that could grow up to weigh around 6lbs each.

Mr Brearley said: Watching the eggs hatch and the chicks grow can be life changing for children. It teaches them about the importance of life and how through proper care a small, fragile egg, hatches and the fluffy chick can grow into a healthy young chicken. When a child cares for a chick it develops a sense of responsibility.”

Mrs Price said: “We started with 21 eggs which were a mixture of modern game and tuzos breeds, which we got on June 4.

“The eggs have been in the incubator for 21 days and the modern game chicks hatched and we are hoping for some more soon.

“Children from reception to year six have been so excited to see them and they will be looked after by year fives, who will watch them develop.

“As the modern game breed is known to be quite feisty, Andrew has suggested that we swap them for another type of chicken when they are a bit older which will join our two existing hens.”

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