Egg Cam!
This is an almost live feed of the chicks in Ladybird Class. If you find that the feed is down please do visit again because we will set it running again as soon as possible.
Seeing eggs hatch and chicks grow is a hugely valuable and exciting experience for children. We hope after living the process day-to-day and being involved in a host of associated conversation and activities, that the children have a greater understanding of and respect for animals and the environment in general.
The eggs were supplied by Living Eggs, a company chosen carefully because of the way they manage the supply of eggs and the subsequent rehoming of chicks (including cockerels) afterwards. In the past, several of the chicks went on to live with Mrs Cotton! Full details of how the company operate can be seen on their website but here are two statements about re-homing of the chicks:
Living Eggs do not re-home chicks on intensive rearing farms. This is not ethically acceptable to us and would be contra to hygiene and bio security regulations of such companies.
Living Eggs will always ensure that all chicks returned to us by our customers are ethically and responsibly re-homed on one of the many smallholdings and free-range farms that work with us to provide safe and appropriate welfare.
We are extremely mindful that the chicks are not novelty playthings. We believe that by experiencing the hatching and growth of chicks close-up, the children will develop a greater understanding of the beauty and value of living creatures, that deserve care and respect.