Growing in Knowledge
- Grades 9-12
| Things to Learn |
Things to Do |
| Study embryology |
- Read and outline one article on embryology.
- Draw your own embryonic development chart and display it at school.
- Compare embryonic development of different living things: birds,
mammals, etc.
- Write a report describing common embryonic deformities or abnormalities.
- Develop a new hybrid bird that will be a good meat bird, a good
layer or both good meat and layer.
- Make a chart showing the dominate and recessive traits for the
birds that you are crossing. List the possible results of cross
breeding.
|
| Building an incubator |
- Collect specifications on different incubator models.
- Design or build your own incubator.
- Consider such factors as cost, ease of construction, durability
of materials and efficiency.
- Do a cost analysis between a purchased incubator and the one
you build.
- What are the costs for each?
- List the pros and cons of building your own incubator.
- Give an incubator building demonstration. Incubate fertile eggs
in your own incubator.
- List ways to improve your incubator model.
|
| Incubation requirements |
- List 10 mistakes one could make while incubating eggs. Discuss
ways to prevent mistakes.
- Conduct an experiment with different incubation requirements:
i.e., use lower or higher temperatures. Relate these experiments
to embryo abnormalities. Present the results of your experiment.
|
| Nutritional requirements |
- Look up and record National Research Council nutrition requirements
for commercial poultry.
- Write a report describing the changes in nutrient requirements
between a chick and an adult bird.
- Determine costs of raising and feeding meat and/or egg birds.
|
| Behavior of birds |
- Observe chicks daily and write a report on their behavior. See
if you can discover a pecking order.
|
| Origin of birds |
- Read a history of chickens or of a particular breed.
- Prepare a report on the origin of a breed of chickens and show
how certain characteristics resulted from the breeding.
- Include skin color, feather coloring, egg color, etc. Tell about
the variations within the breed. Tell how the chicken is used in
the economy.
|
