Incubator Project

We’ve paused our incubator project and aren’t taking any bookings for Spring 2021. We’re reviewing thing and will update here if we plan to continue for Spring 2022.

Would you like to hatch chicks in your classroom? We have incubators and brooders available for classroom project hire. We can provide you with all the guidance you need on how to hatch your own chicks in your own school!

We offer two options for classes wanting to raise their own chicks through our classroom incubator project. Both kits have the same equipment, however the second option (Incubator Project Package) includes the opportunity for children to be more interactive with their project. Your class will have talks from our livestock and education staff and even have the opportunity to visit Surrey Docks Farm after their chicks have rejoined our flock.

Incubation Kit – Equipment hire for a month and guidance £160.00

  • Fertilised eggs.
  • Incubator with automatic turner (For approx 21 days)
  • Brooder for chicks after hatching (for approx 7 days)
  • Feeder and drinker for chicks, and chick food

Kits will need to be collected and returned to the Farm.

Incubation Project Package – Equipment hire for a month £280.00

This is a more interactive package, tailored to be both fun and educational.

  • A talk from our Livestock Manager on eggs, incubators and chicken lifecycle.
  • A demonstration of candling to allow you to see the chicks developing in the eggs.
  • Fertilised eggs.
  • Incubator with automatic turner (For approx 21 days)
  • A candling light to observe developing chicks.
  • Brooder for chicks after hatching (for approx 7 days)
  • Feeder and drinker for chicks, and chick food

After your chicks have hatched and been returned to the Farm, classes can come to the farm on a self guided visit to see the chicks once they have joined our flock.

How to book your classroom incubator project kit:

We’re currently reviewing our Incubator Project and will update here if we plan to continue for Spring 2022.

What happens to our chicks? 
Chicks are returned to the Farm around one week old. We care for them in brooders with heat lamps, until they’re large enough to move outside and eventually join our flock. We deliberately limit the number of eggs we send out each year as we need to ensure we can accommodate all the young hens back into our flock. Many schools enjoy booking free self-led visits to come back and try to spot their hens in the yard!
However, we can’t keep introducing more cockerels to the flock as they will fight each other. Sadly this does mean we have to cull some of the young cockerels. Wherever possible we will find uses for this meat, for example pet shops can often take this to feed reptiles. 
Our incubator project is a fantastic way to teach children about life cycles and to care for living creatures. We think it’s important that teachers are aware of and think carefully about the implications of rearing young animals and as such we’re open about what happens to the chicks once they leave your classroom. If you have any concerns or would like to discuss this further do get in touch.
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