Today we returned our chicks back to their home on Casey Farm in Saunderstown, RI. While we were a bit sad to say goodbye to our feathery friends, we understood that the farm was a better place for them to grow up then in our classroom.
It was wonderful to return to the farm (we visited in the fall!). Founded in 1702, it has 300 acres and overlooks Narragansett Bay. It now raises organically grown vegetables, herbs and flowers. And – of course – Casey Farm’s hens produce lots and lots of fresh eggs for both local families and nearby farmers’ markets! When we arrived at the farm, our guide, Terry, took us to the barn so we could introduce our chicks to their new home. We even learned about barn swallows and watched as they swooped over our heads.
We then went outside to learn a little more about chickens. We practiced clucking like chicks and even tried to find food in the sand by scratching with our “claws.”
We discovered some delicious worms and beetles!
We met Marshmellow, the rabbit . . .
. . . and then took a peek at the pigs (we even got to scratch their backs!)
We then saw the hens roosting and learned how to tell the difference between a freshly laid egg and one that had been laid hours before (ask us how we can differentiate between them!)
We moved on to feed some Rhode Island Red chickens (we learned that corn is like ice-cream for birds!)
We also visited some baby geese . . .
and baby turkeys (who tried to eat our zippers and buttons!)
Finally, Terry taught us how the farmers prepare their eggs for the market. First, we washed the freshly laid eggs . . .
. . . and then weighed them to determine whether they were small, medium, large or extra-large.
Once weighed, we sorted the eggs into the corresponding containers.
Afterward we sat at picnic benches and ate lunch – and then ran around the farm’s huge oaks and old stone walls. It was a very special adventure.