Sooner or later, usually over breakfast, a child holds up an egg and asks: "Is there a chick in here?" The real answer is a small wonder of nature, and kids as young as three can follow it. Here's the chicken life cycle step by step, plus hands-on ideas for preschool and home.
Step 1: The Hen Lays an Egg
A good laying hen lays an egg almost every day, and each egg takes her about a day to make. Here's the part kids often find surprising: hens lay eggs even when there's no rooster around. Those eggs can never turn into chicks. Only when a rooster lives with the hens can an egg be fertilized. The eggs you buy at the grocery store are simply eggs for eating – nothing is growing inside them.
Step 2: The Hen Sits on Her Eggs
Every now and then, a hen decides she wants chicks. She becomes "broody": she gathers a clutch of eggs in her nest and settles on top of them. Her warm belly keeps the eggs cozy, and she turns them with her beak again and again. She only leaves the nest for quick breaks to eat and drink. For coloring, try Hen in Nest.
Brooding takes about 21 days – three weeks. For preschoolers, that's 21 sleeps. A hen usually hatches somewhere between 6 and 12 chicks at a time.
Step 3: The Chick Grows Inside
While the hen keeps the eggs warm, a tiny chick develops inside each fertilized egg. The yolk is its food supply. At the wide end of the egg there's a little air pocket.
Here's a fact kids love: shortly before hatching, chicks start cheeping inside the egg – and the hen talks back. Mom and babies already know each other's voices before they ever meet.
Step 4: Hatching Day
The chick has a tiny hard point on the tip of its beak called an egg tooth. It uses it to peck a hole in the shell from the inside, then slowly turns and keeps pecking until the shell cracks open. This is hard work and can take many hours. The egg tooth falls off later.
A just-hatched chick is wet and scruffy. Soon its down dries into a soft, fluffy coat. You can color that moment in Hatching Chick, and the whole cycle on one page in From Egg to Chicken.
Step 5: Growing Up
Chicks can walk and peck for food very early on. The mother hen leads them around, shows them what to eat and tucks them under her wings when they get chilly – see Hen with Chicks. After a few weeks, real feathers start replacing the fluff.
Step 6: Young Hen or Rooster?
Over the next weeks and months, it becomes clear who will be a rooster. Young roosters grow a bigger comb, longer wattles and long, curved tail feathers. One day they try their first crow, which often comes out pretty wobbly. Young hens stay smaller and start laying eggs of their own after a few months – and the circle starts again. Curious about different kinds of chickens? Read Chicken Breeds for Kids.
Teaching It in Preschool
For kids ages three to six, four pictures are enough: hen lays egg – hen sits on eggs – chick hatches – chick grows into a chicken. Mix up the cards and let the kids put them back in order.
Hands-on ideas:
- Pop-up card: The craft template Hatching chick card has an egg that opens to reveal the chick. Great for acting out hatching day. Print it on US Letter cardstock so the card stands up well.
- Squishy: The Hatching Chick template gets colored, cut out and stuffed – a soft toy with a surprise inside.
- Movement game "Hatch!": Everyone curls up small on the floor like an egg. First they cheep quietly, then tap on their "shell," poke out one arm and finally stretch out completely.
- Countdown chart: Draw a strip with 21 boxes and check one off each day to feel how long three weeks really is.
Hygiene tip: If you craft with real eggs or eggshells, have everyone wash their hands well afterward. Raw eggs can carry germs.
FAQ
How long does it take for an egg to hatch?
About 21 days, or three weeks. Depending on warmth, it can be a day earlier or later.
Does a hen need a rooster to lay eggs?
No. Hens lay eggs without a rooster. A rooster is only needed for an egg to be able to grow into a chick.
Should you help a chick that's hatching?
Better not. Hatching is tiring, but the chick needs that time to get strong enough for life outside the shell. Trying to help can easily hurt it. Watching quietly is the best way to help.