Egg-ceptional Observations
Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council
Prepared by Suzanne King/Chickadoo Suz
My Chicken Diaries Chicken Farm, Manvel, TX
Every day in so many ways chickens and eggs are part of our daily life. Seldom do we stop to think
about the chicken that laid the egg and the whole life cycle of chicken and the egg. The purpose of
this patch is to raise awareness of where eggs come from and to expand the scout’s understanding of
chickens.
Girl Scout Daisies
Girl Scout Brownies
Girl Scout Juniors
Girl Scout Cadettes
Girl Scout Seniors/Ambassadors
complete 4 requirements
complete 6 requirements
complete 9 requirements
complete 11 requirements
complete 13 requirements
1.
Chickens are living creatures and need to be handled with care, too. Show how to safely hold
and pet a chicken.
2.
Chickens, like people, are different sizes, shapes and colors. Other than white, find out about
at least five colors or color combinations that can appear on chickens.
3.
Not all chickens look the same. For example, some have long wattles while others have short
wattles. Find out about at least five chicken breeds and the ways to distinguish one breed from
another.
4.
The chicken's body has many similarities to ours. Find out about five characteristics of a
chicken’s body that are the same as a human body. Now, find out about five ways that a chicken’s
body is different from a human body.
5.
Chickens have feathers instead of hair to cover their bodies. They have different kinds of
feathers on different parts of their bodies. Roosters and hens have different kinds of feathers. Find
out about a variety of feathers. Can you guess which birds the various feathers may have come from
and from which parts of their bodies?
6.
Sit in a chicken yard for five minutes. Observe the variety of shapes and colors naturally
appearing in the plants and animals around you as well as in the buildings and other chicken yard
features.
7.
While in a chicken yard, close your eyes for five minutes. Simply sit and listen to the sounds
around you. Describe, to the best of your ability, what you heard. How many different sounds did
you hear from the chickens and what other sounds from other animals? How about sounds from
plants and nature?
GSSJC F-177
5/13
8.
Some hens go broody, meaning they sit on a nest of eggs to keep them warm or incubate them
until they hatch the eggs into chicks. Learn three things about mother hens hatching eggs into chicks.
9.
All chickens hatch from eggs, but not all eggs hatch into chicks. What is required for an egg
to become a chick? Using a raw egg, crack it all into a bowl. Look at the egg and identified the
different parts. Which part grows in to the chick in which part becomes food for the baby chick?
10.
Go to a grocery store. Look at the different kinds of eggs for sale. Based on how the chickens
live and are cared for, how do the average commercial eggs vary from cage-free eggs? How do cagefree eggs vary from free-range eggs? What colors of eggs do you find in the store? What colors of
eggs were gathered from the chickens?
11.
Most eggs gathered are used for food. Eggs are common in many of our recipes (and also in a
lot of animal feed). How many different ways or recipes can you find for cooking with eggs? Select
a recipe from a cookbook or invent your own recipe that calls for eggs. Share your food with your
troop or your family.
12.
Chickens were domesticated thousands of years ago. Using the internet, encyclopedia or
books at the library, research the history of the domesticated chicken. What is the oldest breed?
From where did the first chickens originate? What role did Queen Victoria of 1800's England play in
raising chickens for pleasure or hobby? According to the American Poultry Association or other
reliable source, how many breeds of chickens are now officially recognized?
13.
Chickens and eggs are part of customs and traditions around the world. One example, is
serving eggnog at holiday time. Discuss with your troop, your parents or read in a book of other
ways chickens and eggs are part of our daily lives and customs.
14.
Based on what you’ve seen and learned about chickens, invent your own breed of chicken.
What features would you want it to have? Draw a picture of your invented chicken.
15.
Like every person, every chicken has a story, too. Using the chicken you invented in
requirement fourteen, a chicken you saw during a chicken farm tour or storytelling time, or some
other time in your life when you were around chickens; make up your own story. It can be written or
spoken. Share your story with your family, friends or troop.
16.
Using feathers, twigs, flowers, leaves and other items found on in a chicken yard outing,
create a nature mobile, picture or collage.
GSSJC F-177
5/13