RAISING CHICKS

Tending baby chicks isn’t difficult, nor need it be elaborate. As well as chick starter feed and clean water, they need a draft-free brooder pen with a red brooder lamp on at all times. This keeps the temperature at 92°F (33°C) at 2 inches above the floor. (It also reduces picking and cannibalism among chicks.)

When the chicks have feathered out, reduce the temperature by 5°F per week until they are 6 weeks old, then switch their feed from chick starter to grower mash.

TIPS FOR KEEPING A HAPPY CHICKEN COOP

• If you don’t yet have one, here’s how to build your own chicken coop.

• Many sources say that you can’t keep a flock of mixed ages. We never had a problem with older chickens picking on younger ones or vice versa. Our hens raised their chicks happily in the flock. Most picking is the result of overcrowding. Give your chickens lots of space.

• Young chicks need to be close to water and food at all times. Spread a 4-inch layer of pine shavings on the floor, then lay several layers of newspaper over that. Scatter lots of chick feed on the paper and also have feeding troughs filled in the pen. Remove a layer of paper every day, and by the time the last layer is gone, the chicks will have found the feeding trough.

• Always use red bulbs; injury doesn’t show under red light. Under white light, any bloody spot immediately attracts pecking. Chicks will cheerfully and efficiently peck each other to death.

• Block corners of the pen with cardboard to make wider angles that are harder for chicks to pack up in. (You could also make a circular pen.) This prevents suffocation.

• Ensure that waterers are shallow and cleaned daily to avoid having chicks drown. My hatchery recommends one gallon-size waterer for every hundred chicks. I always had two or three, even for fewer chicks, so that they wouldn’t crowd.

• With pullets, I used one waterer for every six to eight chickens and a feed trough long enough to accommodate all of them at once.

Here is a video about chicks

Here is the link to make this cute, fluffy chick.

https://www.simpleeverydaymom.com/fluffy-chick-craft-for-kids/

Baby Ducks

What You’ll Need to Raise a Baby Duckling

• Brooder – a spare bathtub, large Rubbermaid tote, dog crate or cardboard box lined with plastic

• Heat Lamp

• Thermometer

• Chick feed — regular (chicken) chick starter feed is fine as long as it is unmedicated

• Brewer’s yeast

• Grit — commercial chick grit or a small dish of coarse dirt

• Shallow bowl for water — such as a sturdy ramekin or soufflé dish

• Shallow bowl for food — a small terracotta planter base works well

I have raised ducklings in a plastic tote, a kiddie pool and a galvanized tub. By far, the best place I have found to brood your ducklings is a spare bathtub, if you have one, with their water dish at the drain end.

Ducklings can’t help but play in their water, and the brooder will be soaking wet all the time no matter what you do. So the bathtub method seems to be the most effective in containing their mess. I line the bathtub with a few layers of newspaper to absorb the water, then lay rubber shelf liner over that so the ducklings won’t slip on the slick newspaper. After the ducklings come to recognize what is food and what isn’t, I add a layer of pine shavings which are replaced as necessary, along with the newspaper and shelf liner.

When you first bring your new ducklings home from the feed store or they arrive in the mail, dip each duckling’s bill into a shallow dish of room-temperature water (or sugar water – 1/3 cup sugar/per gallon water), then set each into your pre-heated brooder. The temperature needs to be 90 degrees for the first week, then lowered a degree a day (7 degrees/per week) until the temperature in the brooder is the same as the outside low temperature, at which time the ducklings can be transferred outside to a predator-proof house/pen. By the time the ducklings are 3-5 weeks old, weather-dependent, they can spend warm, sunny days outside, carefully supervised and protected from predators.

Until the ducks are fully feathered around 7-9 weeks old, they have trouble regulating their body temperature and need heat. Watch the ducklings (as well as the thermometer) to gauge if they are warm enough. Warm ducklings will scamper around the brooder. If they are too cold, they will cluster under the heat source. If they are too warm, they will pant and stand as far from the heat as they can get.

Ducklings hatched in an incubator, unlike those hatched under a mama duck, don’t have oil glands working yet to coat and waterproof their feathers, so they can easily become waterlogged and drown. For this reason, a shallow water bowl should be used for water, one into which they can submerge their entire bill to keep their mucous membranes moist, but not fall into and drown. Stones or marbles can be added to a slightly deeper dish as the ducklings get bigger. Until they are about a month old, ducklings should only be allowed short, supervised swims. I fill a plastic tub with warm water and let them splash around for a few minutes to get used to being in water. I then dry them off and return them to the brooder so they don’t catch a chill.

Here is a fairy tale about ducks, Bostyn. I hope you learned a lot about baby chicks and baby ducks! ;0)

April 6-10

Our Talented Class

Here is Bostyn's ship in a bottle that she did. Very awesome Bostyn!!! I love it. Thanks for sharing this with us!!!

Remember to have your parents send me picture of your talents. We would all like to see what great things you are doing!!!

More of What You Want To Learn

Eve said she wanted to learn about Cheetahs and Lyla H. said she wanted to learn about animals. Since I don't know which animal she wants to learn about, I will have to ask her. A Cheetah is an animal so for now Lyla, I hope this will be okay for Eve and for you!

Cheetah Facts: Introduction

The cheetah is one of Africa’s most famous animals. Most people in the world are able to identify this elegant, long legged cat with its golden, spotted coat.

The Cat Family

The cheetah’s Latin name is Acinonyx jubatus. It is one of the larger members of the felidae (cat) family. However, as we’ll see further down the page, the cheetah isn’t usually included as one of the ‘big cats’.

The felidae family contains two subfamilies: Pantherinae, which comprises the tiger, lion, jaguar, leopard, snow leopard and clouded leopard; and Felinae, which includes all of the other cats, including the Cheetah.

Where Do Cheetahs Live?

Most of the world’s cheetahs live in Africa. A very small number of the rare Asiatic cheetah subspecies lives in Iran.

The cheetah is usually found in open areas such as semi-desert, prairie, grassland and savanna. However, they are also occasionally found in areas of dense vegetation and in mountainous regions.

Cheetah Size And Weight

The cheetah is build for speed rather than strength. Although taller than a leopard, it is not as heavy. The cheetah’s body is around 1.5m (5ft) in length. Its tail adds another 85 cm (33 in.). Its shoulder height is between 80 and 90 cm (30 and 36 inches).

The adult Cheetah weighs between 50 and 64kg (110 and 140 lb); males tend to be slightly larger than females.

Can Cheetahs Roar?

Cheetahs can purr, just like domestic cats, but they can’t roar like the other Big Cats.

Cheetah Fur And Markings

Cheetahs are the world’s fastest land animal. Keep reading to find out how fast they can run!

The cheetah has rather coarse, short fur. The coat is pale gold-brown in color, fading to white on the animal’s undersides. The cheetah’s back, sides and legs are covered with around 2,000 solid black spots.

The spots are round, and between 2 and 3 cm (0.8 – 1.2 in.) in diameter. The tail also has these spots, but towards the end they merge together to become rings.

At the very end of the tail is a bushy, white tuft. Cheetah cubs use this to keep track of their mother’s position when they are in long grass.

Tear Marks

Cheetahs have distinctive black “tear marks” running from the corner of their eyes down the sides of the nose to their mouth. Scientists think these may help to keep sunlight out of the cheetah’s eyes.

King Cheetah

Occasionally, cheetahs are born with a mutation that causes their spots to merge together, forming patches on their sides and three stripes along their backs and tails.

Cheetahs with this color variation are known as ‘king cheetahs’. They are extremely rare.

Is The Cheetah A Big Cat?

The term ‘big cat’ isn’t a scientific term. It is used informally to describe members of the Panthera genus that can roar.

The five animals belonging to the Panthera genus are the tiger, lion, jaguar, leopard, and snow leopard. Because the snow leopard cannot roar, it is often excluded from the big cats group.

However, the definition of a big cat is often widened to describe any big, potentially dangerous felid. (A ‘felid’ is a member of the felidae family.)

Using this wider definition, the cheetah is a big cat, as are the clouded leopard, snow leopard and cougar.

How Fast Is A Cheetah?

The cheetah is the fastest land animal on the planet. It can reach speeds of up to 75 mph (120 km/h) over distances of up to 1,600 ft (500 m).

The cheetah’s acceleration is equally as impressive. It can reach 62 mph (100 km/h) from a standstill in only three seconds.

Watch the video below to see incredible footage of a cheetah running: it’s an amazing sight!

What Does A Cheetah Eat?

The cheetah uses its speed and acceleration, along with its remarkable agility, to catch its prey. A cheetah’s diet mainly comprises various species of antelope, wildebeest calves, hares, birds and wart-hogs.

Cheetah Adaptations

The cheetah has several adaptations to help it run fast. During a chase, its respiration rate increases from 60 to 150 breaths per minute. It has a large heart and lungs, and its large nostrils allow it to breathe extremely rapidly.

A cheetah’s claws cannot be fully retracted; this helps it to accelerate and to turn sharp corners at high speeds.

The cheetah’s long tail moves from side to side to provide balance as the animal makes fast turns.

Cheetah Families

A female cheetah with her cubs.

Cheetahs are typically solitary animals. Males will form small groups, which are often made up of brothers from the same litter. These groups are called ‘coalitions’.

Females live alone, and remain so even when they are raising cubs.

Cheetahs have a pregnant about 94 days. They usually give birth to 4 cubs, although there can be as many as 9. The cubs already have their spots when they are born, which is unusual for cats.

Cheetah cubs are also born with a short, upright mane which is gradually shed as the cub gets older.

Cheetah cubs stay with their mother until they are 13 – 20 months old. They then form sibling groups that remain together for another 6 months. After this, the female siblings leave the group. The young male brothers remain together for life.

Cheetahs live for up to 12 years in the wild, and up to 20 years in captivity.

Cheetah Facts: Predators

Cheetahs are fairly large animals, and don’t have many natural predators. However, cheetah cubs often fall prey to other big cats, and also to animals such as hyenas and African wild dogs.

Another problem cheetahs face is that their prey is often taken from them by other animals. Cheetahs will often give up their prey rather than risk injury fighting for it. If a cheetah cannot run due to an injury picked up in a fight, then it will die of starvation.

Are Cheetahs Endangered?

In the past, cheetahs have been hunted for their fur. Even today, some people tame them and keep them as pets or for recreational hunting other animals.

The cheetah’s conservation status is ‘vulnerable‘. It is thought there are only around 6,700 cheetahs living in the wild. A small population (around 80 adults) of the critically endangered Asiatic cheetah subspecies lives in Iran.

Top Ten Cheetah Facts For Kids

1. When cheetahs are running at top speed, they travel over 20 feet (7 metres) with each stride

2. Cheetahs are the smallest of the big cats.

3. Cheetahs can see their prey up to 3 miles away

4. Cubs weigh around 3.2kg (7lb) when they are born

5. The cubs are born blind, but they can see after about 12 days

6. The mane which the cubs are born with makes them look like honey badgers which may confuse predators

7. Because of their low numbers, cheetahs are the most endangered Big Cat in Africa

8. Cheetahs cannot fully retract their claws – few other cats are like this

9. Lions and leopards usually do their hunting at night whereas cheetahs hunt for food during the day

10. Only half of their chases, which last from 20 – 60 seconds, are successful.

Now lets give you all something to draw!

Today I would like to share my birthday with you...Here is a slice of chocolate cake. Mmmm, isn't it delicious?!?! lol

Here are some funny Birthday Jokes

1. What do you say to a rabbit on its birthday?

Hoppy Birthday!

2. Why do candles always go on the top of cakes?

Because it's hard to light them from the bottom.

3. What do cakes and baseball teams have in common?

They both need a good batter.

4. What goes up but never comes down?

Your age.

5. What does every birthday end with?

The letter Y.

6. What did the pirate say on his 80th birthday?

Aye matey.

7. What did the tiger say to her cub on his birthday?

It's roar birthday!

8. Why did the girl put her cake in the freezer?

She wanted to ice it.

9. Why did the cupcake go to the doctor's office?

It was feeling crumby.

10. What one thing will you get every year on your birthday, guaranteed?

A year older.

Play Pin the Tail on the Donkey

http://akidsheart.com/holidays/bday/bdnk5.htm

Happy Birthday Song

https://youtu.be/nZqlq7pddf4

You were born on March 31, 1968.

Strange Facts About Me

That means today is your birthday and you've just turned 52.

Happy Birthday!

Your Exact Age

52 years, 0 months, and 0 days old.

or 52.000 years old.

or 624.0 months old.

or 2,713.3 weeks old.

or 18,993 days old.

or 455,831 hours old.

or 27,349,860 minutes old.

or 1,640,991,600 seconds old.

Days of the Week

Today is a Tuesday.

Your last birthday was on a Sunday.

You were born on a Sunday.

Random Birthday Proverb

"There is an anti-aging possibility, but it has to come from within."

- Susan Anton

Dogs, Cats, etc

If you were a dog , you would be 295.9 years old.

If you were a cat , you would be 263.6 years old.

If you were a chicken , you would be 433.2 years old.

If you were a cow , you would be 346.8 years old.

If you were an elephant , you would be 86.8 years old.

If you were a rabbit , you would be 577.7 years old.

If you were a horse , you would be 173.2 years old.

If you were a bee , you would be 42,164.5 years old.

Half Birthday

Your upcoming half birthday will be on October 1, 2020, which is 184 days away.

Body

You have taken around 382,898,040 breaths of air.

Your heart has beaten around 1,969,189,920 times.

Signs, Symbols, etc

Your birthstone is Aquamarine.

Your birth flower is the Daffodil, which symbolizes spring, rebirth, domestic happiness, and vanity.

Your horoscope sign is Aries

♈

Your Chinese Zodiac animal is the Monkey.

• Strengths: Wise, sociable, flexible, and friendly.

• Weaknesses: Egotistical, cunning, and self-indulging.

Dates

You were born in a leap year.

The current year, 2020 is a leap year.

There are 269 days until Christmas (December 25th).

1000s

You turned 1,000 days old, on December 26, 1970

You turned 10,000 days old, on August 17, 1995

You'll turn 25,000 days old, in 6,007 days, on September 10, 2036

You'll turn 50,000 days old, in 31,007 days, on February 21, 2105

Generation

You are part of Generation X.*

Age on Other Planets

On Mercury , you would be 215.93 years old.

On Venus , you would be 84.54 years old.

On Mars , you would be 27.65 years old.

On Jupiter , you would be 4.38 years old.

On Saturn , you would be 1.77 years old.

On Uranus , you would be 0.62 years old.

On Neptune , you would be 0.32 years old.

On (former planet) Pluto , you would be 0.21 years old.

Eating, Sleeping, etc

You have spent about 19.1 years sleeping .

You've had about 94,965 dreams .

You have spent around 30.4 months eating and drinking .

You have eaten about 51.9 tons of food .

You have laughed around 189,930 times.

Join The Dance Party

https://youtu.be/6R0v0ovq1hs

(Don't forget to get your parents permission to access YouTube links)

Easter Origami Crafts

Here is a link to some fun Easter Origami. Hope this makes you happy Bostyn!

https://www.redtedart.com/easy-easter-origami-for-kids/

James, here is a video aobut how fossils form that is kind of interesting.

http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/science_up_close/207/deploy/interface.html

I found two books that are read aloud videos you might enjoy.

The first one is called "Fossils" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YX3HTldx-ns

The second one is called Fossils Tell of Long Ago https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCcYNZ_4Zxk

Joe loves to get in the spirit of things and shows us his favorite book to read and who he likes to read with!!!

What You Want To Learn

James said that he would like to learn a little bit more about Fossils and Stingrays. So here you go James. Here's some stuff about Stingrays!

Stingrays

Stingray Facts For Kids

1. A Stingray is a cousin to the shark. A stingray does not have any bones but is made of cartilage.

2. There are several different types of stingrays. Some live in the ocean, in deep water such as stingrays and round rays, however some stingrays live in rivers for example the river stingray.

3. Altogether there are over 70 different stingray species around the world.

4. Stingrays have flat bodies which are great for hiding at the bottom of the ocean and a good way for these sea creatures to hide from predators.

5. Stingrays can be eaten by larger fish, sharks, seals and sea lions.

6. The stingray has eyes on the top of their flat surface. Their mouth and stingray gills along with the nostrils are on the underside of the stingray.

7. A stingray can live for up to 25 years.

What are stingrays? https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/stingray/

14 Fun Facts about Stingrays

https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/discover/animals/sea-life/stingray-facts/

https://youtu.be/Nbuu1Fa-c1k

https://youtu.be/Uw5jwwfJB1g

How To Draw A Stingray

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgBwlhLIR1k

Stingray Origami

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXDH6qD1c2s

Joke Time

Q: Why do bees hum?

A: Because they don’t know the words.

Q: If you throw a blue stone into the Red Sea, what will it become?

A: Wet.

Q: Why did Mickey Mouse go to Outer Space?

A: He wanted to visit Pluto.

Q: What do you call a fairy that hasn’t taken a bath?

A: Stinker Bell.

Q: What did the beach say when the tide came in?

A: Long time, no sea.

Help the dog find his bone!

Easter Crafts

Here is a link to some easy paper crafts. Check with your parents and see if you might have the supplies to make these things. I hope you can have some.

https://www.easypeasyandfun.com/easter-crafts-for-kids/