BY CLAIRE OERTLY
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Birds Peep, Nugget, Henry, Elly, Picasso, Oreo, Chicken Nugget, Scooter and Quaker have found new homes.

Each year, science teacher CJ Addington hosts an experiment in his classroom where students are able to watch the process of baby chickens being born. Students are allowed to take home and raise them as their own once they hatch. In recent years Addington has added ducks to the mix of hatching birds to expand the experience.

This year, chicken recipients included junior Katie Herald, freshman Kyle Skinner and senior Will Conrad. The only duck recipient was junior Jeffrey Aberle. Bird recipients were each excited to receive their new pet and family member.

“I just love them they’re so cute,” Herald said.“They cuddle me. They know I’m their mommy.”

Other recipients, while previously blinded by the cuteness of their new pet, now recognize the difficulties and inconveniences caused by their new feathered friends.

“They’re really smelly, they’re really dirty, they’re really stupid, but they’re still adorable,” Conrad said.

According to Skinner, the negatives are still not enough to change his mind about keeping his chicks.

“I am glad I got the chickens because I know that they are at a good home,” Skinner said.

In preparation for the baby chicks, caretakers had to purchase or build chicken coops as well as purchase food. Each new parent also had to convince their own parents before they could confirm the birds’ adoptions.

Herald keeps her chickens on her mom’s friend’s farm.

“I went home and I was like, ‘Mom, can we have chickens?’ and she was like, ‘Well, we can’t have them here,’ and I was like, ‘Mom, we need chickens’ a

According to Skinner, his parents took a lot of persuading.

“I had to convince my dad that they wouldn’t be very dirty and that I can take care of them,” Skinner said.

According to Addington, this experience is vital to teenagers because it provides them with a realistic life lesson about proper nurturing and care of another living thing.

“I think it helps teach about life cycles and about responsibility and about good care for animals, like how to treat them properly,” Addington said.

Aberle has found that the chicks keep him up at night.

“They need their heat lamp on all the time so there’s always a bright light in my room and sometimes they get up in the middle of the night,” Aberle said. “They keep me from sleeping.”

Conrad also quickly understood the responsibility that comes with nurturing.

“It takes a lot of work to take care of them, I don’t get a lot of sleep, they cry at night,” Conrad said.

Aberle’s ducks have adapted more than the other birds because of the genetic differences between domestic and wild breeds.

“The one that hatched was a domestic mallard and they’re used to people but the wild one is pretty crazy,” Aberle said.

According to Skinner, he and the other recipients are used to having the birds quickly.

“So far it is like getting any other pet, and the more you play with your pets the friendlier they become,” Skinner said.