The 2025 Hatchling Project is a collaborative initiative between USU Extension, Crosby’s Home and Farm, and Valley High School Kane aimed at educating 4-H youth (grades 3-12) on the life cycle of chickens, breed diversity, and the fundamentals of hatching fertile eggs. By providing hands-on learning experiences, the project fosters youth engagement in poultry care, promoting responsible animal husbandry and reinforcing the importance of sustainable, self-sufficient food production within the community.
Through this project, participants gain firsthand experience in hatching and caring for baby chicks while exploring the role of chickens as both backyard and farm animals. The initiative also enhances awareness of ethical poultry care and the importance of egg production as a sustainable protein source.
The project involves setting up a temperature- and humidity-controlled incubator at Crosby’s Home and Farm and Valley High School, where youth can observe the incubation process. USU Extension provides fertile eggs, an incubator, and a GoPro camera to create a time-lapse recording of the hatching process, further enriching the educational experience.
Throughout the incubation period, volunteers from the Kane Master Gardener Program, Crosby’s, and Valley High FFA monitor egg conditions, ensuring a successful hatch rate. Once hatched, Crosby’s will provide a temporary facility for the chicks until they are adopted by participants or community members.
By integrating science-based poultry education with hands-on engagement, this project not only nurtures youth interest in agriculture but also strengthens the community’s commitment to food security and sustainable livestock management. The Hatchling Project serves as a model for experiential learning in rural communities, demonstrating the value of Extension-driven partnerships in enhancing agricultural literacy and youth development.