Grey Court Community Chickens

This exciting project will give students at Grey Court and local primary schools a wonderful outdoor learning experience, from hatching and rearing chicks, to caring for the hens, and of course eating the lovely, fresh eggs. Local people will be able to buy eggs and volunteer or train to keep chickens too. The hens will be a carefully chosen hybrid breed with a friendly nature and good egg laying ability! Grey Courtʼs head teacher Maggie Bailey says, ʻChildren will learn about food, learn about maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and develop so much more confidence as a result of watching their efforts succeed that their academic work will improve too, The chickens will benefit everyone, improving things for the children and building links
within our community.ʼGrey Court plans to keep free-range hens in secure enclosures on the school grounds with students setting up an egg selling enterprise. Nearby primary schools can have equipment to hatch, rear and keep their own chicks, giving them a wonderful
opportunity to experience the whole animal life cycle. Primary school chickens will be able to stay at the Grey Court ʻhen hotelʼ in the holidays, cared for by the part-time poultry keeper who will also teach students and local people about all aspects of chicken keeping. Local families can get involved with the opportunity to board some of these chickens in the holidays. Grey Court opened its community allotment in July 2010 and the community chickens
are the next stage in plans to set up a small school farm. Keeping chickens is an easy and exciting way to start, by encouraging students to learn about caring for animals and producing fresh, local food.