The emotional involvement of people goes beyond our counselling capacity. Some children do learn the truth, however. Fortunately, more and more parents and educators are urging alternatives to these insensitive projects. These caring educators have demonstrated their concern, as well as the concern of their coworkers and the children's parents, as to the unusual amount of cruelty to animals that this project entails and its negative educational value. Increasing urbanization enormously compounds the problem.
Normal flocks have several female birds to one male, and roosters crow before dawn.
Unfortunately, half of all chickens born are males. The lesson never taught is that chickens are one of the marvels of nature. A mother hen turns each egg carefully as often as 3O times a day, using her body, her feet, and her beak to move the egg precisely in order to maintain the proper temperature, moisture, ventilation, humidity, and position of the egg during the 3-week incubation period. Unhatched chicks respond to soothing sounds from the mother hen and to warning cries of the rooster. Two to three days before the baby birds are ready to hatch, they start peeping to notify their mother and siblings that they are ready to emerge from the shell, and to draw her attention to any discomfort they may be suffering such as cold or abnormal positioning.