The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Lessons come home to roost
Children at a rural Fife school have add ed s om e feathers to their learning caps by becoming poultry farmers.
Kingsbarns Primary School has taken ownership of seven young bantam chickens which pupils are helping to care for.
It is hoped the brood will soon start laying eggs to be sold in a community honesty shop.
Children began raising funds to buy the chickens last year after persuading head teacher Pa t r i c i a Shafren and depute head Mags Waterson- Scott to agree to the acquisition in a Dragons ’ Den-style presentation.
A donation of around £1,000 from Kingsbarns Golf Links allowed them to buy a special coop designed to keep foxes and various pests at bay.
And in honour of the course’s gift they have named one of the chickens Audrey, after business de velopment manager, Audrey Hogg. Audrey’s coop mates are called Snowball , He r m i o n e , Midn ight , Professor MacGonagall, Jelly and Peanut.
The chickens’ penned arrival in May was delayed by lockdown but they are now living a pampered life in their spacious coop and g ra s s y run w i th numerous eager young farmers to look after them.
The children are so fond of their new classmates that, when the weather allows, they eat their lunch outside beside the hens.
School clerical assistant Fiona Ramsay said: “Some children have had little or no contact with animals so this gives them good experience of caring for a pet.
“They are learning to be patient and gentle and to allow the chickens to come to them rather than forcing them to do as they want.
“Every day two children are responsible on a rota basis for cleaning out the coop and refreshing their water and food, then on a Friday there is a deep clean, where the coop is dismantled and washed properly.
“The children are taking their responsibilities very seriously and enjoying the contact with the chickens.”
They eat their lunch outside beside the hens