Chickam is a live web broadcast, with sound, of baby chickens hatching, and then the next 8 weeks of them growing up! The camera is always on, so you can watch them 24/7!
It's 2017 and the time for Chickam is fast approaching! This year we set eggs in the incubator on March 24th & 25th, with planned hatch dates of April 14th & 15th. The idea is to stagger the hatch a bit so that on Friday, school kids can watch in class and on Saturday, folks off work can also see chicks hatch! This year the breeds we hope to hatch are Dark India Cornish Rock and of course, some eggs from our own hens. There are several bantam eggs in there, which typically hatch up to 2 days early--so check here beginning the 12th--if you see eggs, the hatch has begun! We'll update here, on Twitter, on my blog and at jackshenhouse.com with details.
During the rest of the year, we will also occasionally put the cam out in the yard with the adult chickens throughout the year (weather permitting) on Saturdays or Sundays, sometimes aimed at the nest boxes...or stuck inside of a hollowed-out pumpkin for a hilarious 'foods-eye view' of the chickens eating!
Chickam is very educational and fascinating for children, especially those studying the life cycle of animals. In the past I have given several educational live chats with question & answer segments for school children, and am happy to do so at no cost.
We live in a suburban-ranch community of Gardnerville, Nevada where we keep a small flock for pets and eggs. We've been broadcasting the hatch of baby chickens on Chickam annually, in the Spring, since 2008. A couple of years ago someone suggested that we also run the cam on the weekends weather permitting, so we do!
Our chickens are of various breeds, including Giant Cochins, Americanas, Barred Rock, New Hampshire, Red Star, Easter Egger, Brahmas, Belgian d'Uccle, Krainkoppe, Frizzle and bantam Cochin varieties. We usually have at least one hatching each spring and raise the chicks to adolescence before taking our pick of the litter and rehoming the extra roosters and hens.