VA: "LUCKY" AND "TWINKY" INSPIRE AT 4-H POULTRY SHOW
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HENRICO COUNTY, Virginia (WTVR) — Lucky and Twinky are 1-year-old chickens with plenty of personality — and they’re the faces of a hands-on learning program that has reached thousands of students across Henrico County.
The two chickens were born through the “Hatching at Home” program offered by Henrico 4-H, which brings eggs and incubation equipment directly to classrooms and homes so participants can witness the full life cycle of a chick.
Carter Humphries, who works with the county’s 4-H Youth Development Program, is one of four staff members leading the effort in Henrico.
“I’ll be out and about, they’ll be like, ‘You’re the chicken lady!'” Humphries said.
The program delivers a dozen eggs and all the equipment needed to nurture them to schools across the county. Last year, it reached a significant number of young learners.
“This past year, we reached 13,000 kids just through our in-school hatching program alone. We do chicks, ducks, turkeys, geese, quail,” Humphries said.
The program’s popularity has grown beyond traditional classrooms. It is now available to homeschool families and co-ops as well.
“They would get a rainbow color of eggs for each family, each classroom, different size variations, and as they hatch, they will see the different breeds,” Humphries said.
Humphries said the experience connects to core academic standards and broader development goals.
“It really ties into almost all of the SOLs and just some of those other life skills that kids really we want to see them working on developing,” Humphries said.
The cost to participate is $30, which covers the eggs and equipment rental.
“That covers the cost of our eggs. That also covers the cost for renting the equipment, which includes the incubator,” Humphries said. “It also includes a brooder box, heat plate, feeder water, which is what the chicks will hang out kind of after they hatch.”
Families who do not want to keep the chicks after they hatch can return them to the county to be cared for.
Lucky and Twinky — now regulars at program events — have become ambassadors for what the experience can spark in young learners.
Those interested in hatching a chick at home can visit henrico.gov/extension/4h for more information.
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