Hi, my name is Lance Winfield, I am 12 years old. I'm in Ophir 4-H and I have been doing embryology for the past 3 years. I love being in this project because I like taking good care of my chickens at my house. The first time I started embryology I was a little nervous about hatching baby chicks. Eventually, I started to enjoy this project because I think that it is an exciting hobby.
I hatch crossbreeds that I think are as good as purebreds because they lay lots of eggs. Who got me interested about embryology was June Stewart, who I would like to thank. Whenever I am going to incubate eggs from my chickens I go to the 4-H office to rent an incubator. I start incubation during late spring so the chicks that just hatched don't freeze themselves since they haven't grown in their adult feathers.
I make sure the chicks are healthy and safe when they are finished using the incubator. I give them fresh cold water and warm place for them to grow up in like a box with a heater. The sad part for me is when a chick is deformed or doesn't make it through the process. I usually sell the young roosters when they are mature enough but I keep the females. I think that this is a wonderful project for me to be in.
Lance Winfield
Ophir 4-H Club