'Kick back and watch': Sask. farmer offers chick-hatching experience
Cindy Dahlen lives on a farm just south of Saskatoon and about two years ago earned a new nickname – the Chicken Lady.
Dahlen began raising chickens on her farm after she wanted farm fresh eggs and five birds turned into dozens.
“We call it Chicken Math, where you take more chickens, but you can't get rid of chickens, so now I'm up to about 80-some birds,” she said.
Now Dahlen has started offering what she calls the “Chick Hatching Experience.”
“I provide all the equipment; the the incubator, the egg turner, the cage, the heat lamp, the feeders, the food, the shavings, and of course the eggs to incubate,” she said.
“Just kick back and watch.”
Dahlen says the incubating period takes about 21 days, and then five days for a complete hatch. People then have two weeks with the chicks until they need to be returned to the farm.
“I figured it would be a nice opportunity for them to experience it, and raise them, and take care of baby animals and enjoy it,” she said.
The National Farm Animal Care Council requires that hatching eggs must be transported, handled, stored, and incubated in ways that promote health embryos. Live chicks must be removed from hatch residue and be kept, treated, and handled in ways that prevent injury and minimize stress.
Dahlen says she provides people instructions on the incubation and hatching process and a care list to ensure the health and safety of the chicks,
“It's more interactive once the chicks hatch and stuff like that that they get to experience the joy of raising baby chicks,” she said.
The City of Saskatoon’s animal control bylaw prohibits keeping chickens within the city.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
BREAKING Manitoba government tables bill to end ban on homegrown recreational cannabis
Manitoba is planning to lift its ban on the home growing of recreational cannabis.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.