Can you imagine being able to look inside recently laid eggs to see if they have been fertilised? Or even being able to witness first-hand, a chick being born? All of this and more, was possible for our smallest children from Nursery and Reception. They spent a day visiting the “El Álamo”, Farm-School in Brunete, where they were able to experience an artisan, rural way of life in a very entertaining and fun way.
Also on our day out, students were able to visit stabling to see various viviparous animals such as cows, sheep, goats, mares and pigs. They were able to see baby animals, recently born and were able to understand how they come into this world and grow. They then visited the pond and were able to meet oviparous animals, helping to collect duck and goose eggs which they found. They were also able to visit the chicken coop to collect hen eggs and see where the most recently baby chicks were kept.
But the most thrilling moment was surely visiting the Reproduction Room. With the help of a candling light they were able to see inside the eggs they had collected and identify whether they were fertilised or not. Our young students also saw an incabutor understanding what it was for, and were even able to witness a live chick being born.
Also included in the activities was a visit to all the other farm animals and the possibility of feeding them and looking after them, following the instructions from the keepers. And to finish off the perfect day, the icing on the cake was a pony ride.
The El Álamo Farm-School has been operating for over 35 years teaching small scale farming and respect for nature. As well as this kind of workshop experience, the farm also offers other fun activities such as bread, cheese, honey and marmalade making, and even how to manage a vegetable garden, depending on the time of year and the age of the children concerned.
Without doubt, a fabulous day which our youngest children will not be able to forget.