The “cutest little chicks” at Albion Park High School are a hit with students and teachers alike.
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But Liam Sheil and his fellow classmates are trying hard not to get too attached.
This though has proven to be “almost impossible” since Steggles delivered 14 of the one-day old chicks to the school earlier this week.
Albion Park HS is one of 75 NSW schools taking part in the Steggles Sydney Royal School Meat Bird Pairs Competition.
Over the next six weeks students and teachers will raise the chicks and prepare one pair of male and one pair of female meat birds for the Poultry Show at the Sydney Royal Easter Show (March 23 to April 3).
Agriculture teacher Nick Astin said the school has a small scale poultry farm where it sells eggs to the community.
“We enter the Easter Show competition in order to give students an understanding of the process and business of commercial meat birds,” Mr Astin said.
“It also allows our students to study commercial meat birds through a practical and hands-on approach.
“ And being a country school it also allows our students to be apart of the Royal Easter Show.”
Albion Park HS have competed in the Easter Show for over 10 years.
“We usually enter both the 'meat birds' and 'egg laying' categories. We have achieved a number of places over the years including a first place in the meat bird category,” Mr Astin said.
Poultry shows have been a feature of the Sydney Royal Easter Show since 1858.
A Royal Agricultural Society of NSW spokesperson said the competition provides students with a glimpse into the poultry industry and works to dispel hormone myths surrounding chicken meat production.