School: Killurine
- Location:
- Killurin, Co. Offaly
- Teacher: Ss Hutton
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0804, Page 105
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- 12-'5-38. Hens and chickens
We keep a good many hens at home. When Mammy is feeding them she says "Chuck, Chuck", and they come running to her. Sometimes she says "Chicky Chicky". We have new chickens every Spring. We put 13 eggs under the hen because odd numbers are lucky We put a cross on the hatching eggs so that if a hen laid in the nest we would know the new-laid egg from the others. We mark the eggs also so that we would know the different breeds of eggs. When mammy wants to know whether the egg will produce a pullet or a cock, she ties her wedding ring to a piece of silk thread and hols the thread in her hands. In the other hand she holds the egg. If there a cock chicken in the egg the ring will move round in a wing, but if it is a pullet the ring will move backwards and forwards, if there is no chicken in the egg it remains steady.
- Collector
- Betty Tobin
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Gorteen, Co. Offaly
