Our school hens have returned after their holidays in the Jensen household since last summer, when our retrofit works began in the school.

We would like to thank the Jensen family for taking such good care of them. They have a new coat of feathers each and are laying eggs non stop, which are both great signs of healthy hens.

5th class pupils traditionally look after the school egg company, Gugalaí Gug and will do so again this year. This involves the following:

1. Stock control & hygiene - wellies and gloves on, collecting eggs, cleaning the henhouse, checking feed and water and checking that the birds are in good health. This takes place at break time.

2. Sales - sending letters to parents of pupils inviting them to purchase eggs.

3. Finance - Collecting money, purchasing feed and entering credits and debits in the accounting ledger.

4. Distribution - keeping a record of purchases and delivering eggs to classes.

Each pupil will be on a rota to look after the hens if they wish to do so for the last term this year and the first term next year.

Because current 6th class pupils are leaving the school, they are being offered the chance to buy 6 free range eggs first. After that we will begin in junior infants and hope to make our way around the school by the end of next year.

Each year, the pupils buy resources for the school of their choosing with the profits of the egg company, but with the price of hen layers pellets going through the roof, margins may be tight!

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