24TRA179 Great Eggs-pectations: A beginner’s guide to keeping hens in school
Date: Tuesday, 27th February 2024
Time: 7.00pm - 8.00pm
Venue: Online via Zoom
Paul O’Donnell is principal of St. Patrick’s N.S., Slane, Co. Meath. The school has a flock of hens and the pupils run a company selling their eggs.
The content of the course will include:
- Types of hens, their physical features and personalities
- Setting up for success – creating good hen house, feed, water and bedding
- Daily routines – feeding hens, collecting eggs and monitoring hen health
- Benefits for pupils – connecting with animals and nature, understanding the food cycle, entrepreneur skills, the henhouse as a nurture room
- Curricular connections – cross curricular lessons relating to hens
All participants will receive a copy of the presentation as well as accompanying notes and relevant online links.
Presenter: Paul O'Donnell

Paul has facilitated many courses nationwide on bringing teaching and learning outdoors, lectures on SESE at third level and is a member of the NCCA Development Group for the new curricular subject Social and Environmental Education (SEE). He is also the author of the bestselling publication Wild Teaching, a book of outdoor lesson plans, published by Meath Co. Council and The Heritage Council.
Course Details
| Course Start Date / Time | 27-02-2024 7:00 pm |
| Course End Date / Time | 27-02-2024 8:00 pm |
| Cut off date | 27-02-2024 7:15 pm |
| Available place | 1000 |
| Fee | Free |
| Number Hours | 1 Hour |
| Speaker | Paul O'Donnell |
| Location | Online |