My wife booked an egg-collecting activity with her colleagues through niceday. Before we left, all I knew was that we were going to pick eggs. I had done zero homework and assumed it would be something like the chicken farm I used to visit in Changhua as a kid.

Even though it is in Taipei, the map made it look a little inconvenient to reach, so we decided to take Uber. The driver was going way too fast, and it honestly felt like he was trying to make the kids throw up so we’d have to pay the cleaning fee and lost revenue. Driving slowly would not have taken much longer, but it would have made the ride feel very different.

The farm is genuinely tucked away. Once we got there, it looked like parking might be possible, but spaces were limited, so it would probably be best to call ahead and arrive early.

We were the second group to arrive. At check-in, the children got aprons and name tags. The teacher reminded us to put on mosquito repellent, but I had forgotten to bring any and was immediately eaten alive by mosquitoes. My daughter has a strong reaction to bites, and sure enough she woke up the next day covered in swollen welts and even a few blisters. Once our friends arrived, we quickly borrowed some repellent from them. Better late than never.

There were a little over ten children at the activity. The teacher started by introducing the environment and teaching everyone about chickens, including the difference between roosters and hens and what kind of conditions they are raised in. She also explained battery cages, where four chickens are kept in one cage and kept laying eggs for two straight years until they are culled. Horrifying. The kids even got to squeeze into a cage to see what it felt like. The teacher really held their attention, and everyone listened carefully. Some children were very eager to speak up, and the teacher handled their comments well, keeping the class moving smoothly.

Further Reading

• What is the difference between battery, barn, and free-range eggs? A clear explanation
• How many kinds of animal-friendly egg labels are there? Why does the supermarket “animal welfare egg” section sometimes contain cage eggs? Learn the “Five Labels, Three Terms” rule

Before collecting the eggs, we had to prepare feed for the chickens. The teacher gave each child a bowl and let them mix the feed themselves.

Before entering the chicken enclosure, there was one more safety briefing.

After listening to the instructions, we grabbed our feed bowls, put on shoe covers, and went into the enclosure together. Most of the children happily squatted down to feed the chickens, but my daughter was scared as soon as she walked in and immediately wanted me to hold her. After a while, she was willing to come down and feed the chickens with her mom, but not for long. Before long she climbed back onto Dad again.

The chickens were warm, but my daughter still did not dare touch them.

The teacher also brought in some beggar-ticks and mile-a-minute weed to feed the chickens. Both are invasive species, and the latter is especially troublesome, so it really should be removed whenever possible. The chickens here are Silkies, and they are much more interested in leaves than in corn. Whenever they saw a leaf, they would rush over excitedly and even jump up to peck at it. My daughter’s leaves were snatched away several times. Apparently the layer hens at another farm are the opposite and go crazy for corn.

While we were feeding the chickens, the children of my wife’s colleagues lined up to collect eggs. The eggs were in the nesting box, and the teacher would part the curtain and move the hen aside so the children could reach in and pick them up. There were two kinds of chickens here, and the Silkie eggs were slightly green. The children of my wife’s colleagues each got a green egg, but my daughter did not. After that, the teacher showed her the chicken with the wild afro next door, and she remembered it vividly enough to tell her mom about it before bed that night.

After everyone had taken their turn, the children came back out. The teacher then explained the structure of an egg, cracked one open for everyone to observe, and let the children clean the eggs they had collected themselves.

When everything was packed up, each child received a certificate and a magnetic badge. Very ceremonial.

They were selling egg rolls on site and accepted Line Pay, but we did not buy any. We also forgot to bring water, so we ended up pretty thirsty later.

Before leaving, we took a look at the retired horses. Two of them were white horses retired from the New Taipei City mounted police, and one was a miniature horse that had been injured while working at an equestrian club.

The teacher said they also run summer camps here, but I did not pay much attention after hearing that most of them were already full.

Overall, I thought the experience was excellent. I learned quite a lot myself, and I am sure the kids did too. My daughter has been asking for boiled eggs every day since coming home. Fresh eggs are not ideal for boiling, though, because the shells are hard to peel.

Note: This article is translated from Traditional Chinese.