(BRIDGEVILLE, Del.) - The poultry industry is one of the driving force of Delaware's economic engine but few may really know what it takes to get a live chicken onto your dinner table.
That's where one Sussex County student decided to step in.
Local poultry company Allen Harim unveiled a new miniature chicken house at the Animal Science Facility at Woodbridge High School Monday morning that students will use to learn about how the poultry industry works.
Jordan Chelton, a Woodbridge 2017 graduate, is the brains of the operation who hatched the idea last year for his senior project.
"I worked in chicken houses for about two years and from that past experience, I wanted to move it on to other kids. I wanted them to get a good feel about where their chicken meat comes from," said Chelton.
Allen Harim helped coordinate the team effort to build the house, provide the chickens and equipment with several local poultry companies, including Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc., Eastern Shore Poultry Services and several other local businesses.
"Students can get first hand experience in what the poultry industry is all about," said Cathy Bassett, Allen Harim's Communications Director.
"This flock and every flock is going to be 99 chickens. Farm Credit was fabulous and gave us some financing for it. Warfel Construction built the house. Eastern Shore poultry Supplied a lot of the equipment you see. So it was really a team effort."
The students of the Animal Science Program will be in charge of caring for the chickens, just as they poultry farmers do in the industry. It's a big responsibility but one the program instructor believes her students can handle.
"Our students are going to gain from it in some way," said instructor Karen Breeding, "whether it's the employability skills they're going to gain if they want to go into the poultry industry here on Delmarva, or just learn about the responsibility of caring for something else."
Chelton will return to manage the chicken house weekly for at least the first two flocks this spring and summer. He says he plans to go into the poultry industry here on Delmarva to help not only the state, but other young students as well.