Become a Chicken Tender at Westgate
What is Chicken Tenders?
Chicken Tenders is a volunteer program at Westgate where families come to the farm during evenings, weekends, and school breaks to care for our animals. We currently have four goats, about a dozen chickens, and a very friendly barn cat.
During a tending shift, volunteers:
- Provide food and fresh water for the animals
- Check that all of the animals are healthy and behaving normally
- Help make sure the farm is clean and ready for the animals
What is the time commitment?
Training takes approximately 30–45 minutes. Once your family is trained, a typical tending shift takes about 15 minutes to complete, and you can sign up for as many or as few shifts as you’d like. Of course, you're welcome to stay afterward and spend some extra time with the animals!
A few important safety notes:
Before signing up, please keep the following in mind:
- Students below 4th grade are not permitted inside the goat enclosure. Our goats are generally very friendly, but we want to prioritize everyone's safety and keep our farm as incident-free as possible.
- Chickens are relatively fragile animals, and unfortunately, we sometimes experience illness or loss. If something happens during your shift, Mrs. Kahn or Ms. Morgan will handle it. If you are comfortable helping, we can also guide you through what to do.
Why become a Chicken Tender?
Free animal snuggles, fresh chicken eggs, and a fun family activity! Most importantly, Chicken Tenders play an incredibly important role in helping us provide consistent, daily care for our animals.
Please note that students must be supervised by an adult and may not complete tending shifts independently.
If you or a family you know is interested in learning more or scheduling a training, please email [email protected] .