It takes three to five middle schoolers to corral a loose chicken.

No, it's not the punchline to a bad joke. It's a reality for Cobb Middle School's agriculture students.

"We have fun in this class, but at the same time we still learn a lot," said Brayden Talamo, 11.

Cobb is one of four schools in the Leon County School District with an agriculture program, and one of at least two schools with their own coop. Montford Middle School, Woodville School and Godby High School also provide classes where students learn how to grow plants from seeds and where their food comes from.

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At Cobb on a Thursday morning, 11-year-old Maddie Gregory described the eight chickens and the one rooster, named Oreo, who were in their coop, which sits in a grassy area that separates one-story brick buildings.

"Oreo, the rooster, is so tame I think we could walk him on a leash…and I giggle when he crows in between class," said Principal Sarah Hembree.

The white chickens still don't have names yet, but there's a smaller chicken named Granny Gray, or Granny for short.

And then there's J-Wall, a chicken with a striking beetle-green sheen who is named after the school's assistant principal Jameeka Wallace.

"It's probably my favorite class," Gregory said. "There was one time I didn't turn something in, and I got so upset and I started crying because I couldn't go out to see the chickens. They help with my anxiety."

Other students described the class as "chill" and "exciting" and "interesting."

They've learned the difference between farm fresh eggs and store-bought eggs — you don't have to refrigerate unwashed fresh eggs because they have a bloom, a protective coating on the shell.

The students also explained that if a pot is too small, a plant can become root-bound.

And they learned how to make aloe vera gel.

"It took like a whole plant just to probably get like a bottle," Gregory said.

Before this semester, many of the students had never planted anything in the ground. They didn't know how to hold a shovel, let alone a chicken.

Now, there are seedlings popping up through the soil in plant beds on the side of Miccosukee Road.

And the students haven't lost a chicken yet, although there have been some close calls. Chickens once dug under the coop, escaped and flew on the roof.

One morning, a hawk was sitting on top of the coop and trying to scratch through the chicken wire.

"When that happens, I have to come up on the school radio and say, 'Everybody, get out there,' " said agriculture teacher Steve Sears.

In the summer and on holidays, the administration and staff care for the chickens, too.

"It’s a highlight of our breaks honestly," Hembree said.

The six students who stood around the chicken coop Thursday morning all agreed that every school in the district should have an agriculture class.

It's one of the "cool classes," along with chorus, band and teacher Tim Broboskie's science class. "It's therapeutic."

Sears said the school is looking for donations of shovels, rakes and other garden tools. To donate, call the school at 850-488-3364.

Contact Ana Goñi-Lessan at AGoniLessan@tallahassee.com and follow her on Twitter @goni_lessan.

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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Learning agriculture class: Cobb Middle School teaches with garden, chickens

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