🐇April Week 1🐇

🥚Eggcelent Eggs🥚

100

What color is the yolk of an egg? 

Yellow, sometimes orange! 

Egg yolks can range in color from pale yellow to deep orange. The largest misconception is that the color indicates nutritional value or quality. It does not. The color indicates the diet of the hen. A light yellow yolk means the hen ate a wheat based diet. Yolks that are a deeper orange color come from a hen whose diet was high in carotenoids, which is the red pigment found in plants. Dark yolks are common in free-range eggs, especially during the summer months.

200

True or False: Eggs always need to be refrigerated. 

False! Some do not need refrigeration.

The need to refrigerate fresh eggs depends on where you live and how the eggs have been processed. In the United States, fresh eggs sold in stores are required to be washed and refrigerated, and then need to stay refrigerated. If you raise hens in your backyard, freshly laid eggs can be kept at room temperature, but if you wash them, you should refrigerate them. Eggs that are quickly refrigerated will also last longer. If you’re picking up and cooking eggs within a day or two of the egg laying, they’re safe at room temperature and should just be washed thoroughly before consuming.

300

How long does it take an egg to hatch? 

a. 7 days

b. 14 days

c. 21 days 

d. 30 days

c. 21 days 

On hatch day or the days leading up to it, the chick will peck with its egg tooth, located on the end of its beak, until it breaks through the inner membrane (the part that separates the air cell from the chick). This is the gap you’ve seen when you’re candling the eggs. This is called internal pipping. At this time, you might hear them cheeping away. 

400

What colors can eggs come in? 

Eggs can come in white, brown, blue, green, plum and pink! 

Have you ever been curious about why chicken eggs can be different colors? While most eggs are white or brown, they also come in colors like cream, pink, blue and green. In addition — and this is no “yolk” — some are even speckled. Nature has provided chickens with diverse color patterns for their feathers, skin patches and eggshells for various purposes, including camouflage, protection from predators and to signal individual identity.

500

What are some ways that eggs can be cooked? What is your favorite?

Some ways to cook eggs are soft, medium, and hard-boiled, fried over easy, medium and hard, in an omelette, poached, sunny side up, scrambled, baked, as well as sous vide.

Eggs can also be added into baked goods, either as one of many ingredients like in a cake or as the star of the show like in a quiche. 

🤡April Fools!🤡

100

What day is April Fools every year?

April 2nd...just kidding, April 1st! 

Some historians believe France is responsible for the humorous tradition, tying it to a calendar change in 1582, according to the History Channel. That year, France implemented the Gregorian calendar, shifting the start of the New Year from the spring equinox, which usually falls around April 1, to January 1. After the change, people who wrongly celebrated the new year in late March and early April were called "April fools."

200

True or False: Ancient Romans had a holiday called Hysteria, which was very similar to April Fools’ Day!

False, it was actually called Hilaria!

The Hilaria (in Latin, "the cheerful ones", a term derived from the borrowed adjective Ancient Greek for "cheerful" and "merry") were ancient Roman religious festivals celebrated on the March equinox to honor Cybele. The term seems originally to have been a name which was given to any day or season of rejoicing. The hilaria were, therefore, according to Maximus the Confessor either private or public. Among the former, he thinks it the day on which a person married, and on which a son was born; among the latter, those days of public rejoicings appointed by a new emperor. Such days were devoted to general rejoicings and public sacrifices, and no one was allowed to show any symptoms of grief or sorrow.

300

What is April Fools known as in France?

a. Omlette du Fromage

b. Poisson d'Avril

c. Idiote d'Avril

d. Homme Drole

b. Poisson d'Avril

Alongside Easter, French children follow April Fools’ Day traditions in Spring. On 1 April, people use paper fish to play an April Fools trick. This involves sticking a paper fish onto the back of as many adults as possible. And then running away yelling, “Poisson d’Avril !” (April Fish!). Yes, you better check your back if you happen to be in France on that day!

400

What network aired a April Fools special showing spaghetti growing from Spaghetti Trees? 

The BBC!

In 1957, BBC’s Panorama ran a news segment about that year’s “exceptionally heavy spaghetti crop” in Switzerland — with footage of strands of noodles hanging from trees — crediting the bounty to “the virtual disappearance of the spaghetti weevil.” And some viewers (born without a funny bone, apparently) complained about the spoof segment, according to the BBC Archive. The BBC struck again in 1965, airing a mock interview with a professor who claimed to have invented “smell-o-vision” technology to let viewers smell whatever was in front of the camera. That professor demonstrated the tech by slicing onions and brewing coffee in the studio. And in a mind-boggling twist, some viewers reported that they actually smelled those scents at home.

500

What are some of the most common pranks played on April Fool's Day? What was your favorite prank to play?

Some common pranks pulled are changing the time on the clock and waking up unsuspecting victims, gluing a coin to the ground, putting shaving cream on a sleeping person's hand and tickling their face, replacing sugar with salt (and vice versa) and tying a rope to a doorknob to keep it from opening!

🐣Easter Day🐣

100

What two actors star in the movie Easter Parade, a film with music by Irving Berlin about a Broadway star who declares that he can make a hit performer out of the next dancer he sees. 

Fred Astaire and Judy Garland

Gene Kelly was originally cast opposite Garland, but broke his ankle. The part was then offered to Astaire, who had retired two years earlier. Very eager to work again, Astaire consulted Kelly about the offer, and Kelly supported his decision to take the role. Garland and Astaire were a successful team, and Astaire was restored to his status as a top MGM star. A critical and commercial success, Easter Parade was the highest-grossing musical film of 1948, and the second-highest grossing MGM musical of the 1940s, after Meet Me in St. Louis.

200

True or False: In the 13th century, the church prohibited eating eggs during Holy Week. 

True! 

Use of painted and decorated Easter eggs was first recorded in the 13th century. The church prohibited the eating of eggs during Holy Week, but chickens continued to lay eggs during that week, and the notion of specially identifying those as “Holy Week” eggs brought about their decoration. 

300

Easter always falls between which two dates? 

a. March 12 and April 15

b. March 22 and April 25

c. October 31 and November 26

d. January 1 and January 15

b. March 22 and April 25

Easter’s exact date may seem arbitrary, but it’s always on the Sunday after the first full moon (also known as the Paschal Full Moon) that occurs after the spring equinox. This means that Easter can fall anywhere between March 22 and April 25. “Why the full moon? Maximum light! The resurrection is about maximum light—symbolically, of course,” explained an expert. “So that Sunday, shortly after the equinox [which has 12 hours of light and 12 of darkness], plus the fullness of the moon [lots of light], means maximum light—the perfect day for the holiest feast in the Christian year.”

400

What is the most popular Easter candy put in in baskets?

Chocolate Eggs, Chocolate Bunnies, Jellybeans and Peeps!

Candy may be the most popular Easter item in the U.S., but that isn’t the case in many other countries where people observe the holiday. In the UK, hot cross buns are synonymous with the celebration. The pastries are studded with fruit and topped with a cross—either with icing or by marking the dough itself. Dating back to the 18th century or earlier, the treats have come to be associated with superstitions. Some people believe hanging a hot cross bun made on Good Friday from the kitchen ceiling protects against evil spirits and fires.

500

What are some of the most common foods made for Easter Dinner? 

What is your favorite Easter dish? 

The main dish for an Easter meal varies, but some typical dishes include honey-baked ham, pot roast, pork chops, and fish. Some popular side dishes include scalloped or mashed potatoes, spring vegetables, and dinner rolls.

While lamb was originally the main course for most Easter dinners, a tradition that spanned 3,000 years and still holds true for many, including the Jewish holiday Passover. Ham became a less expensive alternative to lamb on Easter once there was less demand for wool in the U.S. after World War II.

🐰Funny Bunnies🐰

100

What famous cartoon bunny is often seen munching on a carrot and saying his signature catchphrase, "What's up, Doc?"

Bugs Bunny

One of the world’s best-known rabbits is the Warner Bros cartoon character, Bugs Bunny — who’s often seen munching on a carrot! In fact, carrots aren’t a natural part of a rabbit’s diet and can give bunnies an upset stomach if they eat too many.

200

True or False: A rabbit's teeth never stop growing.

True 

A rabbit’s teeth never stop growing! Instead, they’re gradually worn down as the rabbit chews on grasses, wildflowers and vegetables — meaning they never get too long.

300

What is called when bunnies hop up in the air, twist their bodies and kick their feet out of happiness? 

a. Popcorns

b. Binkies

c. Corkscrews

d. Hot Cross Buns

b. Binkies!

A binky is a large jump and twist. It’s literally a bunny’s happy dance and sometimes will occur when a rabbit runs laps around the room – a behavior that many call “zoomies.” When rabbits display these behaviors, they’re showing us that they are full of energy, happy and excited!

400

What do bunnies do to alert others of danger?

Bonus: Where do bunnies typically live? 

Stamp their feet.

If a rabbit thumps their strong hind legs against the ground, it generally means either, “I sense danger and I’m trying to warn you” or “you have made me angry!” As cute as it is, it is meant to be a warning. Rabbits are very social creatures that live in groups. They live in warrens — a series of tunnels and rooms that they dig underground.

Bonus: In warrens, underground. 

500

What are male and female bunnies called? What about baby bunnies?

Male rabbits are bucks, females are called does and babies are called kittens or kits!

Rabbits are very effective baby-makers! Mother rabbits are pregnant for between 28-31 days, giving birth to up to 14 baby rabbits – called kittens – in a single litter. There are over 45 million rabbits in the UK alone!

🐔Farm Animals🐔

100

A popular saying goes, "What's good for the goose is good for the _______!"

Bonus: What is a baby goose called?

Gander!

What's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander is used to say that one person or situation should be treated the same way that another person or situation is treated. It's the British version of the idiom more commonly known in American English as what's good for the goose is good for the gander.

Bonus: Gosling

200

True or False: The chicken is the closest living relative to the T-Rex.

True! 

Back in 2003, a unique fossil of the T-Rex was discovered with soft tissue intact – allowing scientists to extract enough DNA for research. This 68-million-year fossil was compared to the DNA of 21 modern animal species…and the result? The proteins found in the DNA of the T-Rex were most like those of the chicken. To further their research, the chicken was the first bird to have its genome sequenced. This means that scientists found the particular order of their DNA. Doing this helped provide more evidence for scientists to confirm that the chicken is currently the closest living relative to the T-Rex.

300

What is a group of pigs called?

a. Mob

b. School

c. Gaggle

d. Sounder

d. Sounder

The term "sounder" is used to describe a group of wild pigs because it refers to the noise they make while foraging and communicating with each other. Pigs are known for their vocalizations, and when they are gathered together, the sound they produce can be quite distinctive. The term "sounder" has been used for centuries to describe a group of these animals in the wild. 

400

What shape are goat's and sheep's pupils? 

Rectangles

There are many theories for why goats and sheep have horizontal, rectangular pupils. This may give them better night vision, or may give them better ability to regulate the amount of light that hits the retina.

 

500

How many compartments does a cow's stomach have?

Four! 

A normal cow's stomach has 4 compartments. This is true because cows have a unique digestive system called a ruminant digestive system. It consists of four compartments: the rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum. Each compartment serves a specific purpose in the digestion process, allowing cows to efficiently break down and extract nutrients from plant material.