STAR KIDS 10-year-old manages menagerie

Emma Walsh of Bass Harbor holds Starlight and Midnight in her arms. Her mother finds it hard to guess which chicken is which. They look identical, but the 10-year-old knows every one of her 45 chickens individually by their breed, color, shape, eyes, voice and behavior.

Dottie is easy to identify – white body with black spots. Besides, she has a habit. “She goes over the fence to visit my miniature horse, Misty,” Emma says with a smile. “Even with her wings clipped.”

By selling eggs to friends, Emma earns enough to cover the cost of organic feed. She provides pellets, scratch and water every day, and new straw as needed for her brood. She gathers eggs several times a day. “I don’t like cleaning up the poops,” she admits.

Emma has a couple of ducks, several dogs, a cat and a baby Nubian goat. Home-schooled, she also attends science classes and takes violin lessons.

StarKids is an occasional column that highlights the accomplishments of children in elementary school and junior high school. To submit your child’s achievement for consideration, send a brief summary and a picture to: Star Kids, c/o Letitia Baldwin, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor, ME 04402-1329. For information, call 990-8270.