Student Spotlight: Isaac Eugster
Senior biology major Isaac Eugster showing one of his eggs.
March 9, 2020
“I love agriculture, I love sustainability, I love growing my own food and being self-reliant on myself, friends, family, or community,” said Isaac Eugster, a senior biology major with an emphasis in environmental science at the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse. “I’ve always been big into raising animals, treating them right, and giving them a full life before using them for food or giving them away. ”
Eugster is currently raising two incubators full of six and a half dozen eggs in his room in La Crosse.
“I usually hatch baby chickens every year and since I have been at college it’s been really hard. I’ve done it once and it was really fun so I wanted to do it again,” said Eugster. “I decided to get a bunch of eggs, six and a half dozen to be exact, grabbed my incubators from home and brought them up. Now I have them turning in the incubators and they are due in 21 days.”
Eugster was raised in a farming community, with two uncles who own large produce and petting farms.
“I have hatched chickens, ducks, quails, pigeons, really all sorts of animals. Growing up in the country and my love for nature and the woods have really helped me out and in my ventures for hatching chickens in school,” said Eugster. “Agriculture has always been a big part of my life and it is really something great to get into.”
Eugster said that hatching this quantity of eggs in his room is a large jump for him, but he has always enjoyed raising small pets.
“Hatching chickens in your room is not something a lot of people do, but it is super easy and super fun,” said Eugster. “You can read about it everywhere online. It’s not even just chickens, you can do smaller pets like hamsters, I have mealworms as pets right now which are super cool.”
Having a diverse room has helped Eugster relax and feel happier during his time at UWL.
“It is super easy, whether that be plants, animals, or anything to make your room feel more alive is a great way to keep a healthy mindset,” said Eugster. “Having them makes me happier when I am in my room studying, or friends come over and they get super excited to see them, it is really relaxing and a great experience.”
After the chickens are hatched, Eugster has looked into donating them to different places and has been contacting the Child Care Center and local farms.
“Right now I am in contact with the Child Care Center and I was wondering if they wanted to have some for educational purposes, or just for the kids. I offered to give them to them [Child Care Center] for however long they wanted, and then I would get them back,” said Eugster. “Other than that I wanted to look into donating some of the chicks to local families in need or a farm in general. Whatever I can’t donate I will take home and keep as pets.”
Eugster stated he has chosen to live sustainably because it is a healthier way of living, it’s cleaner and it releases fewer emissions.
“I think [sustainability] is super important since we are not the only ones living on this Earth. There are so many other living species and creatures that most of the world doesn’t really know about,” said Eugster. “It is really important for people to understand sustainability is a great way to continue life on Earth for generations to come.”
