Esher Manor Care Home is celebrating the Easter season with an extra touch of joy, thanks to the arrival of ten adorable baby chicks.
The Avery Healthcare-owned care home in Surrey, renowned for its commitment to creating engaging, enriching activities for residents, has partnered with Living Eggs to bring the captivating process of hatching to life.
Living Eggs is a UK-based company that provides educational experiences by delivering fertilised eggs and incubators to allow individuals, especially in care homes and schools, to witness and learn about the hatching process.
The eggs, which arrived on Monday 31st March, quickly settled into their incubator. By Tuesday 1st April, the tiny eggs began to pip, and by Wednesday morning, the first chick had hatched.
Over the course of the day, the remaining chicks followed suit, with the final chick arriving at 4pm.
Of the ten eggs, all hatched successfully: seven male chicks, easily identified by their soft yellow feathers, and three females, a darker shade of brown.
“They’re absolutely beautiful,” says 74 year old Linda Davidson, one of the delighted residents.
“It was fascinating to watch them hatch and start dancing around,” says 93 year old Major Lesley Marsham, a long-time resident of Esher Manor Care Home.
Esher Manor’s Care Home Manager, Monika Siewierska, expressed the significance of the project by saying “This Easter surprise has brought such warmth and joy to our residents. Watching the chicks hatch has been a wonderful way to spark memories and conversations, and the care and excitement our residents have shown truly highlights the positive impact animals can have on our mental well-being.”
Family members of the residents, including children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren, have been flocking to the care home to meet the little bundles of joy.
The chicks will leave the care home on Friday 11th April, and be rehomed with Living Eggs, where their care will continue.
Esher Manor Care Home is located in Esher, Surrey, and staff are encouraging everyone to visit their Facebook page for daily updates of their new feathered friends.
Follow their Facebook page here: https://facebook.com/EsherManorCareHome.
For more information on Esher Manor Care Home or to book a guided tour, visit www.averyhealthcare.co.uk or call 01372417429. For more information about the project, visit www.livingeggs.co.uk.
