On Monday 29th March the chick eggs arrived at The Sycamores residential and residential memory care home, in Greater Manchester. And everyone was super excited to watch for the little chicks to hatch.
By Wednesday 31st March they began to hatch.
The Residents have been fascinated watching the chicks hatch from their egg shells and then grow so big in such a short amount of time.
The chicks have brought Residents so many good spirits and everyone has been in total awe of the baby chicks and watching them grow.
“Wow how amazing are they?!” One Resident said.
The Residents have been great with the chicks, helping to feed and clean them daily and also showing them some love with plenty of cuddles!
Renee Bell, Wellbeing Coordinator, said, “We have had group discussions all about the chicks and where they came from and their different purposes they have.”
“The Residents enjoyed talking and differentiating between the different types of eggs, such as the ones we eat and the ones which become chicks and also the different sexes of the animals and how to tell them apart.”
The Residents enjoyed watching the chicks roam around the home, and feeding them scraps such as dry toast and fresh greens. There was also a lot of fun naming the seven chicks and everyone had a great laugh trying to distinguish which chick is which!
Another Resident added, “I used to have chickens on my farm this brings a lot back.”
This has been a great experience for the Residents as it has been a mind, body and soul related activity and it has enabled the Residents to care for something living and overall have an important sense of purpose.
The chicks have now grown too big for the ‘brooder box’ they were living in, so they have now been transported to a local farm in Rochdale who will raise the fluffy friends as cockerels and hens where they will live a normal life as chickens laying eggs and being well cared for.
Carol Potts, Care Home Manager, said, “The chick experience has been amazing, everybody has been involved with caring for the chicks and it’s a great experience for the Residents to interact with a living thing.”