A SALISBURY care home celebrated Easter by hosting the birth of ten chicks.

Staff at Colten Care’s Braemar Lodge arranged for a heated incubator with 12 embryo eggs to take centre stage in its garden lounge.

Residents, relatives and visitors were transfixed as, one by one, the eggs hatched over the course of four days with, eventually, ten fluffy chicks welcomed into the world.

The project was organised through Living Eggs which supplies schools, nurseries and care homes with the embryo eggs, incubators and brooder boxes. Activity organiser Sylvie Rodulson said: “It has been the most magical time and our residents have been totally fascinated.

“They’ve been like midwives.

One resident, who used to work in a hospital theatre, said it’s been more exciting than taking part in a human birth. The idea for this came from Jo Hanson, a Colten Companion, and it’s been a huge success. I’m sure we’ll do it again.”

The chicks will be going to good homes, either free range farms locally or to people who have existing hen flocks.