Residents and staff at Nayland House care home in Colchester were thrilled to welcome a clutch of gorgeous fluffy ducklings this week that hatched at the home.
Poultry breeders and conservationists Incredible Eggs supplied the eggs together with all the equipment needed to incubate and hatch them over a ten-day period. Staff at the care home were given all the information and support they needed to smooth the ducklings’ entry into the world.
The inspiration for this project came from the activities co-ordinator at Nayland House, Hannah. “Our residents adore animals,” she said. “We go for daily walks along the river to feed the ducks, and I thought it would be a lovely idea for our residents to hatch their own ducklings and watch them grow.
“Everything was so straightforward. Our residents have loved every minute, from incubation to hatching, and it’s so delightful to have the ducklings here with us now.”
With the ducklings growing so fast and already learning to swim, the residents have become so attached to them that the team at Nayland House has decided to keep all five, rather than rehoming them.
“The ducklings will live indoors for the next few weeks, after which we’ll move them outside into our garden with a shelter they can use at night, and they will have their own little pond,” said Hannah. “We can’t wait to see them grow and develop their own personalities.”
