Residents at Red Roofs Residential Care Home, Newark, hatch 12 chicks

Some very special guests have arrived at a care home.

A Newark care home has been looking after 12 eggs, from the Happy Chick Company, and residents were delighted to watch the incubating eggs hatch.

Senior citizens at Red Roofs Residential Care Home, Grange Road, were eggstatic with the arrival of 12 new fluffy chicks.

The tiny new arrivals were cared for by residents for the next few days as they continued to grow and get stronger.

Trish Smith, general manager at Red Roofs Residential Care Home, which is part of independent care group Red Homes, said: "The arrival of the new chicks has certainly got everyone excited. It has been fascinating watching the eggs as they first start to wobble, then as the chicks start to peck their way out of the shells and now the chicks are finally here and running about in their brooder box.

"Here at Red Roofs, we are passionate about offering our residents exciting and unique new experiences. The new chicks have really united residents in caring and watching the new arrivals and it is fantastic to see so many happy faces as we get to hold and care for the little chicks."

Happy Chick Company is an ethical chick hatching service which allows schools and retirement homes to care for and experience chick hatching.

The four male and eight female chicks will stayed with the care home for a few days after hatching before the chicks were taken on to their forever homes.

Each of the residents took turns in feeding and caring for the chicks as they watched them grow in a specialist brooder box designed to encourage social interaction.