Pick up chicks at TriCare’s Upper Mount Gravatt home

Key points:

• Residents of TriCare’s Upper Mount Gravatt facility were introduced to Henny Penny Hatching’s bundle of birds
• The chick hatching program covers incubation through to introduction, letting residents see the feathered friends emerge for the first time
• The program was rolled out in 2021, but was brought back this week due to popularity

The residents at TriCare Upper Mount Gravatt have been counting their chickens this week, quite literally. The aged care home has teamed up with an organisation called Henny Penny Hatching to introduce a chick hatching program.

“We started with 12 eggs that were just about ready to hatch,” said the home’s Lifestyle Coordinator Dayani Ranasinghe.

“Instead of watching the television, the residents have been locked into what’s going on in the brooding pen.First comes a ‘peck hole’, then a beak poking through, before a tiny chick gradually emerges and kicks itself free from the shell,” she added.

There are currently 11 chicks, with residents waiting patiently for the final egg yet to hatch. Once hatched, the chicks are transferred into a separate cage.

While the two-week program certainly provides entertainment, it also imparts a sense of nurturing, prompting residents to recall fond memories of their youth. The Henny Penny Hatching program is popular with schools and aged care residences as it is an interactive activity that is therapeutic, even for those who may be bed-ridden.

“We’ve seen our TriCare family really embrace this activity. It’s generated discussion, interaction, [and] a sense of anticipation. We’ll certainly be looking to do it again, it’s a wonderful well-being exercise,” Dayani said.

Kerri Marshall, a 79-year-old Upper Mount Gravatt resident, just loves checking in on the chicks and watching them explore the new world they’ve found themselves in.

“Over the last few days, I have spent a lot of time in the sitting room, not just watching the chicks, but my fellow residents and visitors,” Kerri said.

“I see the delight on their faces as they see the eggs cracking. They get to cuddle the little ones and they’re so gentle with them.”

Staff are taught how to cup and hold chicks through the Henny Penny program and teach the seniors how to safely feel the love and adoration of chirping and charming animals. A risk assessment has been published online which highlights the protocol to ensure that residents and feathered guests are both kept safe.

The lifespan of a chicken is 10 to 15 years, so after the initial warmth of each hatchling during the incubation period, a contact person will reach out to collect the fresh flock — such as a local farmer — and rear the birds.

Birds can communicate through over 30 different sounds to indicate their activity and state of wellbeing, letting residents know how they are feeling and what they’re up to.