Fluffy new residents at Bethesda Place warm hearts and bring smiles

There’s a lot of chirping coming from one of the rooms at Bethesda Place in Steinbach, where equipment is set up to help hatch some chicken eggs. 

Recreation Coordinator Sheryl Harder says the first one hatched during their Father’s Day activity and now they have a few chicks, which is bringing a lot of joy to the personal care home. 

“It’s a lot of fun watching them. I think the staff is really enjoying this too,” Harder says. “You’ll notice staff coming in and they’re just gushing.” 

Harder says raising chicks is not something that comes naturally to them so there was a lot of research to learn about the equipment and how to care for them. 

She says it’s worth all the work, to see these little ones bring all this joy and excitement to the home. 

Cordelia Wiebe is a recreation worker and says residents love this new adventure. 

“They’ll go for a walk around the facility, and they’ll hear the chirping, and then they open the doors in here. They come in, sit around and just enjoy it.” 

Wiebe says they also bring the baby chicks to residents who are unable to attend the hatching room. 

She notes these fluffy baby chicks are putting smiles on many faces. 

The first egg hatched earlier than they anticipated, and it was a very exciting time. 

While they were cleaning up after the Father’s Day breakfast, Wiebe suddenly heard some chirping and was initially puzzled, wondering where the sound was coming from. 

“Then I remembered the hatching machine,” she exclaims. “I went there, and I exploded. I was not excited for raising chicks, but I exploded.” 

Wiebe says it was an exciting and memorable occasion, something the residents are still talking about. 

As for future plans for the chicks, Harder laughs and suggests they might tame them for pets. She notes they do have a home lined up for them as soon as they get to be too big to stay in the care home. 

@steinbach_online The folks at #Bethesda Place love raising baby #chicks! These little ones are the #talk of the #home. They bring koy and excitement with every chirp. #SteinbachOnline #chickens #seniors #animals ♬ Galway Whistle - Brad Lang & Primetime Tracks