STUDENTS at Great Yarmouth College are celebrating the arrival of its Jubilee 'babies'.

Animal care students have been eagerly awaiting the hatching of chicks from 18 hen eggs in an incubator in their lab.

The first popped out this morning (Friday) with more following.

Students intend to give the chicks royal names – Elizabeth, Kate and Charles – to mark the Queen's Jubilee and the college's first 'birthing' moment.

The egg project – 'Chickwatch' - has caused a stir among students and staff with a constant stream of people popping to check on them in anticipation of new life.

During their incubation, animal care students have been using a special candle light that makes the shell translucent so they can watch the chicks' development inside.

Tutor Kieron Daniels said: 'Students have been fascinated to see their development. When you shine a light - called a candle – on the egg you can watch the development of the chick inside.

'They have been watching the foetuses form, watching a little limb appear.'

The new college 'babies' are being hatched from eggs donated by students from their own chickens.

'We have a total of 33 eggs brought in for the project. We've had some problems and now we're down to 18 and are hoping these 18 will hatch,' said Kieron, a self-confessed chicken fanatic who specialised in chickens during his degree in Animal Science at Aberysthwyth University.

'The eggs in there are good egg laying breeds. When they are hatched some students have declared an interest in taking them home.'

Levels 1, 2 and 3 Animal care students and Access to life sciences students have been closely watching the eggs.

Students are volunteering to take the chicks home to look after them over half term.

Kieron said the project fitted with the farm modules the students are learning.

'It is spring when a lot of farm animals are conceived. This is teaching them about life. Everyone sees chickens and this is teaching them where they started and how to incubate eggs.'