BIGGIE and Mr Stork have been given a helping hand in their first few weeks by Daisy Bessant from Gauntlet Birds of Prey.

Daisy has reared five white storks at the centre in Knutsford, helping to hatch four of the five baby storks out of their eggs.

Daisy intervened because of the inexperience in hatching the eggs of the first-time mums, caring for them in incubators and feeding them four times a day.

The birds are now seven weeks old, and can be seen by the public in an aviary at Gauntlet on Manchester Road.

“It was the first time two of our three pairs of storks had laid eggs,” said Daisy.

“They had mastered the laying of the eggs and were committed to sitting on them, and hopefully next year they might know the ropes a little bit more to be able to hatch them out themselves.

“We removed the eggs to give them the best chance, and placed them in an incubator.

“They were in there until they were two and a half weeks old, and were then taken out and had a heat lamp over them for another week and a half. They are now in an aviary, and will stay together.

“They love interaction with the public, and we’ve called two of them Biggie and Mr Stork. If anyone has suggestions for names for the others they can contact us through our Facebook page.

“When you have them from eggs the first thing they see is you. Straight away you are mum to them, and they will follow you everywhere.

“It’s the first time we have bred white storks, and it’s been a really good experience, although it’s been hard work.

“It took an hour to prepare their food and an hour to feed all five of them four times a day. I was feeding them until about 11 o’clock at night.”