NOWADAYS the average household couldn't be further from the Good Life as children and their parents spend the majority of their time indoors.
But we at the Essex Chronicle would like to see things change. Barleylands Farm Park, Billericay, have kindly donated us our very own collection of eggs which we will follow from the right through the hatching process and into adulthood.
Our lucky readers will have the chance to not only name the chickens but also win their very own brood when they are fully grown.
Manager of Barleylands, David Finkle, said: "I think the days of the hamster and rabbit are over.
"People want to know where their food comes from and chickens are easy to keep and affordable. Keeping hens is a brilliant way to educate children about how they lay eggs instead of having other pets which the parents will end up looking after.
"Families can get a lot out of keeping hens and they are surprisingly affectionate."
Mr Finkle added: "It's a fantastic thing that modern society wants their kids to get their hands dirty and don't want everything clean and clinical any more. There's nothing better than having a trio of hens in the garden for the family to enjoy."
Hen keeping is becoming more popular as people crave the nostalgia of being self-sufficient and are spurred on by the interest in local produce and sustainability. 'Backyard' chickens are popping up across the country as people realise that keeping their own poultry is easier than they might think and also a lot of fun.
Mr Finkle explained: "Chickens are making a comeback as people are pining for the days of seeing Nan and Granddad on the allotment with the hens."
Our feathered friends are now at the first stage of life and are being carefully incubated and watched over by the staff at Barleylands.
Mr Finkle explained the process: "The eggs go into the incubator for 24 days before they hatch.
"The incubator is nothing other than an artificial mother hen which keeps the eggs at a constant temperature of 38C which is the same temperature as a hen would keep them at. The eggs are due to hatch on Good Friday."
The Essex Chronicle eggs are blue in colour and there are around 24 eggs under the incubator.
The Chronicle chickens are of the Legbar breed. Legbars are a small type of chicken who are good egg layers and produce an unusual 'designer' blue egg.
Mr Finkle said: "It's surprising how many colours of eggs there are out there. Blue, pink, brown, speckled – we thought it would be fun to have chickens which lay such an interesting colour of egg."
Once hatched the chicks will grow up to be a mixture of red, orange and grey feathers.
Now the eggs have been set we must watch and wait for the new spring arrivals. Keep your eyes peeled for hatching stage which will be in time for Easter.