'I hatched my best friend from an egg I bought at Sainsburys'

A teenager who successfully hatched a quail from eggs she bought from the supermarket adores her "special" pal.

Zara Sutcliffe had been begging her parents for more pets to add to the family's collection, which include two tortoises and a mantis.

The 13-year-old had been asking her mum, Claire, for months whether she could buy a box of Clarence Court 'Free to Fly' quail eggs, that she had read could be hatched.

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Back in August, the Altrincham teen spotted the brand during the family's weekly shop and her mum let her buy them.

Zara ensured she did lots of research ahead of purchasing the eggs, which included advice on how to turn them four times a day to stop the yolk settling and hatching.

At first, Claire warned her daughter that it might not turn out as she hoped, and they may not hatch.

But Zara remained confident, using an incubator, weighing the eggs regularly and checking them with a torch. Soon, the eggs began gaining weight and the chicks could be seen growing within.

As it became clear the eggs were going to hatch, Claire realised she would have to tell her husband Simon, who had previously said they weren’t to have any more pets, that they would soon be welcoming two more additions to their household.

Then, on Friday September 1st, less than three weeks after incubation began, the first chick hatched.

They named it Pebbles, and the next day they were joined by a second, Speckles.

Sadly, Speckles became ill and later passed away. But Pebbles continues to thrive – with the family even buying him new sisters Chanel and Gucci to ensure he doesn’t get lonely.

“Zara goes out every day and feeds them and does the