Groups 4 & 5

After some research on our poor hatch rates, I was convinced that low humidity was the culprit so we bought a hygrometer and some inexpensive test eggs on ebay. Once again, the eggs were advertised as Ameraucanas, but were in fact Easter Eggers (not that there's anything wrong with Easter Eggers). They were also advertised as being blue, and represented by a photo of some beautiful blue eggs, but as you can see, they're not really blue at all...



Now, up to this point, I had been following the incubator manufacturer's instructions, which do not mention anything about using a hygrometer or provide any recommendations regarding relative humidity. They merely instruct the user to fill varous channels with water at various points in time during the incubation process. This time, I have a target humidity to shoot for, based on something I read on the internets.

Shortly after the test eggs went in, Christine must have been feeling lucky because she dropped a Benny on some Black Copper Marans eggs. She bought them from Greenfire Farms in Florida, an organic farm which raises several types of heritage breed livestock. They're at greenfirefarms.com.



It's not a good idea to mix hatch dates in the incubator, but we didn't really know that at the time.

When the Easter Eggers came due, we faced disappointment once again and got one single chick to hatch. This poor little peep was so lonely, it spent its first two days running back and forth across the brooder, screaming it's little head off for some companionship. Once picked up, it would settle down and go to sleep. We named it Posty because the seller, an illiterate redneck from Kentucky (heh, no correlation implied), continuously dropped the ball on shipping and wrote that he "wudnt able to run down to the posty today" and "wood mayk it to the posty tamarro". Unfortunately, Posty has turned into a little rooster now and must go soon.



So three days later, the Black Copper Marans were due and they did achieve the highest hatch rate to date at 33%.

Here are some of those adorable little Black Copper Marans...





For my next blog entry, I'll reveal in great detail the secret to successfully incubating and hatching eggs. My hatch rate is now a consistent 90%.

Group 3: Dark Eggs

Our second incubation attempt was with 21 eggs from various dark brown laying breeds: Cuckoo Marans, Welsummers, Barnevelders and Penedesencas.

This hatch was less than stellar as well, resulting in only three peeps. Interestingly, they're all Cuckoo Marans. After an "eggtopsy" and some internet research, I was fairly certain that low humidity is the culprit behind my dismal incubation record. This proved correct and was rectified with Groups 7 & 8.







This is the little rooster, Francois...



and here he is with his two sisters in the background...



One of the girls is Veronique, but I don't know which one. The other one has yet to be named. Maybe they're just the two Veroniques.

Going Organic

We've recently decided to switch over to organic practices. There are many good reasons to consider going organic and chief among ours is the concern about chemical fertilizers and pollutants contaminating the water supply. Not only do we drink well water here, but we're also only about a quarter mile away from the Napa River.

Here are a few of the organic products we've purchased for immediate use in the garden and around the property...



Compost for the raised beds, corn gluten for pre-emergent weed control and various fertilizers for the assorted plant types, including the lawn. But wait, there's more...organic planting mix for the various potted plants we'll be placing throughout the property!



And now for the really fun part...beneficial bugs! w00t!



The ladybugs will be released about a week after application of the insecticidal soap and the praying mantis babies should hatch in a couple/few weeks. The beneficial nematodes are applied via a hose sprayer. This is done as night because UV rays kill them, so I sacrificed watching "Dancing With The Stars" in order to do it after the recent rototilling of the veggie garden.



Speaking of rototilling the veggie garden, here are the photos of that. I would prefer to have used a larger, rear-tine tiller, but this is the largest machine we have the means of transporting.










I worked around the peas and fava beans, which are still finishing...



These disgusting grubs feed on roots and attract voles to the garden. They are the target of the beneficial nematodes.



Spring planting will commence this week!

Group 2: Ameraucana Eggs From FL

(I'm still backtracking here, trying to get this blog up to date...)

In preparation for the arrival of the first group of peeps, I was scrounging around in the barn for feeders, waterers and other such chicken paraphernalia when I came across this little gem...



It's an Hova-Bator egg incubator. I was pretty excited to have found it, but it was in sad shape, covered in dust and just lying on the floor, top and bottom halves separated, amongst the piles of grape stakes, tomato cages and other such detritus that always accumulates in barns. I disassembled it, taking careful note of the wiring, cleaned and sanitized it and then reassembled it. By checking the manufacturer's website, gqfmfg.com, I was able to download the instructions* and determine that a few pieces were missing. Thankfully, our feed store, Western Farm Supply in Santa Rosa, stocks a pretty full line of Hova-Bator parts and they were able to hook me up. Of course, I could have just ordered them from the manufacturer's website, but who has the patience for that?

So, with the incubator cleaned up, tuned up and warmed up, it was time to get it loaded up. We bought some Ameraucana eggs from a gal in Florida on eggbid.com. Note that there is no "i" in Ameraucana...they are not "Americanas", but "American Araucanas", which are blue/green egg layers. These would actually turn out not to be Ameraucanas at all, but Easter Eggers, but that's another subject entirely.

We followed the instructions dutifully and were very excited and hopeful when the first egg pipped a few hours early on the 21st day. Out came a little yellow peep, peeping away and climbing all over the other eggs inside the 'bator. Twelve hours later, another little yellow peep emerged. But, that was it.

The little yellow peeps had that classic little yellow peep look and were quickly dubbed the "Easter Peeps". Later, when their inquisitive and mischievious nature came out, they earned the names Thing One and Thing Two.

Here they are in their brooder, just a few hours old...



At this point, the Group 1 peeps had been moved outside and the Easter Peeps had the penthouse suite to themselves. They enjoyed flying up and perching on the side to watch us...



Super friendly...





They really liked Dolly...



Thing One turned out to be a rooster, but that's okay, he'd already stolen our hearts...





Don't worry, the above photo was merely part of a project for a photography class.
That's no chicken stew, he's our lead roo.





Here's the little sister, Thing Two...





Thing Two would like to clarify that just because she wears the number two, does not imply in any way that she's inferior to Thing One.

She says you may feel free to call her Thing "A" if you like.

She will also accept SuperThing, Thing Queen, Kid Dynamite, Chocolate Thun-Da... or Princess Penelope.

Thing One says he's Thing One for a reason and some peeps should just get used to it.

It's a Thing thing. You wouldn't understand.

(yeah, I paraphrased from The Cat in the Hat)





*the instructions are atrociously flawed and will not result in successful hatches...see my Groups 7 & 8 hatch for the right way to incubate eggs.

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