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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