Peep this
At our Heather Glen community, the past few weeks have been filled with anticipation and wonder — thanks to a handful of eggs and a thoughtful idea from Health Services Coordinator Amanda Zeitler.
Amanda raises goats and chickens and often shares photos and stories with residents. This often sparks questions or prompts residents to recall their own days on farms or in backyards with chickens. With that in mind, Amanda wondered what might happen if residents could experience the hatching process firsthand.
So, she brought in an incubator.
For four weeks, twelve eggs sat carefully warmed and tended at Heather Glen, becoming the most talked‑about residents in the building. Residents gathered around the eggs daily, checking progress and learning what was happening inside each shell. Using a small flashlight, they watched veins form and saw the outline of tiny chicks grow larger and stronger each day. It was fascinating, hands‑on and deeply engaging.
Amanda turned the incubation into a three‑part educational journey, guiding residents through each stage of development and answering questions along the way. The quiet moments were just as meaningful — the standing-room-only crowd gathered around the incubator, shared hope and conversations sparked by watching life unfold in real time. For many residents, it brought back memories from their youth. For others, it was something they had never seen before.
Then came Earth Day.
As night turned to morning, the first chicks began to hatch. Word spread quickly. Residents came out in nightgowns, unwilling to miss asingle moment as the shells cracked and new life emerged. There were smiles, laughter and a few happy tears as one chick after another made its way into the world.
The excitement was contagious. A visiting physician stopped in and lingered, caught up in the moment alongside residents and team members alike. Within hours, twelve healthy chicks had hatched — marking the first time Heather Glen had ever hosted an experience like this.
In the end, this story isn’t really about chicks. It’s about paying attention. It’s about one team member seeing an opportunity to create connection and choosing to act on it. Amanda didn’t need a formal program or a big budget. She brought a piece of her own life into the community and invited residents to share in one of her passions.
In doing so, she created days filled with anticipation, learning and joy. Those moments gave residents something to look forward to and talk about — creating experiences that turned an ordinary spring into something unforgettable.
