I think I have an original story. I had a hen who was setting for several weeks it is too hot here for eggs to hatch, but she would not listen to me and she set and set. Finaly one day I went in the hen house to feed and she was clucking as if she had peeps. But she was sitting still so I thought that maybe 1 hatched and that it was hiding under her. This went on for 3 days, I was really anxious to see the new peep. There is nothing that I like better than babies. Finaly the day came when she was walking around with her new peep. To my astonishment there was no peep. That was a week ago and she is still having a conversation with her invisible peep. It is kinda sad. Lisa

-- Lisa in west TX. (westtexas@ev1.neinvi), July 14, 2001

Answers

Response to invisible peeps

Poor hen! Can't you get her a couple chicks somewhere? I had a hen who was rejected by the chicken flock and had to live with the ducks. The rooster would have nothing to do with her. She wanted babies so badly that she was trying to incubate golf balls and light bulbs. I finally gave her some fertile ducks eggs and she had a devil of a time draping herself over them (she was a bantam), but you should have seen how proud she was of her three 'children' when they hatched!

-- julie f. (rumplefrogskin@excite.com), July 14, 2001.

Julie I have about 50 babie chicks in the hen house with her. They have been there the whole time that she has benn setting. I think maybe she is clucking to them and wonders why they dont mind?? Who knows what she thinks. Her eggs are fertil but it is 110 here every afternon. She will need to wait until fall to set. I read some threads today about how to get a hen to stop setting. I just let mine do what ever they want. thanks for your response. Lisa

-- Lisa in west TX. (westtexas@ev1.net), July 14, 2001.