Peep Find a New Mom

Now this is interesting. I wrote a few weeks ago that the mother of our peeps was killed by a hawk. The little chicks have been a little lost. The rooster kept an eye on the little ones, but they were pretty much left to fend for themselves.

The only remain female hen we have started setting on her eggs about the time the peeps lost their mom.

A few days ago when the sun heated up the day, the setting hen got off the nest and began nurturing the orphaned peeps. You could see them out under the azaleas and huckleberry bushes scratching and clucking.

This morning I got up before daylight to walk for 30 minutes and at the conclusion of my walk, I stepped close to the setting hen to make sure she was OK on the nest. When my flashlight hit her, I could see something dark that was too close to her. When I moved in for a closer look, I realized it was the orphaned peeps that were huddled in the nest with the hen. I've never seen that before.

I would have taken a picture, but I feared the flash would freak them out and I didn't want to chance it.

The new peeps are due around September 2nd. We'll have a yard full of chickens before you know it.

When the orphans get a little older, we plan to place them in a good home. We're taking applications now to adopt a WatsonPeep. Please include the last three years of your tax returns, your vaccination records, and three references along with an essay on why you think you deserve a peep.