Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-07-06
STORIES ABOUT HENS.
Especially When They Are Engaged
in the Operation of Sitting.

in the Operation of Sitting.
'In the matter of chicken raising" states
a writer for The Star. there Is a good deal
to interest one besides the financial re-
suits. About Matching they have some very
odd ways. A short while ago young game
hen evinced the strongest desire to sit, or
set" as common parlance has 1t. and as
had a number of others going through that
ir teresting process, and as she would not
sit save on certain nest. where a number
of hens were laying, I did not approve of
her plan. However, she was so persistent,
and disturbed the laying hens so much, that
l finally, to her great satisfaction, put her
en- thirteen eggs. For about ten days she
seemed the picture of contentment. but at
the end of this period she apparently be-
came disguised at the slow process and left
the nest. positively refusing to return.
las good luck would have it, another hen
happened to be strollng by at that time
ore that had shown no signs whatever of
desire to stand seeing the eggs already
arranged, Immediately took possession of
the nest. The brood was duly Matched, but
the foster mother was not destined to en-
joy the bringing up of all her chicks, for.
no sooner had they left the nest than pi-
rate hen, which had apparently been lying
in wait. asserted protectorship over several
OF them, and took them Off to raise accord
ing to her own notions. This particular
method is rather uncommon, though 1t not
infrequently happens that when two hens
are sitting near each other both Of them
will go off with the first brood Matched and
abandon the others to their fate, even
though they be within day of Matching.
Another odd thing occurred last year.
had two hens, black one and a white one,
that would sit on the same nest side by
side. Neither one appeared to mind the
other in the least, but, on the contrary,
there seemed to be an understanding be-
tween them, as they snuggled up closely to-
covered
BY some chance only two chicks were
Matched, a black one and white one. and
whether 1t was merely accident or not I
cannot say, but each took the one of its
own color, and, while they brought them up
together, yet each hen only fed its own
chick. From all I've seen of the queer
ways of hens, I am inclined to believe that
these particular ones understood what they
were doing, and in their considera tion-if I
may be allowed the expression-this was
the surest way of getting their own Off
spring.
Il am much interested at present in what
seems to me the oldest freak of ALL About
two weeks ago 1 set white hen thir-
teen eggs, as usual. in an old barrel which
was on its side. No sooner had 1 done this
than black hen took up her station imme-
diately at the mouth of the barrel, and be-
gan to sit on the bare ground. I decided to
let her alone and watch the result, as l was
sure she had some idea to work out. Nor
was 1 mistaken, for in a couple of days,
when the white hen came off to get some
food. the black one Immediately took her
place. Naturally, 1 expected some disturb
sthce on her return, but in this 1 was dis
appoin ted. She appeared to know exactly
what the black hen had been sitting there
for. and had apparently counted on the
result. Without showing the slightest agi-
tation, she merely glanced in the barrel,
then took her station on the exact spot
that the black hen had quilted Since then
they have exchanged places several times,
evi1ep ty thoroughly satisfied with their
cooperative method.
More than once I have had occasion to
notice the quiet resignation and patience of
a sitting hen under the most adverse cir
cumstances. For instance, 1 have known
one to sit out the whole three weeks with
another hen calmly seated upon her back.
l have seen this not infrequently, and vain
have been my endeavors to put a stop to
it. until at last have found 1t necessary to
imprison the intruding hen. In some cases
the intruder would consent to sit by her
self when a nest was prepared for her, but
more frequently, like Rachel, she has re-
fused to be comforted, and could not be ca
jole1 into adopting any other occupation.
Sometimes, if the original occupant is of
good disposition, and offers the visitor an
opportunity. the latter will descend from
her high station and share the work side
by side, as related above; but there are oc-
casions when just nothing but pure cussed-
ness seems 10 animate her, and she is then
as obstinate as a balky mule"