Spaulding peahen lays her first eggs

Gianna

Chirping
Oct 19, 2014
25
5
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Hi All , I'm new to the egg laying process and would really appreciate some help, please. I have a 2+ year old Spaulding pea hen . I also have a 2+ year old BS male. This week the hen laid her first 2 eggs. The first egg we left but found broken the next morning and I'm guessing one of them attempted to eat it. The 2nd egg we removed. I really DONT want to attempt raising any peachicks. Two is enough for us , for now at least. I'm just not ready nor equipped to raise chicks right now. Do we continue to remove the eggs? What if they eventual mate and eggs are fertile. Do I have to check each egg, and if so what is the easiest way? I understand the more we remove , the more she will lay. Will this stress her out by laying more eggs we continue to remove? What if she attempts to want to lay on her egg (s) ? I heard to put fake eggs near her for a while , and then remove and she will stop laying ? As you can see, I am stressed, probably more than she is !!! Bottom line I really cant manage any chicks right now but dont want to do something that will cause her harm or may be inhumane.
Thanks for any help anyone can provide here !!
 
It could affect the hen's laying, but there's a chance that it could not. Pea hens lay throughout spring in an attempt to raise their babies, as do turkeys. Removing the eggs may cause her to stop laying temporarily, but she would eventually move on and continue laying.
 
Thanks so much for your reply. Her eggs are not fertile now and she continues to lay one every other night as normal. I'm just not ready currently to commit to raising any chicks. Not being selfish, just taking a chicks life very seriously. I'm thinking if it does happen , my neighbor would take the chick but I'm thinking to possibly just separate her from him as to not mate, but house them side to side so they are that close. I really dont want to stress her in any way. Thats what worries me most. I guess my question is, do I continue to check each egg to make sure its not fertile or, will she behave differently when she does have a fertile egg? Right now she just basically walks away from the egg. Would she lay on her fertile eggs instead? Thanks again for your taking the time to help and answer my post..
 
She does not know when her eggs are fertile, and will lay them regardless. In early spring, domesticated turkeys/peahens may lay sporadically wherever they feel like it, but when they are ready to raise young, they tend to roll all their eggs to one area or start a new clutch. It is perfectly normal for her to walk away from the eggs. That is a sign that she feels to young to care for the pea chicks. Her behavior will not change if her eggs are fertile, but if she decides to go broody, she may become more aggressive towards you or other birds. So I would just continue doing what you're doing.
 
Peahens will continue to lay eggs if you keep taking them but if you leave them she will sit on the eggs. It is completely natural for her to lay eggs, she is not stressed at all. Peahens really have a tendency to go brooder and are so stubborn that they may sit on one egg. They usually only attempt to hatch one clutch of chicks so if you put fake eggs in the area where she lays her eggs normally, and take out the real ones she may go broody on the fake eggs. But I really don't recommend this. ( don't want her to sit for months on fake eggs) I would say you just keep removing them like you are.

And in all seriousness I wouldn't mind paying shipping for you to send me the eggs they wouldn't go to waste, I would love to hatch some chicks out!
 
Thanks everyone. I will continue to remove her eggs. I'm just wondering what the easiest way is for me to check whether they are fertile. I guess that's my concern.
And to Birdmanmax, maybe I could consider shipping to you once I know there's a chick . I just want to make sure I'm not sending you an egg with a yolk
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Appreciate your replies and if anyone else has any idea's , would be great to hear..
 
To check for fertility break the egg into a bowl and look for the white spot if it's tiny like a pimple it's not fertile if it's a little larger maybe the size of a pencil eraser it is fertile if you can't decide take a picture we will help
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Very good advice above @LLranch, sorry forget to answer the fertility question. Hoping they're fertile I would love to do business with you and add some Spaulding blood to my flock!:D
 
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