Incubating peahen eggs

[Willy71]

I've been incubating/hatching game birds and chickens for years, I'm about to incubate some peahen eggs for the first time. I'm using a sportsman cabinet incubator with auto turner, my question is, do the peahen eggs go in point down? Or do they need to lay on their sides? I've heard both ways.

 

[Birdrain92]

I've been incubating/hatching game birds and chickens for years, I'm about to incubate some peahen eggs for the first time. I'm using a sportsman cabinet incubator with auto turner, my question is, do the peahen eggs go in point down? Or do they need to lay on their sides? I've heard both ways.

I've never used that incubator nor have I used auto turners. I lay my eggs on their side but that's all I can do. I turn them twice per day by hand.

 

[AugeredIn]

Either way has worked for us. Maybe slightly better results on their sides.

 

[Willy71]

I have a friend that has some buff Orpingtons, I'm going to get a hen from him to incubate the eggs for the first two weeks before I put them in the incubator. I've heard that works pretty well

 

[barkerg]

I have a friend that has some buff Orpingtons, I'm going to get a hen from him to incubate the eggs for the first two weeks before I put them in the incubator. I've heard that works pretty well

I put my pea eggs under game hens for a minimum of 12 days, (14+ days is even better) before I place them in the incubator. I actually try to go full term under game hens but will use the incubator if space is needed. Many believe that pea eggs do not hatch well in incubators when started day 1 due to the eggs being either sensitive to bacteria and the hens oils help to seal the pores and protect the eggs and after 2 weeks the egg is ok to finish in the incubator or its a humidity issue and the jury is still out on both issues. I myself have noticed much better hatch rates by using natural means and if it aint broke, dont fix it. This might be a wives tale or it could be that the old school incubators were not as efficient or technical as todays equipment (I lean towards the later) but, this is what works for me hope it helps and keep us posted.

Gerald Barker

 

[KsKingBee]

This is a must read for anyone who is interested in incubating peafowl eggs.

http://leggspeafowl.com/incub.htm

 

[Willy71]

Thank you all for the advice, I will keep you updated on the results. Hoping for a good hatch and all the help from you all will increase that chance. I've never used a brood hen, what's the best way to get her to go broody?

 

[barkerg]

Thank you all for the advice, I will keep you updated on the results. Hoping for a good hatch and all the help from you all will increase that chance. I've never used a brood hen, what's the best way to get her to go broody?

Orpington's were hit or miss for me when it came to setting eggs. Generally, gamefowl will be the best setters meaning, they will start setting earlier and go full term, the full term is the key as some breeds will start but quit after a while and thats not good. To get them started is pretty easy just leave the eggs in her box and usually after 6+ eggs (this depends on the hen some more, some less) you will notice just before shes ready, she'll start clucking more. Some breeds are better at brooding than others, example, Rhode Island Reds are bred to lay eggs they can and will set in most cases but overall prove to be undependable in the long run. Check in the chicken forum for the best breeds for brooding another point to keep in mind is the size of the chicken, many will say silkies are the best setters but pea eggs are huge. Hope this helps.

Gerald Barker

 

[Willy71]

This is a must read for anyone who is interested in incubating peafowl eggs.

http://leggspeafowl.com/incub.htm

Good article, thanks for the info!

 

[Willy71]

Orpington's were hit or miss for me when it came to setting eggs. Generally, gamefowl will be the best setters meaning, they will start setting earlier and go full term, the full term is the key as some breeds will start but quit after a while and thats not good. To get them started is pretty easy just leave the eggs in her box and usually after 6+ eggs (this depends on the hen some more, some less) you will notice just before shes ready, she'll start clucking more. Some breeds are better at brooding than others, example, Rhode Island Reds are bred to lay eggs they can and will set in most cases but overall prove to be undependable in the long run. Check in the chicken forum for the best breeds for brooding another point to keep in mind is the size of the chicken, many will say silkies are the best setters but pea eggs are huge. Hope this helps.

Gerald Barker

I might go to the local flea market this weekend and see if I can find some game hens or Cochins, thank you