Incubation of Peafowl

[CCourson05]

First off, is it any more difficult than chicken eggs?


Second, if it is, what do I need to do to prepare myself for it? My girls should start laying this spring...


Third, should I have any specific incubator that anyone has had better results from?

Thanks, everyone!

 

[Glenmar]

They are harder to hatch then chickens. I think most hens have to be 3 before they will lay and males are 2 before they are fertile.
The eggs need to be incubated on their sides and turned a minimum of 5x a day. I hand turned mine 3x a day and had it on the auto turner also.
I have a Brinsea ECO 20. I love it.

 

[Arbor]

I have found them only slightly harder to hatch than chickens - depends on the breed though.
Hens will lay at 2 years, males can be fertile at 2 years, but up here I usually only get one or two fertile eggs if I use a 2 year old male.
I have had great success with turning only once per day, but since I got my auto turner, it turns every hour - all with same results.
I built my own incubator capable of holding 5 trays of 32 eggs each. I bought parts like the turner, thermostat, heating element etc. but built the box out of fibreglass coated plywood - similar to some hockey arena boards. I use a cheap fan and the front door is almost entirely plexiglass so I can visually check on the eggs. All said and done, I think it cost me between 200 and 300 dollars to make.
It works great for me and I usually end up with hatch rates between 85 and 95%.

 

[Frosty]

I have heard that hatch rates can be better if you start them under a broody hen... here is some info on Legg's peafowl: http://www.leggspeafowl.com/incub.htm

I have only hatched one so far, from my peas when they were both 2 years old. I had one Silver Pied male hatch out, under a broody hen from start to finish. Since I just had one I let her raise him too.

 

[kyfarm]

Hi hatching harder than chicken eggs i believe temp and humidity touchy, but raising first month is where it gets tricky we have stages of temp control systems as they are so touchy with temp and humidity. we have always incubated so cant compare to under chicken or ala natural. we dont sell chicks till past 2 weeks old off of our farm customers welcome to oggle at new borns but select over 2 weeks. we have a few nearing 3 month old now for sale. last egg in hatcher then we are done this season. just wondered from other breeders. this year peafowl and chickens hatched very well in western ky guineas not so. any others have same? last year guineas past peafowl in hatch rate. chickens they seem to do well every year although this year less problems may have gotten humidity dialed in better. take care [email protected]

 

[Tracydr]

Quote:
For some reason, I was never successful with peafowl eggs. But, my peahens always did a good job and I would just take the chicks when they hatched to brood out indoors. Didn't want the little chicks to fall prey to predators!

 

[ranit]

I do have better luck setting mine under a broody hen for the first week, then I move them into the incubator. Since I raise silkies, which are notorious for going broody, I usually have a broody available.

 

[CCourson05]

Can you let a broody chicken hen hatch the eggs? Like entirely.... The whole 30 days?

 

[Sweet Water Springs]

most of the breeders in Oz that i have spoken to, don't use incubators at all any more, 90% use chickens, and a few others use Pea hens.. i have been told of up to 15-16 eggs under each Pea hen, with good %...

 

[deerman]

Quote:
most all of the IB peahens will lay at 2 yrs some even at a year.