2014 breeding season begins, post your results

[BYC-user-174785]

When I let a turkey incubate bronze peafowl eggs, some eggs mysteriously disappeared. Not sure if she ate them or smushed them. The nest was never wet. She was vicious and nearly killed a peachick...

 

[casportpony]

When I let a turkey incubate bronze peafowl eggs, some eggs mysteriously disappeared. Not sure if she ate them or smushed them. The nest was never wet. She was vicious and nearly killed a peachick...

My Royal Palm did a great job in 2012, but she's only 6kg, not 30kg, lol. The BBW has 5 of her own eggs that she's been on for about five days and is very gentle with them. Her crushing them is my biggest worry, but I'll have other eggs, so I might as well let her raise some before she dies of a heart attack, lol. Of course I'll have to deal with the blackhead worries, but I think I can do that.

-Kathy

 

[PeepsCA]

Dang... there went my plans of using a stubbornly broody Turkey Hen to hatch out Peachicks

Don't think I wanna risk any smooshed eggs or Hen-killed Peachicks.

I have a half a dozen broody Silkie Hens right now, but the last ding-dong Silkie Hen I used wouldn't even get off the eggs to do her big giant broody dumps, she just did her thing right there in the nest. 2 out of the 3 eggs I gave her died from being coated with broody poop!

(At least I am assuming that's what killed them). I got lucky with the last egg cuz once I realized what she was doing (or not doing) I started picking her fluffy butt up every day, twice a day and checking for poop! So much for lettin' a broody do all the work for you

 

[casportpony]

Dang... there went my plans of using a stubbornly broody Turkey Hen to hatch out Peachicks

Don't think I wanna risk any smooshed eggs or Hen-killed Peachicks.

I have a half a dozen broody Silkie Hens right now, but the last ding-dong Silkie Hen I used wouldn't even get off the eggs to do her big giant broody dumps, she just did her thing right there in the nest. 2 out of the 3 eggs I gave her died from being coated with broody poop!

(At least I am assuming that's what killed them). I got lucky with the last egg cuz once I realized what she was doing (or not doing) I started picking her fluffy butt up every day, twice a day and checking for poop! So much for lettin' a broody do all the work for you

My Royal Palm was a *very* good mother, better than many chickens I have.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

All of my 2 year olds are laying now, but none are with mature males, lol.

-Kathy

 

[3BirdGirlz]

I went away for the weekend and came back to 2 pea eggs!!! But she laid them in my call duck's nest and broke an egg and now my duck isn't sitting a couple duck eggs still looked alive, so I put them under a broody hen. I can't believe my peahen could even fit in the space the call duck was! I'm happy but sad. I guess the only thing I'll leave in with the peas during breeding season will be my mandarins because they have raised nest boxes!

 

[casportpony]

I went away for the weekend and came back to 2 pea eggs!!! But she laid them in my call duck's nest and broke an egg and now my duck isn't sitting a couple duck eggs still looked alive, so I put them under a broody hen. I can't believe my peahen could even fit in the space the call duck was! I'm happy but sad. I guess the only thing I'll leave in with the peas during breeding season will be my mandarins because they have raised nest boxes!

Congrats on the eggs!

-Kathy

 

[margaret8]

All of my 2 year olds are laying now, but none are with mature males, lol.

-Kathy

How old is a mature peacoock when he is fertile?

 

[casportpony]

Quote: There are exceptions, but I think the most common age is three. Mine are in with 2013 boys and one 2013 boy. One hen, the one I call orange, has been inside because she hasn't been well, so I know she's not laying fertile eggs, lol, but at least she's laying.

-Kathy

 

[margaret8]

There are exceptions, but I think the most common age is three. Mine are in with 2013 boys and one 2013 boy. One hen, the one I call orange, has been inside because she hasn't been well, so I no she's not laying fertile eggs, lol, but at least she's laying.

-Kathy

All of mine are a year old in August. There are 4 hens and 1 peacock, and I am wondering what to do. I want to get a purple male and a white male. The ones I have been looking at are 2 years old.