2015 Peafowl Hatching Support Group - Eggs and Chicks!

[Birdrain92]

Hello All-

I am a new peafowl owner, sort of. Certainly new to hatching them. I got a male India Blue and a female Black Shoulder when they were roughly 2 months old in late June of 2013. So they are 2 years old. My hen laid eggs a couple of times back in June - but did it while she was up on her roost, so the eggs broke when they hit the ground 6' below. A few weeks later, she laid another egg - smash - and then laid 4 eggs while on the ground. I was very excited. I did not weigh them, but I put 1 under a broody chicken hen I had, and gave 3 to a friend who had a broody hen. I had little hope as I thought the parents might be a bit on the young side to have very good fertility.
I came home this evening to find that my pea egg has hatched and there is a beautiful yellow chick. I did not take a picture as it was getting dark and I didn't want to keep the chick out for long, but everything looked good. The other 3 eggs aren't due to hatch for another week or so.
I will try to take a picture tomorrow and post it. My husband thinks that having a cross like that is undesirable. Thoughts? Any comments on what color the chick might end up?
I have questions about how to raise this chick. Leave it under the hen? That is most likely what I will do, but I need to do some research about feed, medication, etc. I tried reading this thread, but it is so long! I will keep reading, though!

If the chick is yellow it's a Black Shoulder which would require your Indian Blue male to have the Black Shoulder gene as well. Black Shoulder is a recessive. Splits would only be undesirable if you don't like surprise genes popping up in your flock. Sometimes when the eggs aren't fertile they will destroy the eggs by dropping them off a perch or they break the eggs themselves. I would leave the chick with the hen. Peachicks need a feed that has at least 20% protein. Depending on where you shop for feed look for a Medicated Game Bird feed or a medicated turkey or chick feed of 20% protein. I use a meat bird feed that is 22% protein for adults and my chicks that were with their mom they ate it too but I would give them a bowl of 28% protein medicated Gamebird chick starter & grower. I recommend crumbles over pellets since it's easier for them to eat.

 

[CarlisleCluck]

Funny - my notes from when I bought the adults as chicks say that the male is "India Blue Split to White" - but I had a third one (that disappeared) that was a female "India Blue". I thought I had written it down wrong and so said that the male was the India Blue. I guess my notes were right.
So you say leave the chick with the chicken hen. That is really what I would like to do because otherwise it would be all alone in a brooder. I do have some other keets and chicken chicks, but they are at least 3 weeks old already.
So your preference would be for 20% or more medicated game bird chick starter or grower - crumbles preferred. I will look for that today. I can always give egg yolk, too (I have an egg boiling now) to increase protein a bit. And I did read to provide vitamins and electrolytes to the water, which I can do.
Do you think that feed will be alright for my chicken hen mama? I could probably provide her with something in a bowl that is high enough the peachick can not reach it, if she should eat something else.
Thank you so much for your helpful reply!

 

[Birdrain92]

Funny - my notes from when I bought the adults as chicks say that the male is "India Blue Split to White" - but I had a third one (that disappeared) that was a female "India Blue". I thought I had written it down wrong and so said that the male was the India Blue. I guess my notes were right.
So you say leave the chick with the chicken hen. That is really what I would like to do because otherwise it would be all alone in a brooder. I do have some other keets and chicken chicks, but they are at least 3 weeks old already.
So your preference would be for 20% or more medicated game bird chick starter or grower - crumbles preferred. I will look for that today. I can always give egg yolk, too (I have an egg boiling now) to increase protein a bit. And I did read to provide vitamins and electrolytes to the water, which I can do.
Do you think that feed will be alright for my chicken hen mama? I could probably provide her with something in a bowl that is high enough the peachick can not reach it, if she should eat something else.
Thank you so much for your helpful reply!

Can you post pictures of the adults please? The hen can eat it. Though with chickens when you give them higher protein they tend to not lay as much and become more of a meat bird.

 

[CarlisleCluck]

Here is a picture of the female (white - well, not WHITE, but you know what I mean. She is black shoulder.) and the male and female together. I was told the male was India Blue split to white. He has already dropped his train feathers.




And a picture of the chick:





And don't worry, I put the chick on the blue bin cover just to take the picture. She/he is on a non-slip surface. She/he is pretty cute!!

 

[KsKingBee]

If you leave the chick with the broody hen she will abandon the eggs that do not hatch within two or three days.

 

[CarlisleCluck]

That is not a worry - the other 3 eggs are with a friend and her broody hen. So it is just the hen and the chick. I gave it some egg yolk mixed with water...and it wasn't too interested but mom was! I am going to get mediated feed with protein at or greater than 20% (crumbles). And I gave it water with ACV, vitamins, minerals and a bit of antibiotic.

 

[Birdrain92]

Can you try an get a picture of the male's wing showing the orange feathers as well? If the peacock is split to white there will be white on the wing.

 

[CarlisleCluck]

I can try - but I do know that besides the brown under feathers, there are a couple of white ones. I saw them earlier today. Getting a picture will be touch. He does not allow touching or getting close!!

 

[Birdrain92]

I can try - but I do know that besides the brown under feathers, there are a couple of white ones. I saw them earlier today. Getting a picture will be touch. He does not allow touching or getting close!!

If he has a couple White feathers than he is split to white. Though to have a peachick like that rather the male also has a Black Shoulder gene or your hen could have a white gene. Post a picture of the peachick's wing in a week or two and then we can tell if it's a Black Shoulder or White.

 

[CarlisleCluck]

Cool! Will do. I did manage to get a shot of the male's wing...I think there are one or two full white wings under there as well.