2015 Peafowl Hatching Support Group - Eggs and Chicks!

[Garden Peas]

I haven't taken any pictures yet, but it looks like this:




-Kathy

Can it blink? Does it have vision on that side?

 

[Peafowlssssssss]

A substantial part of the problem you are experiencing (aside from perhaps the lack of a good macro lens) is that when cameras went digital, autofocus took over the world.  In the "old days" of manual focusing, we might not always get it right, but the decisions as to where precisely to have the focus crisp was made by the operator, not the software in the circuit board.  I find it exasperating beyond words to get the darn digital focused, snap the photo and wait while it re-focuses (often losing the crisp focus on the spot I previously selected) AND losing the shot because the bird/child/objet de photo MOVED while the @#X! camera was deciding what it wanted to do.  I have lost more good photos since the advent of digital than I have ever gained as a result of the fancy new technology.  I know, digital is what we have now, and there's lots of bennies.  But oh heavens do I miss the old SLR with manual focus and a few good lenses to suit the need of the moment....

(And yes, I spent a ridiculous amount of time a couple months ago, trying to get an inadequate digital camera to get a clear photo of a yolk in a bowl -- never got an acceptable picture, despite numerous attempts. Maybe if I had a really good, high end digital with appropriate lenses, idk...)

Its all about the lenses.

 

[PhoredaBurds]

Excellent info in here!! I was at a swap yesterday and someone wanted to trade a couple peafowl eggs for a couple of my Spitzhauben cockerels. How could I say no?! But now I need to figure out how to hatch them, lol. Sounds very challenging. I do have a few broodies going right now tho. So I pulled the eggs from a broody, set them in a bator, and put the pea eggs under her. Fingers crossed.

Does anyone on this thread use the method of under a broody for the first week and then into the bator for the rest? If just one chick hatches, can a chicken chick keep it company? Or will I need more pea chicks? So many questions.

 

[DylansMom]

Excellent info in here!! I was at a swap yesterday and someone wanted to trade a couple peafowl eggs for a couple of my Spitzhauben cockerels. How could I say no?! But now I need to figure out how to hatch them, lol. Sounds very challenging. I do have a few broodies going right now tho. So I pulled the eggs from a broody, set them in a bator, and put the pea eggs under her. Fingers crossed.

Does anyone on this thread use the method of under a broody for the first week and then into the bator for the rest? If just one chick hatches, can a chicken chick keep it company? Or will I need more pea chicks? So many questions.

Many people use that method to hatch and many will leave them under the broody longer if they can. Some will pull them right before hatch ad some will let the broody hatch them, however most will not let the broody raise them. A chicken chick will work nicely for companionship. Welcome to "Pea Land"!!!!!!!

 

[KsKingBee]

Many people use that method to hatch and many will leave them under the broody longer if they can. Some will pull them right before hatch ad some will let the broody hatch them, however most will not let the broody raise them. A chicken chick will work nicely for companionship. Welcome to "Pea Land"!!!!!!!

Given a choice, I would give it a **** guinea keet, they are smaller and are good teachers for the peachicks. I have had no problems with that combination and they are somewhat cleaner in general in the brooder.

I guess I need to go back to using broodies for the first week or two.

I am having about 2/3 of my eggs quit between day 20 to 25. I am using tek-trol to clean the eggs before setting, the hens are clean of parasites, getting the best feed I can provide.... IDK, it seems like I had better hatching last year when I was not bothering to sterilize the eggs. I can't blame the hatcher because they are dying before they go in there. The Sportsman was sterilized before it went into service this spring. Temp is 100* and humidity is running between 42 and 50 when I don't forget to fill the tank. All eggs but one has lost appox. 20% of the total weight.

Well, it just got worse, all eight eggs I put into the hatcher failed. One was internally pipped and another was moving when they went into the hatcher, the others I am pretty sure had no movement, I just didn't give up on them so they went into the hatcher with the two that were alive.

We did experience an electrical outage a few weeks ago that lasted most of the day, maybe that was the problem, but it didn't affect all the chickens and guineas we are hatching like popcorn. We are getting almost 100% hatch with those eggs.

 

[casportpony]

@KsKingBee, sorry you're loosing so many.

So far I've set 20... A few clears, two blood rings, some early quitters, some late quitters, two bellies, one, one goldfish eye, and one that just pipped. Of those 20, I got five healthy chicks. for the one that just pipped.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

I haven't taken any pictures yet, but it looks like this: [COLOR=333333] [/COLOR] -Kathy

Can it blink? Does it have vision on that side?

Need to get a better look at it today. As I expected, belly died last night. -Kathy

 

[KsKingBee]

Misery loves company

. Zaz made a comment today on her FB page about too low of humidity causing late quiters. Any thoughts here about that? Candy reminds me that it seems to be that we have the early issues every year then it turns around.

 

[PhoredaBurds]

Many people use that method to hatch and many will leave them under the broody longer if they can. Some will pull them right before hatch ad some will let the broody hatch them, however most will not let the broody raise them. A chicken chick will work nicely for companionship.  Welcome to "Pea Land"!!!!!!!

Thank you for the welcome! It's good to be here, tho I'm starting to wonder what I got myself into.

On the bright side, if my pea eggs don't hatch I won't have to tell my DH that I ever had them. That being said, the more I read about peas, the more I'd like to raise a few. They sound amazing. So now I'm finding myself attempting to source some more local pea eggs while my broodies are still broody.

 

[PhoredaBurds]

@KsKingBee, sorry you're loosing so many.

So far I've set 20... A few clears, two blood rings, some early quitters, some late quitters, two bellies, one, one goldfish eye, and one that just pipped. Of those 20, I got five healthy chicks. for the one that just pipped.

-Kathy

Congrats on the 5 healthy chicks! Sounds like quite a feat. Wonder what causes the goldfish eye. Bummer about the belly chicks.

Im probably kidding myself thinking I could hatch a pea when all I've ever hatched are chickens. Need to try tho. Fantastic info on this thread.