2015 Peafowl Hatching Support Group - Eggs and Chicks!

[casportpony]

Yesterday's pictures:























-Kathy

 

[carriemacf]

ok i have some more questions for the experienced peafowl owners...i have 6 peahen eggs under a broody chicken..they are due to hatch in about 14 days...is there a chance she will reject them because they look and sound different? this particular broody hen raised her first batch of chicken chicks until exactly 4 weeks old then she was done with them...they were ok and have integrated into the flock normally (with the usual pecking order etc.)
also, we live on 6.5 acres and my chickens are strictly free range...will the peafowl be able to free range too? a lot of what i have read states that peafowl should never freerange due to the dangers of them never coming back or getting hit by cars even...i didn't plan on keeping them confined...i want to freerange them just like the chickens. i was hoping that being raised by a chicken momma might teach them to stay on the property, within reason...any experiences you can share would br greatly appreciated

 

[ellymayRans]

My IB broody took a break from the nest for a bit and so I took the opportunity to weigh and candle them. She layed 6. I had 3 and she's sitting on 3. I only had 1 that's developing and she has 2. The 1 that wasn't for her had a very detached air cell so I pulled it.

I didn't weigh them when she started sitting but all her eggs have been around the same size. 103-106g range. I'm getting ready to see how these #s compare as she started sitting within a few days of me setting.

 

[ellymayRans]

ok i have some more questions for the experienced peafowl owners...i have 6 peahen eggs under a broody chicken..they are due to hatch in about 14 days...is there a chance she will reject them because they look and sound different? this particular broody hen raised her first batch of chicken chicks until exactly 4 weeks old then she was done with them...they were ok and have integrated into the flock normally (with the usual pecking order etc.)
also, we live on 6.5 acres and my chickens are strictly free range...will the peafowl be able to free range too? a lot of what i have read states that peafowl should never freerange due to the dangers of them never coming back or getting hit by cars even...i didn't plan on keeping them confined...i want to freerange them just like the chickens. i was hoping that being raised by a chicken momma might teach them to stay on the property, within reason...any experiences you can share would br greatly appreciated

Everyones experience is going to vary. For a multitude of reasons.

Factors:
1. # of Peas male to female ratio
2. Environment: Busy, dogs, traffic neighbors, how often you're home..etc.
3. Feeling safe when roosting in the evening.
4. Can they see "Is the grass really greener on the other side?"

I say these things because all of the reasons listed are going to impact their adult behavior and if they will choose to venture off or not.

Personally this is my first experience with chicks. The Peas I have I adopted as young adults. Ages ranging from 4 mos. to 3 years. I do free range. I also have chickens, ducks and turkeys. The turkeys are the only ones penned.

I only have 1 acre. I live in a rural neighborhood but in a cul de sac surrounded by mature woods. Within those woods is a fence line.

I worked with each one individually also, as I started with 1 at a time. With the exception of the 2 young 4 mos old whites. After 1 month of training I then released them. The youngsters were taken under my young hens wing surprisingly and she has been an excellent mother to them. They are now 1 year old.

Now that my hen is brooding a clutch my 3 year old male has started to wander down the street for the first time in over a year. He's not gone long and he has only gone 4 houses away staying on our street.

I also work from home but a couple days a week.

They do not roost in the coop for the night and never in the trees. They always sleep on our roof. With the exception of the hen when the 2 whites were younger in inclement weather she would roost in the coop so they would.

Long post I know but that's my 2 cents!

 

[KsKingBee]

I was moving some eggs from the GQF to the hatcher and noticed that I had weighed four of the eggs before setting them. I had been wondering how my humidity was affecting the eggs as it had inched up from the low forties to fifty-three percent lately with all the rain we have been getting. Last hatch four days ago that were under broodie hens I lost two that had not lost enough weight and had trouble hatching.

The percentage of these eggs I haven't figured out yet, but there is an interesting egg that had lost about one quarter of its weight.

Beginning, ending and loss;

115 - 101 - 14
120 - 106 - 14
109 - 96 - 13
90 - 68 - 22

That last egg is from my Pied WE / Silver pen, those eggs are hard to come by as they have broken three of the last five eggs.

 

[thndrdancr]

My bwe eggs and eggs from kskingbee look kind of funky.

Question: I know they 28 days to hatch but mine seem to hatch at day 25 consistently. Can I ask others experience?

I ordered eggs from Kedreeva and 3 out of 4 look great.

I know the bwe were shipped and are chancy but kskingbee'so shouldn't look funky as I picked those up.

 

[KsKingBee]

Mine usually hatch on about 26 days maybe 26 1/2, hard to tell as I set them in the evening and don't count that day. My next hatch is due on the 27th and I haven't seen any eternal pips yet. Yours, if you set them when you got home, should be due on the 29th or the day before. I set my temp on 100 on the GQF, most of the broodies are standing off the eggs right now and it is 96 outside.

I don't know your term 'funky', they should have an enlarged air cell that slants down on one side and there should be at least a little movement on the high side, like breathing. I will candle mine tonight and should see internal pip.

 

[Birdrain92]

Mine usually hatch on about 26 days maybe 26 1/2, hard to tell as I set them in the evening and don't count that day. My next hatch is due on the 27th and I haven't seen any eternal pips yet. Yours, if you set them when you got home, should be due on the 29th or the day before. I set my temp on 100 on the GQF, most of the broodies are standing off the eggs right now and it is 96 outside.

I don't know your term 'funky', they should have an enlarged air cell that slants down on one side and there should be at least a little movement on the high side, like breathing. I will candle mine tonight and should see internal pip.

This year mine took 27 or 28 days to hatch.

 

[zazouse]

Cann someone plrade tell monxfox thay i woll ne at yhe rsnch ar 9 am the phonre number i got was wtong. I hate cell phoned

 

[new 2 pfowl]

Cann someone plrade tell monxfox thay i woll ne at yhe rsnch ar 9 am the phonre number i got was wtong. I hate cell phoned

@MinxFox , I think this message is for you!
Looks like Zaz will be at the Ranch at 9:00 am tomorrow????