2015 Peafowl Hatching Support Group - Eggs and Chicks!

[Garden Peas]

All our chicks get "poultry pac" vitamins in water once a week until about 3 months of age. Adults are fed regular Poultry layer feed, supplemented with hard cat food and other add ins. I will check the protein % when I feed later, but it's just Dumor layer pellets.

Will do! Thanks for the tip. I have a kitchen scale and a postal scale that goes up to 55 pounds so that shouldn't be a problem.

What's your opinion on the medicated feed? Will mixing be fine or should I also put them on Corid preventatively too?

I really like what @DylansMom is doing with giving weekly vitamins. One of the issues with amprolium (the medication in Corid and in most -- but not all -- medicated feeds) is that it interferes with vitamins that coccidia need to survive. So sometimes you read that giving vitamins and amprolium at the same time can make the amprolium less effective. But the babies need good nutrition and vitamins, so how do you meet both those needs? Her method seems like a smart choice.

I don't think I would give additional corid for just that reason. But if I saw signs of a coccidia outbreak, I would certainly treat with additional amprolium (corid) or even sulfa dimethoxine without delay.

You can also bump up your protein with chopped up hard boiled eggs -- they like that a lot!

I'm actually hoping it was just the wood chips -- so very sorry that happened, whatever caused it

Losing them hurts.

 

[KsKingBee]

For the last two years I have raised my peachicks on pine shavings and haven't lost one to impaction yet. I don't use the small shavings just the large flake type. Yes they do eat some of the wood, and they eat feathers too, and when they go out to the outside brooder they also eat hay. I have no concerns about putting chicks on shavings from day one.

 

[PhoredaBurds]

So I candled the peafowl eggs which I have under broodies and 6 of 8 are showing definite veining!!! Very excited! The other 2 eggs are questionable, so they'll say out there for at least another week with the broodies.

I've read varying opinions on letting broody chickens hatch out & raise peachicks. What is the current consensus on this thread? Leave under broodies for first 10 days then move to incubator? Move eggs to bator at lockdown time? Pull from broodies as they hatch? Or let broodies hatch & raise them for the first couple weeks? All opinions on this appreciated!!! Thank you!

 

[MinxFox]

Over the weekend I interviewed a retired wildlife biologist for the Peafowl Today magazine. He raises peafowl as well as ducks and pheasants. He has had zero success hatching peafowl eggs in the incubator, but he swears by leaving the eggs under a broody hen until lockdown and then he moves the eggs to the bator.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

I always have bad luck trying the peafowl eggs in my incubator so I do as MinxFox stated above.
I let my Silkie and Cochin hens sit on the eggs and then they either hatch them out or I bring them in to the incubator within 24 hours before hatch.
I notice less crying from the pea chicks when they hatch in the bator as opposed to under a hen. Probably calling for mommy but mine always have plenty of chickie friends. I like to raise mine with turkey poults, too.

 

[Birdrain92]

So I candled the peafowl eggs which I have under broodies and 6 of 8 are showing definite veining!!! Very excited! The other 2 eggs are questionable, so they'll say out there for at least another week with the broodies.

I've read varying opinions on letting broody chickens hatch out & raise peachicks. What is the current consensus on this thread? Leave under broodies for first 10 days then move to incubator? Move eggs to bator at lockdown time? Pull from broodies as they hatch? Or let broodies hatch & raise them for the first couple weeks? All opinions on this appreciated!!! Thank you!

I will collect one clutch from my hens for me to incubate. Then the next clutch my hens lay they get to brood if they will. If not then depending on how many I hatch will determine if I will continue incubating other eggs or not.

 

[Pyxis]

Well I'm off to a good start. Life in all three eggs that arrived with their air cells intact. Only 22 days left to go

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Well I'm off to a good start. Life in all three eggs that arrived with their air cells intact. Only 22 days left to go

Wow! Good luck! Shipped eggs can be so difficult! Air cells intact is wonderful!

 

[iky114p]

Hi Need some advice i live in the UK but was in pakistan last year where we have 14 peafowl in total including 5 peahens which laid a total of 103 eggs last year but no peahen went broody and all the eggs went bad so this year after looking up on byc i got 1 incubator and 1 hatcher made things were going good have hatched 23 peachicks so far out of about 41 eggs theres anothere 27 eggs in the incubator and the peahens are still laying but it is so hot in pakistan this time of year 122 degrees farenheit i lost one egg laying peahen yesterday in the morning she was fine around 2pm she was sitting huddled up i assumed she was going to lay an egg around 5pm found her dead sat in the same place feel so sad have lost 4 peachicks aswel its too hot in the wooden brooders can i put the peachicks in an outside coop on the ground after 3-4 weeks and how can i keep the peafowl cool in general any advice on what give them in this intense heat any advice would be highly appreciated thankyou so so so much

 

[ellymayRans]

Hi Need some advice i live in the UK but was in pakistan last year where we have 14 peafowl in total including 5 peahens which laid a total of 103 eggs last year but no peahen went broody and all the eggs went bad so this year after looking up on byc i got 1 incubator and 1 hatcher made things were going good have hatched 23 peachicks so far out of about 41 eggs theres anothere 27 eggs in the incubator and the peahens are still laying but it is so hot in pakistan this time of year 122 degrees farenheit i lost one egg laying peahen yesterday in the morning she was fine around 2pm she was sitting huddled up i assumed she was going to lay an egg around 5pm found her dead sat in the same place feel so sad have lost 4 peachicks aswel its too hot in the wooden brooders can i put the peachicks in an outside coop on the ground after 3-4 weeks and how can i keep the peafowl cool in general any advice on what give them in this intense heat any advice would be highly appreciated thankyou so so so much

I'm so sorry for your losses and for the peas. Sounds quite miserable! I would say you could put them outdoors, make lots of shade, fans and i would say if its an option some misters. Here you can get them relatively cheap at a Lowes, etc. We don't have that kind of heat here but I'm certain there are some that do.