Cost of peafowl.

[frenchblackcopper]

Today,after 3 years I have finally,finally hatched a cameo peachick.My list to reach this goal is as follows. 2010
Purchased from e-bay
6/1/10 6+ Cameo hatching eggs-seller from Mississippi-$91
6/10/10 4 Cameo w/e hatching peafowl eggs from Tennessee-$65
Seeing no development in any of the first 6+egg auction,I opted to buy more
6/13/10 6+ ANY EXTRA CAMEO-Cameo pied fertile eggs from Mississippi again(not the same seller as first group) $95.99
7/6/10 4 plus any extra Cameo b/s-straight Cameo hatching eggs from Kentucky-$55.00
7/10/10 Bought 10+ mixed peacock eggs from Bigcreekpoultry off e-bay auction for $102,,actually had one that hatched,the only one from 18 purchased CAMEO ONLY eggs.
This lone hen passed last spring from being egg-bound before I could help her.

2011
6/4/11 Bought Cameo mixed eggs from a breeder in Ohio-10 eggs total-$150 less shipping
6/20/11 Seeing only 2 of the above eggs showing any development I started e-bay searching again
Bought 6 Cameo-Oten(as they were spelled) from seller in South Dakota-3 was broken upon arrival,2 other had air sacks floating-last never showed any development-$75 shot
Ohio 2 developing eggs both quit,so rush was on for another group of Cameo eggs,,
7/5/11 E-Bay seller from Kansas offering 4 mixed Cameo plus extras-$64 plus shipping
7/16/11 Above group showing 2 developing but noticed another e-bay auction listing for 6 mixed Cameo eggs from Kentucky-fierce bidding since season was getting close to ending-$110 less shipping
Nothing hatched from any bought eggs for 2011

2012 I didn't buy any Cameos,although a trio wet thru the Mt Hope Auction labeled as Peach but were really Cameo's,,

March 2013,,bought a Cameo w/e male-2 Cameo w/e hens $600 total
My total expenditures for trying to get Cameos in Pea Palace has amounted to $1408 less shipping.This new arrival had me edgy yesterday as the egg had pipped Tuesday nite but no progress was made. Last nite I peeled some shell away and noticed blood close to the membrane around the peachicks head and thought I may have caused more harm than good but this morning it was still alive but no farther along than I had left it. I came home tonight and finally helped it completely out of the egg. 3 hrs later it was fluffy and dry and ready to join the other 23 peachicks that hatched this week.
I know many believe buying and trying to hatch shipped eggs is much cheaper.I would have been a lot of money ahead if I would have just bought adults 2 years ago.
If you keep records such as these,once you start adding things up this hobby becomes much more like an addictive obsession.

 

[Arbor]

I agree, and believe in the statement "addictive hobby". I have lost over $1000 in the last 5 years in adult birds even, including an opal male, peach hen, peach male, bronze hen and others. Yet, I still kept expanding to over 40 birds now, and with this season a complete flop, I'm converting a barn to accommodate more breeding pairs and flight pens for young birds.

 

[casportpony]

Both of you are too funny, but also spot on... I don't have many, but when I add up cost of feed, aviary materials, brooders, incubators, medicine and trips to the vet, pretty scary, lol. Given my luck with eggs, I don't even want to think about how much I'd have spent if I had decided to that.

-Kathy

 

[zazouse]

Today,after 3 years I have finally,finally hatched a cameo peachick.My list to reach this goal is as follows. 2010
Purchased from e-bay
6/1/10 6+ Cameo hatching eggs-seller from Mississippi-$91
6/10/10 4 Cameo w/e hatching peafowl eggs from Tennessee-$65
Seeing no development in any of the first 6+egg auction,I opted to buy more
6/13/10 6+ ANY EXTRA CAMEO-Cameo pied fertile eggs from Mississippi again(not the same seller as first group) $95.99
7/6/10 4 plus any extra Cameo b/s-straight Cameo hatching eggs from Kentucky-$55.00
7/10/10 Bought 10+ mixed peacock eggs from Bigcreekpoultry off e-bay auction for $102,,actually had one that hatched,the only one from 18 purchased CAMEO ONLY eggs.
This lone hen passed last spring from being egg-bound before I could help her.

2011
6/4/11 Bought Cameo mixed eggs from a breeder in Ohio-10 eggs total-$150 less shipping
6/20/11 Seeing only 2 of the above eggs showing any development I started e-bay searching again
Bought 6 Cameo-Oten(as they were spelled) from seller in South Dakota-3 was broken upon arrival,2 other had air sacks floating-last never showed any development-$75 shot
Ohio 2 developing eggs both quit,so rush was on for another group of Cameo eggs,,
7/5/11 E-Bay seller from Kansas offering 4 mixed Cameo plus extras-$64 plus shipping
7/16/11 Above group showing 2 developing but noticed another e-bay auction listing for 6 mixed Cameo eggs from Kentucky-fierce bidding since season was getting close to ending-$110 less shipping
Nothing hatched from any bought eggs for 2011

2012 I didn't buy any Cameos,although a trio wet thru the Mt Hope Auction labeled as Peach but were really Cameo's,,

March 2013,,bought a Cameo w/e male-2 Cameo w/e hens $600 total
My total expenditures for trying to get Cameos in Pea Palace has amounted to $1408 less shipping.This new arrival had me edgy yesterday as the egg had pipped Tuesday nite but no progress was made. Last nite I peeled some shell away and noticed blood close to the membrane around the peachicks head and thought I may have caused more harm than good but this morning it was still alive but no farther along than I had left it. I came home tonight and finally helped it completely out of the egg. 3 hrs later it was fluffy and dry and ready to join the other 23 peachicks that hatched this week.
I know many believe buying and trying to hatch shipped eggs is much cheaper.I would have been a lot of money ahead if I would have just bought adults 2 years ago.
If you keep records such as these,once you start adding things up this hobby becomes much more like an addictive obsession.

darn I would have shipped you my cameo hen I got 150 for her.

 

[frenchblackcopper]

Always too late zaz,darn-it!! Arbor,,I have plenty of Bronze hens that will be 2 years old next spring. I also have been hatching out some really nice Opal Pieds this spring,as well as Opal colored chicks whose father is Opie,,he is an Opal b/s so all my chicks that looks straight Opal,or Opal pied will be split to b/s.I have a nice Opal male that will be 2 years old next spring,as well as a 2012 hatched Opal b/s hen to go with him.I'm sure he will be a b/s male,as all chicks I hatched last year came from 2 b/s hens only,all Opal chicks was yellow when hatched last year. This spring I added with the 2 b/s hens,a straight Opal and a Opal pied hen.I've got in abundance what you've lost.And I've got a boatload of Black Shoulder Silver Pied hens from last year.

 

[Arbor]

Thanks for the offer FBC, but with no hatching comes no buying . I still have a backup bronze hen though, and she's one of most prolific layers too. This season I ended up moving right as breeding began. This resulted in almost 0% fertility, as I was unable to have all my pairs outside. The inside pens are extremely roomy, even bigger than what most have for a whole aviary, but working off artificial light was my main setback. I'll be lucky to hatch just one chick this year, but out of 3 fertile eggs, I only need a male (out of my opal bs male x purple silver pied hen).

 

[destinduck]

Hate that for ya FBC. I have always bought adult birds of all species for all reasons listed.Always cheapest way too. Granted it is fun to watch them grow from egg to adult. I would still take up Zaz offer .I never regretted having an extra of a harder bird to get a hold of. Good Luck with em! Speaking of new birds, I should be posting pics of my new 4 year old Java girl shortly.I have already paid for her.Just waiting for her to be shipped here.Edited to say she is coming in the fall now. Sorry!

 

[frenchblackcopper]

I really need a Bronze b/s 3 year old male and 1-2 more peach hens that will be 2 years old next spring. Although I will be able to add about 6 bssp 2 year old hens next year into straight colored birds,the possibility of raising splits to me stinks!! The lone Bronze peachick I hatched from DAS last year is a male,but not a bronze b/s male and I don't know if he's split to b/s or not.Havn't seen DAS here in months. I also have 4 purple b/s hens,2 purple,and 1 purple pied hen next year and could also use a nice 3 yr old purple b/s male.

 

[KFCCHICKENUTAH]

I know nothing about keeping or raising peacocks. Would love to try it but I think with the yelling it would upset my neighbors. Plus, my fence is only 6 ft tall so Im sure it can fly over it. My questions is, why do sites like Purely poultry sell India blues for 600.00? Is that the going price because locally people are selling them for about 40-50 bucks for a couple year old males and 30.00 for started chicks(all different varieties)

 

[kuntrygirl]

I'm too afraid to add up anything.