There was a scratched out place next to some cast iron plants in my pen and I knew it was a nest in the making. Sure enough a few days later there was an egg in the nest. I wasn't sure if it was from Ice, my blackshoulder peahen, or Damsel, my pied peahen. I kinda guessed that it was Damsel since last year she chose to nest under a plant. A few days ago I found another egg in the nest, leading to my conclusion that this would be an actual nest. Today instead of finding another egg I found Damsel on the eggs. Lucky for me I saw her raise up a little and I was able to see that she was on 3 eggs! She picked a good spot to nest yet again. That area of the pen gets a lot of good shade and she is right next to the cast iron so that helps add to the shade. Last year poor Damsel sat on one egg and when it was within a few days of hatching somehow the egg broke and we found the peachick dead in the pen. It wasn't ready yet to hatch so it died. It's eyes were not even open. That was pretty sad but because of her devotion last year I am sure she will stay put on that nest. So far the other peafowl seem to be ignoring her which is good. When I walked over there to look at her Ice's three peachicks from last year stood there too looking at Damsel. The white Peachick, Snow White, seemed especially curious but they didn't get too close to Damsel. I think she will be just fine.
It has taken 5 eggs to get to the point where someone nests though! 2 Eggs were laid in a corner of the pen and have been untouched and are not in a nest so I think they are not going to be messed with by the peahens. The first egg is still under a roost, maybe someone accidently laid it from the roost, then another egg I found was broken. All the inside was there so I don't think someone was eating the egg. Somehow it just broke. I found that near the bamboo. Then the final egg, which is really big, is on one side of the pen in some grass. That one hasn't been messed with also. I might collect them now but I am not sure if I want to take care of peachicks again or if I just want my peahens to do all the work. It is pretty nice sitting back and watching a peahen take care of them, but then again I do like holding a cute little peachick...Peep has turned out pretty well...Hmm I shall see...
Soooo since Damsel is an India blue pied and she mated with Alto, my India blue, does that mean I can expect the peachicks to all be India blue split to white? I know there is no way I will be getting pieds since Alto is just an India blue *sigh* I did want to hatch out a pied this year but I can wait.
I hope everyone else has some good luck hatching by incubator, peahen, or chicken!
It has taken 5 eggs to get to the point where someone nests though! 2 Eggs were laid in a corner of the pen and have been untouched and are not in a nest so I think they are not going to be messed with by the peahens. The first egg is still under a roost, maybe someone accidently laid it from the roost, then another egg I found was broken. All the inside was there so I don't think someone was eating the egg. Somehow it just broke. I found that near the bamboo. Then the final egg, which is really big, is on one side of the pen in some grass. That one hasn't been messed with also. I might collect them now but I am not sure if I want to take care of peachicks again or if I just want my peahens to do all the work. It is pretty nice sitting back and watching a peahen take care of them, but then again I do like holding a cute little peachick...Peep has turned out pretty well...Hmm I shall see...
Soooo since Damsel is an India blue pied and she mated with Alto, my India blue, does that mean I can expect the peachicks to all be India blue split to white? I know there is no way I will be getting pieds since Alto is just an India blue *sigh* I did want to hatch out a pied this year but I can wait.
I hope everyone else has some good luck hatching by incubator, peahen, or chicken!
