Damsel is still nesting...EDIT: Very bad news graphic pics

[NateinFL]

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Yeah something forced that chick out of the egg, it didn't hatch on its own poor thing was so close!

 

[SunBaked]

I'm sorry about your little peachick.

Last year my peahen smooshed 2 peachicks while they were zipping. I felt awful. That's also why I decided to incubate some this year. I did leave some for my momma peahen to sit on though. My other peahens lay eggs right next to her and she reaches over and pulls them under her. She slipped and stood up the other day so I got a look under her and wow there's like 15 eggs. I know some most likely won't make it but it's still sad to see the poor little things dead

. I'm debating on if I should leave all the eggs or try to steal some from her.

 

[9farmgirl9]

I didn't read the thread but i get this all the time with my hens. When the chick starts to pip the hen will step on the eggs which causes it to open or the chck to peep the hen looks sees yolk starts pecking. Or if shes a good broody some other hen could have. I am sorry for your loss..

 

[MinxFox]

Thanks everyone, I am hopping that maybe this was a good experiance for Damsel and maybe next year she can hatch some peachicks. Ice is doing well on her egg still so I am hopping she can hatch a chick. Ice grew up at the local zoo free ranging so hopefully she has better instincts being raised by peafowl. Damsel is doing well she doesn't seem to be too starved after setting on that egg.

 

[deerman]

yes the egg looks like it was broken, a wet chick could have stuck to the hens feathers when she got off the nest. but the chick didn't hatch, egg was broken the final days.


Don't be afraid to check under a peahen after 10 days of setting, wear glove or your hands will be like mine with pecks all over.

Another thing try a broody chicken hen...i used the game hens to set eggs, for first week, but they make great mothers too.

 

[MinxFox]

If my mom has her way we might get chickens but my dad and I don't really want any lol.
That is in interesting idea Deerman I could see the chick being stuck to Damsel and her walking around and it falling off and that is why it was a few feet away. I think when Ice gets further along incubating the egg she is on I will try and candle it. Ha I will definitely wear gloves I am just envisioning Ice jabbing at me...My parents say that our little peachick Peep already hurts when he pecks you, I can just imagine how it would feel if Ice really wanted to peck me.

Hopefully Ice won't break her egg.

 

[Kedreeva]

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Easy solution to this? Hatch the eggs in the incubator and let the hen sit on a nest afterward. When your chicks hatch, let them dry and put them under her in the night. Take the second set (the ones she is sitting on) and incubate them. Walaa! You have hen raised chicks in the pen with her and you'll be hatching her eggs that you took to give her the chicks.

 

[DMFarm]

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Easy solution to this? Hatch the eggs in the incubator and let the hen sit on a nest afterward. When your chicks hatch, let them dry and put them under her in the night. Take the second set (the ones she is sitting on) and incubate them. Walaa! You have hen raised chicks in the pen with her and you'll be hatching her eggs that you took to give her the chicks.

This is bad advice the peahen will end up killing all the chicks.

 

[SuperPeacockman]

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Why no chickens?

 

[Kedreeva]

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Really? We have replaced eggs with chicks under chickens and ducks just fine, I didn't think peafowl would be that much less accepting if it's done at night. I assume you're speaking from experience and not supposition?

edit: I ask out of curiosity, because this is something I would have considered doing (since we HAVE with other species, it's one of the ways we break broodies of being broody... because sometimes even if we take the eggs they still want to sit on that nest until they hatch SOMEthing), but if others have had experience failing this method with peafowl I'd like to know.