My peahen laid four eggs in my coop that she shares with the chickens and I decided to let her set on them when she went broody since she was in a good spot and I could safely shut her in at night. After the 28 days none of the eggs were hatching. I let her set on the eggs another week just to be sure and then I thought(hoped) she would realize the eggs were no good and get off the nest herself like my hens sometimes have. She still had not gotten off the nest after another 2 weeks and broken heartedly I took away her eggs. She did then get up that day and take a dust bath and start to forage. I just felt so bad for her. It turns out the eggs never even developed.
During this time that she was broody, I got a shipment of 30 chicks that I was going to split up between broody hens for them to raise. Usually every June I have a coop full of broodies, but this year as luck would have it when you order 30 chicks I only had one broody hen. So when I got the chicks I put all 30 with the one broody hen in an enclosed area of my coop. I did loose 4 of the chicks due to spending an extra day in shipping transit. But that hen accepted all the chicks and was doing a great job of taking care of all of them with the assistance of supplemental heat from a heat lamp in case any of them couldn't get under her for warmth. I usually only keep my hen and new chicks locked away from my flock for a week to get strong enough to free range, but since there were so many for her to take care of I kept them in three weeks before I let them out.
Anyway by the early evening of the day I took the peahens eggs away I noticed her following around the hen and her 26 babies. The chicks had already been with and bonded with their mother for 5 weeks at this time and were a bit scared of this strange looking bird following them around the barnyard. That night when I went to shut the coop I was almost brought to tears when I saw her on the floor of the coop in the same area the mother hen beds down with all the chicks at night. She had such a happy look on her face with chicks under her and also laying on top of her back. She has been with the mother hen and 26 chicks now for 3 weeks and they have fully accepted her as their 2nd mommy. She softly clucks to them and helps them find food. She also attacks the cats and dogs when she feels they get too close to them.
But the best thing of all was yesterday morning I was getting in my car and all of a sudden two large birds flew right over my head. I turned to look at them as they jetted by. It was a very large hawk with the Peahen on his tail, trying to catch him. He flew up into a tree in my neighbors yard and she followed it right up there and attacked it knocking it out of the tree. Once she had him beating a hasty retreat to areas far, far away I'm sure, she flew back home and to her adopted babies.
I am so glad this turned out so well for her as it killed me to take away her eggs when she had been so determined to have babies. I am also glad she did adopt them as her own as I am sure the mother hen would not have been able to defend the babies in herself.
Just thought I would share my little happy ending.
During this time that she was broody, I got a shipment of 30 chicks that I was going to split up between broody hens for them to raise. Usually every June I have a coop full of broodies, but this year as luck would have it when you order 30 chicks I only had one broody hen. So when I got the chicks I put all 30 with the one broody hen in an enclosed area of my coop. I did loose 4 of the chicks due to spending an extra day in shipping transit. But that hen accepted all the chicks and was doing a great job of taking care of all of them with the assistance of supplemental heat from a heat lamp in case any of them couldn't get under her for warmth. I usually only keep my hen and new chicks locked away from my flock for a week to get strong enough to free range, but since there were so many for her to take care of I kept them in three weeks before I let them out.
Anyway by the early evening of the day I took the peahens eggs away I noticed her following around the hen and her 26 babies. The chicks had already been with and bonded with their mother for 5 weeks at this time and were a bit scared of this strange looking bird following them around the barnyard. That night when I went to shut the coop I was almost brought to tears when I saw her on the floor of the coop in the same area the mother hen beds down with all the chicks at night. She had such a happy look on her face with chicks under her and also laying on top of her back. She has been with the mother hen and 26 chicks now for 3 weeks and they have fully accepted her as their 2nd mommy. She softly clucks to them and helps them find food. She also attacks the cats and dogs when she feels they get too close to them.
But the best thing of all was yesterday morning I was getting in my car and all of a sudden two large birds flew right over my head. I turned to look at them as they jetted by. It was a very large hawk with the Peahen on his tail, trying to catch him. He flew up into a tree in my neighbors yard and she followed it right up there and attacked it knocking it out of the tree. Once she had him beating a hasty retreat to areas far, far away I'm sure, she flew back home and to her adopted babies.
I am so glad this turned out so well for her as it killed me to take away her eggs when she had been so determined to have babies. I am also glad she did adopt them as her own as I am sure the mother hen would not have been able to defend the babies in herself.
Just thought I would share my little happy ending.
I bet they are adorable.
