First Attempt at Peafowl

[Tuhmu]

So that egg did not hatch, cracked it open and it was a fully formed chick that internally pipped and that was it...

Have one more that went into lock down yesterday morning, no pips or anything yet. Any suggestions? They seem to be developing fine in my styro bator, which is always between 99-100 whenever I check. The humidity has been around 30%, I put a little water in every few days. My hatcher is a brinsea advanced, so the temp and humidity are always constant 99.5 and 70% humidity.

I'm getting expected hatch rates from all the other species of shipped eggs, just nothing with the peafowl. (though this is only the 2nd egg that's in lockdown) I have 6 that will be all going in at once next week.

 

[DylansMom]

So that egg did not hatch, cracked it open and it was a fully formed chick that internally pipped and that was it...

Have one more that went into lock down yesterday morning, no pips or anything yet. Any suggestions? They seem to be developing fine in my styro bator, which is always between 99-100 whenever I check. The humidity has been around 30%, I put a little water in every few days. My hatcher is a brinsea advanced, so the temp and humidity are always constant 99.5 and 70% humidity.

I'm getting expected hatch rates from all the other species of shipped eggs, just nothing with the peafowl. (though this is only the 2nd egg that's in lockdown) I have 6 that will be all going in at once next week.

I always keep track of mine once they hit 24 days. If the chick pips internally and breaks the membrane I am prepared to assist hatching. If they do not make the internal membrane pip, I do not help as it always ends with problems. After the membrane pip when I can hear them chirping in that egg, I give them 24 hours to crack the shell and let in oxygen. If they don't do this I do it for them by punching in a tiny air hole, this buys them another 24 hours to unzip. 2/3 of mine come out on there own from here, 1/3 get slowly peeled out and general go great. If I can hear them chirping in the egg, I usually end up with with a healthy chick.

 

[Tuhmu]

I'll have to try it with the one that's in lockdown now, no external pip this morning.

Anything else that I should do different? Sad that I cant get even one to hatch.... Next batch has 6 in the group, hopefully I get a better chance with these.

I was thinking about increasing the incubation humidity but their air cells are already rather small.....and that's just with them being at 30%.

If none of these hatch. Not sure what I'm going to do, spent way more than I would like to think about on them..with the hope I would get at least a couple.

 

[DylansMom]

I'll have to try it with the one that's in lockdown now, no external pip this morning.

Anything else that I should do different? Sad that I cant get even one to hatch.... Next batch has 6 in the group, hopefully I get a better chance with these.

I was thinking about increasing the incubation humidity but their air cells are already rather small.....and that's just with them being at 30%.

If none of these hatch. Not sure what I'm going to do, spent way more than I would like to think about on them..with the hope I would get at least a couple.

Probably not anything you are doing wrong. There is a definite learning curve with Peas, and all that old rubbish about not helping them out is in my opinion fine for $1.99 chicken chicks, but when I am looking at a potential $25 + chick, you better believe I'm upping my odds. Peas hatch with these big almost fully formed wing feathers, it is the reason they can fly out of brooder boxes at 4 days old. They also get in the way when a chick is trying to unzip. Go cautiously, read the assisted hatching threads, and if you see red blood stop back off and leave things alone for 2 hours then recheck. This is my 4th year, and I haven't really stressed much over the assisting this time around. You will get the hang of it.

 

[DylansMom]

I'll have to try it with the one that's in lockdown now, no external pip this morning.

Anything else that I should do different? Sad that I cant get even one to hatch.... Next batch has 6 in the group, hopefully I get a better chance with these.

I was thinking about increasing the incubation humidity but their air cells are already rather small.....and that's just with them being at 30%.

If none of these hatch. Not sure what I'm going to do, spent way more than I would like to think about on them..with the hope I would get at least a couple.

Probably not anything you are doing wrong. There is a definite learning curve with Peas, and all that old rubbish about not helping them out is in my opinion fine for $1.99 chicken chicks, but when I am looking at a potential $25 + chick, you better believe I'm upping my odds. Peas hatch with these big almost fully formed wing feathers, it is the reason they can fly out of brooder boxes at 4 days old. They also get in the way when a chick is trying to unzip. Go cautiously, read the assisted hatching threads, and if you see red blood stop back off and leave things alone for 2 hours then recheck. This is my 4th year, and I haven't really stressed much over the assisting this time around. You will get the hang of it.

 

[Tuhmu]

I'll poke a hole in the air cell part and go from there, since it's day 30 now. (assuming it hasn't pipped since I left for work)

 

[Tuhmu]

Just got home and there's an external pip!!!!! So excited!!!!!

 

[casportpony]

Just got home and there's an external pip!!!!! So excited!!!!!

Congrats, I'm so happy for you!

-Kathy

 

[DylansMom]

Congrats, youll

be hooked sure now!

 

[Tuhmu]

He unfortunately didn't make it. Other than that his pip hole was on the side of the egg, nowhere near the air cell, not sure what went wrong.

He started zipping this morning, and stopped halfway. Opened up the bator and he was gone