Got my first pea eggs!!!

[Rm chickens]

I was gathering my chicken eggs and I have 3 peafowl free ranging, and noticed 3 eggs in an old chicken nest in the loft of my barn, 2 hrs later there was 4. Can't decide whether to leave them and let the hen set or to grab them and stick them in the incubator. Hopefully she'll lay several more

 

[Waterfaery]

I was gathering my chicken eggs and I have 3 peafowl free ranging, and noticed 3 eggs in an old chicken nest in the loft of my barn, 2 hrs later there was 4. Can't decide whether to leave them and let the hen set or to grab them and stick them in the incubator. Hopefully she'll lay several moreView attachment 3474449

I've never incubated them myself so I can't advise about that but I have read that it's tricky to get it right. Also, peachicks are more fragile than chicken chicks so there will be a lot of care involved if you get them to hatch. Plenty of people do it successfully so it might be a good idea if you want very tame birds and you have the time to dedicate to raising them yourself. Be aware that if you hand raise one that turns out to be a peacock, they can turn aggressive when they mature.

I can highly recommend letting the peahens take care of it. Mine did an amazing job incubating and raising their peachicks. I really think that birds raised by their own kind turn out to be more clever, better foragers and more self sufficient and resilient. If the peahens are reasonably tame with you, the peachicks will be as well and if not, you can easily train them to take food from your hands as they grow up used to you being around.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

Where are you located? Mine haven't laid any eggs yet.

 

[Midnightman14]

If you want the chicks to live you'll have to either pen them with mom where nothing can get them or raise yourself. Peahens are terrible mothers in a free range setting.

 

[Rm chickens]

Where are you located? Mine haven't laid any eggs yet.

Im in East Tennessee, right on the North Carolina line in the mountains. Its been unusually warm the past month or so. When we had peahens years ago they normally wouldn't lay until may.

 

[KsKingBee]

Leave them with mom, they will do a much better job of raising them than you can.