Hatching ethics questions...just wondering.

[new 2 pfowl]

Hello peapeople,
First let me say that these questions are not intended to offend anyone or to be judgmental.
I am only asking because I'm really curious about how people approach questions around hatching, because I have wondered about this so many times while reading posts here.

Many of the peapeople who post here are hatching peas because they love peas, own peas, and want to have more.
Some of the posters here hatch peas because they have experience in pea business and plan to sell them.
Others here hatch peas because they are in the well-thought-out process of working on producing particular colors, etc.

On the other side, I have seen some people writing here whose motivation for hatching peachicks seems to be that they think it would be interesting, fun, or something new.
I have seen (recent) posts noting that it is not always easy to find homes for peachicks.
And I have seen posts by people who are hatching peas and have never owned peas, and don't seem to know anything about peas (yes, I realize that this is a generalization).

As we all know, there are many places and situations where adult peas can be problematic (due to noise and space limitations).

So, peapeople, do you ever feel that you should discourage people from hatching too many peas?
Do you ever wonder what happens to all of these peas being hatched, perhaps by people who are not equipped to properly care for adult peas?
Am I the only one who wonders about these things?

Again, I am not trying to criticize people who hatch peas.
I love peas and think the world would be a better place if everyone hatched them and kept them around!

 

[NateinFL]

What's the point of this question?

 

[new 2 pfowl]

Hi Nate,
The point is just that I'm wondering if anyone thinks about these things.
No "big" point!!!
Just asking a question!

 

[NateinFL]

Oh okay . Well I let my peahens hatch theirs just as you did. The babies were sold at auction. It's very hard to sell babies in FL, unless I guess they are a rare color. I will find that in a few years from now. It's a beautiful thing watching the Mother raise her babies

. I always feel so bad taking them from her but you have to set your limit on the number of birds you have.

 

[new 2 pfowl]

Well I imagine it would be very hard to take babies from Mom!
But it's great that you are a responsible pea owner and know the limits of your space/abilities.
My neighbor gave away one of our girls with 4 chicks last year, for just this reason...

 

[AugeredIn]

I personally have no problem with anyone hatching peafowl in any amount with one exception. I cannot stand to see birds over about four months in small cages. As long as you are able to give them away to someone who can care for them, sell them to that same type of person or can house them appropriately or free range them appropriately, have at it.

The first chickens I ever hatched (a long, long time ago) were in a setting in which I knew they would have to be given away at an early age.

Unfortunately, I believe there are a great number of people who acquire pairs or trios of peafowl with the intent of selling babies and end up with too many birds in an enclosure or substandard enclosures. They may be able to appropriately house the intial adults but cannot bring themselves to give away the birds when they cannot sell them.

 

[birdboy15]

Most people on here wont like this but as a breeder of many different animals sometimes the most effective thing to do is cull unwanted animals. I think that this is better than having them cramped into to small cages because of lack of space.

 

[new 2 pfowl]

Thank you for the interesting responses.
I am really a "softie," and would have a hard time making tough decisions about peas, which is why I can't imagine hatching them myself.
As you say, AuguredIn, I can see that a person who hatches peas needs to be responsible for making sure they will be properly cared for...

 

[NateinFL]

Most people on here wont like this but as a breeder of many different animals sometimes the most effective thing to do is cull unwanted animals. I think that this is better than having them cramped into to small cages because of lack of space.

I agree that culling is very necessary, around here culling means taking them to auction. I assume you mean the same with your peafowl. I can't control what happens after they leave my hands but I do not kill anything here, chickens included, unless they are sick and suffering.

 

[Lil Zoo]

Cull or Culling definition to my knowledge is kill or killing. I never have heard of culling as to taking to an auction or selling off your stock of any kind. Do you think raising and selling or other means of making your overstock available to the public is wrong?? Maybe, I don't understand this statement. Why would anyone cull the birds they hatch just to hatch birds? Who would be that irresponsible??? I guess I have to ask do you know anyone that does this, or is it just a raised question?? I have been looking around and being a newbie I'm not seeing where it would be so hard to get rid of a persons over population of peafowl. There is craigslist, there are swap meets, there are auctions there is simple local advertisement on bulletin boards. How about simple giving them away?? I had a very nice person give me one. Another thing today you don't have to rely on local market for selling your overstock there is the Internet there is the USPS. I've been looking for birds this summer I am not finding it that easy myself.

I think we all would cull any animal that was suffering, but doubt many of us would cull a bird or animal just because it wasn't perfect.

If people who get these birds are irresponsible and they are an annoyance to others I'm sure the local authorities called will gladly take care of that as they do with dogs and cats, holding the owners accountable. If I or my neighbor live in the country and I chose to have a peacock and he choses to have pigs, I made the choice of living in the country. If I don't like the smell of his pigs and he's raising them responsible that is to bad that is his land. If I choose to raise a peacock and they are vocal a pleasant sound to me, but not to my neighbor this is what rural living is about, if I don't like his pigs I can move to town. I feel the same about my peacocks.