I know nothing... help!

[truckerswife]

I have a Buff Orp setting on a peafowl egg due to hatch in four days.

Do I keep the peachick with chicken mama or take away and put in brooder...Only one?

I have never had a peachick before and know absolutely nothing about them so any advice would be very appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

I can't help you much because I hatched them for someone else, but I was told that they need to be taught to eat. Depending on how experienced your broody is, she could help or hurt. My first reaction when I read your post was to advise you to put it in the brooder so you could teach, watch, and be sure it is eating. However, I watched my broody teach her chicks to eat so I'm torn on which way to advise you.

Hopefully your post will catch Deerman's eye or someone else with peafowl and they can advise you better. Good luck!

 

[deerman]

In most cases I would pull the peachick. Now with only the one, if you leave it with the broody. She will teach it to eat,and keep it warm. Only thing if you can put her on a wire bottom pen,and make sure to feed a 24% medicated starter feed.

 

[Kev]

I don't have the problem Deerman and so many other peafowl breeders have.. diseases in the ground. So I'm able to have peachicks on the ground with no worries at all. Given a choice I always let the hen keep the peachicks- they always grow and feather out excellent with either peahens or hens. They're a lot hardier and stronger than brooder chicks too.

If you decide to take the peachick, would suggest getting a friend for it.. either a peachick close to it's age or a day old chick.. would stay away from keets or poults as companions though. Peachicks REALLY hate being alone and if they bond to you, it will have crying fits every time you leave it. They bond much stronger to their mothers than chicks do.

 

[JewellFarm]

If you do decide to put it in a brooder, be prepared for it to bond highly with you. I hand raised one that I hatched from an egg. He would cry and still does, constantly when I am not in his sight. I bought two more to be his buddies but neither ever tamed the way he is.

Needless to say, I would take nothing for him.

 

[deerman]

Quote:
Kev, glad you can without losing peachicks, most will lose some when started on the ground.

Reason most people pull the eggs, is so they keep laying. Not that the peahens cant.

Plus I neve take the risk putting them with chickens.
My peafowl are hardy, and all raised on wire first few months, without losing any. They also go thru the northern winters without heat.

 

[Kev]

Yea I know, just wanted to make it aware that some people will be able to let peachicks on ground because almost everything and everybody says that is a sure fire way to kill them. Need to learn if the common diseases for peafowl are present in their are or not first.

Also my answer was aimed at hen vs brooder for this thread.. hens can be wonderful mothers for peachick(s), not many know that.

The 'hardier and stronger' is comparison between peachicks raised by hens or peahens compared to brooder raised peachicks of the same age. A week old peachick hatched/raised by hen can run around in high 60 low 70 degree temps with their mother and be "just fine" yet you and I know that putting a week old brooder peachick out in that is almost sure to chill it unless the set up is really elaborate or very weather proof.. That is what I mean. Peahen/hen raised chicks also have bigger and harder muscles from all the running to keep up with their mother & flying up to perches 5 & 8 foot high.

As adults, not much difference between brooder vs hen raised birds.