I'm trying something new (incubating)

[NateinFL]

I have recently been on a quest to find new color varieties around here, especially silver pieds, I've been searching for months and couldn't find any. Well, that was until today when a friend of mine went online to Craigslist and found an ad that I had missed. I was hesitant on getting them as eggs but my friend was very convincing to make the hour drive out there, especially after I saw pics of his adult birds. Everything about the situation was interesting, particularly the fact that the person selling eggs is a 15 year old boy and was super smart about his birds. He had several well-kept pens separated by color...blue, black-shouldered, silver pieds and whites, spalding silver pieds and one other. He cut me a HUGE price on the eggs, and wouldn't let them leave the house without wrapping each one in bubble wrap and packing them in a box. We were very impressed with how good this kid was, and it was all this boy's work, his parents just help him with them. His spalding silver pied male had the longest tail I've seen on a peacock and had BEAUTIFUL coloring.

I now have 4 spalding silver pied eggs and 4 silver pied eggs

. I don't have anything broody so I'm doing it incubator style. Most publications say that keeping them under a bird for first 10 days greatly improves chance of hatching. There's something about the bird sitting on them that increases hatch rate. I read all this stuff about bacteria and what not growing in the incubators yet my hen hatched out 5 from a nest scraped in the dirt. And it rained twice and they got muddy yet they still hatched.

I wonder if it's the weight of the bird that has something to do with hatch rate. Maybe the eggs shouldn't be sitting in an incubator with air all around them. I decided to add hay to the incubator and cover the eggs with more hay. Has anyone else ever tried such a thing? Wouldn't that make some kind of sense b/c the eggs incubated by the mother are kept pressed against the dirt and the nesting bird. I think its better than putting the eggs on plastic sitting above water.

I'll let you all know in 28 days if my theory works. I'm always happy to share information that works. I have temp at 99-100 and humidity at 60% and I will be turning them often.

 

[DAS]

Just keep an eye out for mold starting to form in the hay. I would also lower the humidity. I keep mine inbetween 40-50. If I were going to try something like this, I think I would try some cheaper eggs. I would hate to see you loose these eggs. Good luck with this.

 

[DMRippy]

Humidity maybe the biggest thing... my last hatch was near 100% on most of my eggs, but 2 breeds (common at my house for these 2) my humidity was at 35% most of the hatch.... near 40% but no more.

Good luck!

 

[NateinFL]

Just keep an eye out for mold starting to form in the hay. I would also lower the humidity. I keep mine inbetween 40-50. If I were going to try something like this, I think I would try some cheaper eggs. I would hate to see you loose these eggs. Good luck with this

I have never incubated peacock eggs always let the peahens do it. Are you SURE 40-50 is a better humidity level? I read about all the deformities that come with low humidity. I know they're alot more tricky to hatch than chicken eggs.

 

[DMRippy]

Humidity maybe the biggest thing... my last hatch was near 100% on most of my eggs, but 2 breeds (common at my house for these 2) my humidity was at 35% most of the hatch.... near 40% but no more.

Good luck!

Ignore me.... I have never hatched peafowl!

 

[NateinFL]

Humidity maybe the biggest thing... my last hatch was near 100% on most of my eggs, but 2 breeds (common at my house for these 2) my humidity was at 35% most of the hatch.... near 40% but no more.

Good luck!

Thanks. Was that for chicken eggs or peacock eggs?

 

[NateinFL]

Ignore me.... I have never hatched peafowl

LOL okay I was wondering about that

 

[TerriLaChicks]

I'm keeping my humidity between 40-45% -- it's my first time too, for peacock eggs, but I am experienced at hatching chicken eggs. good luck to you!

 

[DAS]

I have never incubated peacock eggs always let the peahens do it. Are you SURE 40-50 is a better humidity level? I read about all the deformities that come with low humidity. I know they're alot more tricky to hatch than chicken eggs.

I can say yes to this for me. I have better hatches with this humidity level. I've tried it at the 50-60 and ended up having problems with sticky chicks that had problems hatching. I have mine at about 45 right now and the chicks are hatching great.

 

[frenchblackcopper]

Your asking for opinions here,,and the Merlot is smooth tonight. Everyone says using chickens to start incubating pea eggs helps.Have you actually watched a hen while shes setting? I have several times before,,I've also taken eggs away and candled them,then set them in front of her and watched as she rolled and tucked them under her.I think part of the key diffrence between a hen and a bator is the hen rolls the eggs around,and changes her position on the eggs several times a day. She gets off the eggs once a day to eat-drink,ect and the eggs gets a chance to cool down some. My grandmother who used to have 200 leghorns told me this increases the chicks strength once pipping if the eggs has been allowed to cool daily during incubating.Eggs are also rolled over which does not happen in a turning tray inside a bator.
Your eggs are valuable,,so why jeopardise them with hay? This may prevent even temps all around the egg.Granted a hen is only heating the egg with her breast area and that would only be touching the top side of the egg but her feathers all around the eggs must also act as insulation.
And next time while your driving down the road in your car,,,put your right hand on the seat and extend your fingers outward and notice how much they vibrate from the road.I don't care what kind of tires and suspension your vehicle has the road roughness transfers vibrations all through the car and this youngster needs commended for wrapping the eggs in bubble wrap for you.
I would cut your humidity down to 45% for the first 25 days,,at 60% the peachicks may be drowning in fluid caused by not enough loss and too small of an air sack.Up the level top 50-55% the last 3 days.I know a hen cannot control humidity levels on eggs,,this is a mystery especially when the outside rh levels reaches in the 60-70% range,,we can only try to mimic what the ideal proven hatching techniques are.