Incubating peafowl

[WestKnollAmy]

Well, I know the pump is not my problem with my pea eggs. I open and close the door every day to fill the tank and check on eggs. I really need to figure the pea egg thing out. They are a lot more temperamental than my other eggs. They seem to be as difficult as my Muscovy eggs to hatch.

 

[annabell254]

Err, one more thing, annabell254....We are military, which is why I live in the desert of So Cal, but I'm actually from Savannah! I just saw you're from SE GA! Love all the GA peaches on BYC!

Thanks!!!! this will also be my first hatch for pea's...just candeled.... day 7 starts tonight.... and I have 5 clear and 8 starting I will not toss clears until day 14 and somehow one is cracked!!!!! and it is developing.... do you know what I can seal the crack with?

Well, I know the pump is not my problem with my pea eggs. I open and close the door every day to fill the tank and check on eggs. I really need to figure the pea egg thing out. They are a lot more temperamental than my other eggs. They seem to be as difficult as my Muscovy eggs to hatch.

my theary with tempermental eggs that do great under broodies is that for the first 3-7 days she sits tight which causes a higher tempature and more humidity for the eggs during the first few days to a week.... then she starts to get off her nest regularly until they start to pip internally and then she sits tight again which again raises the tempature and humidity... she also will re-adujust and turn them quite often...

I have been taking the tempature at different times of develoment under my broodies and have found that when they sit tight or you have two broodies togeather so the eggs do not ever cool off for an extended period of time, the temp is around 103 and when they are comming and going to eat and drink or stay off for longer periods, it averages at 101-101.5 ... I have done this with a probe that I have checked for accuracy of tempature.... I have now ordered the egg-o-meter and will place it under a hen and get the readings, inside the egg, through out her clutch and see if the data lines up

if this proves true then for the first week you could raise the temp by 1-1.5 degree and up the humidity to 65% and then starting on week two lower the temp to normal and bring humidity down to 58% (pea's come from warm areas where humidity stays higher ) and bring it back up for hatch...


anyone else want to particapate in the experment?

 

[casportpony]

Annabell, what a great idea, we just love experiments here and are doing one on pea egg weight loss during incubation. I'll also be taking lots of egg pictures.

-Kathy

 

[kuntrygirl]

Annabell, what a great idea, we just love experiments here and are doing one on pea egg weight loss during incubation. I'll also be taking lots of egg pictures.

-Kathy

 

[annabell254]

me too! I just love figuring things out

here is something fun that just happened last week while I happened to be taking tempatures of broody hens....I had a clutch of chicks hatch 5 days early!!! The hen went broody behinde a freezor where the heat comes off it...and all of my broody boxes were full so I let her stay.... the temp under her was 104.5 at the time of hatch and maintained 103 or higher through out her sitting haha I did not think they would hatch but they did and all chicks are healthy and hatched in hours of pip!
I was stunned that they could even hatch this early!
CRAZY! at least to me

 

[casportpony]

Wow, five days early, that's amazing!

What equipment are you using for your "experiments"?

-Kathy

 

[kuntrygirl]

me too! I just love figuring things out

here is something fun that just happened last week while I happened to be taking tempatures of broody hens....I had a clutch of chicks hatch 5 days early!!! The hen went broody behinde a freezor where the heat comes off it...and all of my broody boxes were full so I let her stay.... the temp under her was 104.5 at the time of hatch and maintained 103 or higher through out her sitting haha I did not think they would hatch but they did and all chicks are healthy and hatched in hours of pip!
I was stunned that they could even hatch this early!
CRAZY! at least to me

Good job!

 

[mbfarms]

me too! I just love figuring things out

here is something fun that just happened last week while I happened to be taking tempatures of broody hens....I had a clutch of chicks hatch 5 days early!!! The hen went broody behinde a freezor where the heat comes off it...and all of my broody boxes were full so I let her stay.... the temp under her was 104.5 at the time of hatch and maintained 103 or higher through out her sitting haha I did not think they would hatch but they did and all chicks are healthy and hatched in hours of pip!
I was stunned that they could even hatch this early!
CRAZY! at least to me

Interesting and opposite thing just happened here. That clueless broody chicken hen I was talking about a couple of posts ago has been terrible about not actually sitting on her eggs as she should. I was about to give up on any of them hatching when (surprise) 3 of them hatched between 5-6 days late. Amazing to me that nature seemed to account for her not keeping them warm by giving them more time to 'cook'. I'm always amazed that nature does so well what we have to work so hard to replicate in an incubator.

In the 2 weeks my broody peahen has been on her nest, I have not seen her move a single time. Only change I've seen is that the now egg-less girl is keeping her company....

 

[annabell254]

I have a sunleaves hydro thermometer with a probe to check temperatures... 3 broody marans, 2 broody sussex, one broody goose and a brinsea 20 advanced incubator and am awaiting the arrival of the egg-thermometer (the one that looks like an egg and will read the internal temp)... 3 Brodie's nested in boxes, two on the ground, and one behind the freezer to see if this makes a difference as to nest site....

I am keeping up with all data..... temperatures along with the # of days sitting, how often she gets off, how long she stays off, conditions that she is broody in (weather, where she nests, outside temperatures and humidity) I will eventually get a humidity tester that I can also put under a hen....

Hopefully I will get a few pairs of peas from this hatch and in a few years will test my finding on pea eggs to see if I can perfectly re-create (in the incubator) the broody hen experience for the pea eggs with real working data

Hobbies are great

 

[WestKnollAmy]

me too! I just love figuring things out

here is something fun that just happened last week while I happened to be taking tempatures of broody hens....I had a clutch of chicks hatch 5 days early!!! The hen went broody behinde a freezor where the heat comes off it...and all of my broody boxes were full so I let her stay.... the temp under her was 104.5 at the time of hatch and maintained 103 or higher through out her sitting haha I did not think they would hatch but they did and all chicks are healthy and hatched in hours of pip!
I was stunned that they could even hatch this early!
CRAZY! at least to me

That is unreal.

I mean, you hear about people saying they throw out eggs because the incubator spiked up to 103 or so!

Here is what happens to me at my place....in the winter my Silkies go broody and if they collect eggs a few days then I let them set. Several times it has gotten down in the 20's for a week or more and really cold day and night during that time. The nest boxes in their coop are on the floor that is a raised wooden floor but the building is under penned. It has taken 4 weeks for them to hatch. I thought that was cool! The air was dry and I always write the date on the eggs when the hens start sitting tight to the nest so I know I am keeping up with the hatches.