Incubating peafowl

[MtnFamilyFarm]

Sorry for the delay in responding!

We have almost 300 chickens (2 1/2 mo to a few days). Due to dh medical issues we had to "retire" from our business of many yrs and are (re)setting up the part of the family land we live on as a sm "farm". (2 fifty-somethings and an 8 yo don't go very fast lol so days can be long), Just chickens so far. Will have to wait and see if we do anything else. Anyhoo, we have been busy turning a toolshed and a storage bldg into coops and getting brooders ready for 225 baby chicks due from PO on Thurs. Also we have put eggs (red sexlinks, 2 doz hybrid duck and 7 peafowl an our own FIRST egg from one of our two banty prs) in our 2 sm incubators and they are full. Some days I am not able to get on the computer.

The information y'all have been sharing is very helpful! The four baby peafowl are doing well - have had to put a screen over the clear storage bin/brooder to keep them from flying out already!! When we have only a few babies I use the clear storage bins as brooders and keep them in the entry room so we can check on them frequently as we come and go from the house. 8 yo dd yelled for me one day and we had an escapee trying to get back in - nervously pecking on the outside of the bin and pacing - he/she could see the others but couldn't get back. A short time later we had THREE escapees doing the same thing!

Had NO IDEA that they would fly THIS EARLY!!! We put a screen on the top rt away!

Does this mean I should have a roost in there for them already too or when do they need one? Also we have some baby chicks (4 blue americana, 3 buff orps) that hatched last week in a separate (same kind) brooder next to the peafowl. At any point is it ok to mix the chicken and peafowl chicks or is it best to always keep them separated (we also have over 100 mo old chicks)? Also, by what age do we need to have the large pen ready? What size pens do you use and at what ages for peafowl? (ie: how long do we have and what do we need to have ready and when?)

We are SO excited about learning to raise - and hopefully hatching - peafowl! Also, when (how old) can you tell peahen from peacock? Hope to be posting pics soon!

Amanda
Mom to 20 yo triplets, an 8 yo, 3 dogs, and Mil to sil and dil,
and mama to lots of chickens and 4 peafowl!
OMG this is addictive FUN!!

 

[Momhunter]

I am trying the "not to increase humidity method" during hatching. I have quail hatching as I type in the hatching tray and 30 pea eggs at various stages in my sportsman incubator. I have 16 to move into hatching tray midweek. I will see if I can get a better hatch rate from my pea eggs with them being incubated on their sides ( I changed about three weeks ago) and constant humidity staying around 52. So far I had 19 out of the 32 quail hatched before I had to leave for work. Can't wait to get home and see how it is going.

 

[zazouse]

We put ours on their side using our auto-turner and then once in the am and once at night I turn them end to end- hopefully others will have ideas that work.

what do you mean when you say end to end ?

 

[Hens and Roos]

what do you mean when you say end to end ?

my turning slowly rocks then back and forth on their side so I turn them so the pointy end of the egg faces right in the morning and left in the evening. maybe this isn't making much sense how I am trying to explain it.

 

[zazouse]

 

[Momhunter]

I have 24 out of 32 quail hatched another one piped. Had to take out the hatched quail so I could put the pea eggs in the hatching tray, two are already pipped!!
I had one lone peachick in with 6 turkey poults. Had to play musical brooders, poults now in covered outside pen with night time heat lamp and put the quail chicks with the week old peachick. Hope this works!!

 

[MtnFamilyFarm]

Congrats Momhunter! Does it help to tilt the peafowl eggs from left to right? We have our first 7 in the incubator with auto turner.

I am using two different storage bins - one for four peafowl and one for 7 wk old hatchlings (Americauna & Buff Orps) and thus 2 heat lamps. We have 225 baby chicks coming Thurs. and I was going to put the 7 hatchlings with them and wondered if I could mix the peafowl or not and if so, for how long?

 

[WestKnollAmy]

I can't incubate mine at all!
I have eggs in 3 different bators, have done all sorts of things to try and get them to hatch but all I can tell is that they are drowning and my humidity is reading 50%. I have had so many folks tell me to up to 70%! I can't get mine that high but there is no way I would even try. Every egg I open has a fully formed chick in it and lots of water. No shrink wrap, no pipping, just a dead chick (I wait 4-5 days longer).
However, my Silkie hens hatched out 2 for me.



But in the rush for everyone to be the mom one got squashed so I am down to one for now.



I have 6 more eggs under broody hens as i am sick and tired of trying to hatch them in my bators. Out of almost 50 eggs set I have one to show for it.

 

[frenchblackcopper]

Hatched the first new additions of Pea Palace the past few days. Got an Opal B/S,,1 BSSP and 6 Midnight b/s all doing very well. My addition to the Humidaire incubator last nite was 92 more eggs and this incubator is overstuffed with close to 200 eggs in it. I have to finish my homemade hatcher before the weekend cause I only have about 20 eggs that are going to hatch next Monday leaving me with a 70 egg at least space deficit.

 

[Momhunter]

I can't incubate mine at all! I have eggs in 3 different bators, have done all sorts of things to try and get them to hatch but all I can tell is that they are drowning and my humidity is reading 50%. I have had so many folks tell me to up to 70%! I can't get mine that high but there is no way I would even try. Every egg I open has a fully formed chick in it and lots of water. No shrink wrap, no pipping, just a dead chick (I wait 4-5 days longer). However, my Silkie hens hatched out 2 for me. But in the rush for everyone to be the mom one got squashed so I am down to one for now. I have 6 more eggs under broody hens as i am sick and tired of trying to hatch them in my bators. Out of almost 50 eggs set I have one to show for it.

Sorry about your non-hatches!! I am finding out that the pea eggs are so much harder to incubate for some reason. This is my first year incubating and jumped in with both feet and got the sportsman 1502 gqf. Having 75-80% hatches on my jersey giants and coturnix quail but not so good on the peas. My first 8 eggs only have me one hatched chick. Mine either die half way through development or never pip fully formed. But I started incubating point down like other birds, then 3 weeks ago changed to on the side. Maybe makes a difference, I have peas hatching now, 2 this morning 1 just out and 1 1/3 Zipped. I had to help 1 out this afternoon that I knew was pipped for almost 24 hours with no progression, it had shrink wrapped. It seems to be doing fine now. I had to open the bator to take out hatched quail and put the pea eggs into the hatching tray when I noticed 3 already pipped on day 25. So I was worried about the drop in humidity and added a wick/sponge to the water pan. Humidity had been at 52% now at 68%. Hopefully will have more hatched in the morning.