Is it better to let my peahen hatch her eggs?

[Trefoil]

Or to risk life and limb taking them away to artificially finish the hatch? She's nesting in my chicken coop which is closed up at night for safety. I didn't realize that was where she was laying her eggs until she disappeared and I found her there. She hasn't left the nest long enough for me to find out how many eggs she's laying on.

 

[zazouse]

If she were mine and in a secure place i would let her raise um up, there is so much to learn from them and how they are as parents is just one of them.
Sadly unless mine lay in the safe zone i will be collecting eggs and tring to find homes for them because mine are never penned and i would hate to loose them to a wild critter in the night cause my dogs could not reach her in time to help her.

 

[MinxFox]

I agree with Zazouse. Since she is safe I would let her hatch and raise the peachicks. Last year was the first year I got peachicks. I hatched and raised one peachick and then let my peahen Ice set on a clutch of three eggs. She hatched out all of them and has been a great mommy. I like to compare how they act with how the peachicks not peahen raised act. The chicks raised by Ice are tougher. They find it easier to stand their ground (they get that from their bossy mom). They also were taught how to scratch around and find bugs and such. It takes some patience to teach peachicks how to eat. The peahen will do it all for you and she does a great job teaching them all they need to know.

Here is Ice (bottom right) with her peachicks in the background.




Ice is showing one of the peachicks some food.

 

[zazouse]

Beautiful Photos MinxFox, that second one is priceless, the little white one is like "I am next".
Were all those eggs from Ice?

 

[MinxFox]

We are still not sure if they really were Ice's eggs. It doesn't look like Ice has any pied or something in her to throw those chicks but she was from the zoo so who knows what she is mixed with. The pied was the father. I was wondering if somehow Ice stole my pied hen's eggs and set on them but who knows...For now I am just going with the chance that Ice is mixed with something.