Laying eggs but not sitting

[old biddy]

My peafowl started laying on March 14th and as of April 1st has laid 6 eggs. I have read that the eggs lose viability after 7 - 10 days and also that she should start sitting after laying 6 - 8 eggs. As I do the math, even if she starts sitting after 6 eggs, at least half of the eggs may no longer be viable. If she ends up laying 8 eggs then even more of the early eggs will not be viable. Is this just the way it is or am I missing something here?

 

[BoyTheRooster]

If she's not broody, then she won't sit on the eggs. If you want chicks you're better off using and incubator and hatching them yourself

 

[ChickNanny13]

Just because they lay eggs, does not mean they'll sit & hatch.
2x BoyTheRooster said = You may want to get an incubator.

 

[Bird Ranger]

The same thing is happening with me my peahen has laid 9 eggs in a row. She returns to her nest very often and turns them but has not gone broody. She has successfully hatched two clutches in her life and last time there were 5 chicks. I am hoping for the best that she will sit on them. I can not go through the process of using an incubator as i am busy at this part of year although i see incubating artificially as a whole new adventure. Guess i will have to be patient. My advice to u is that u should wait a bit more for your peahen to go broody they can be surprising sometimes. And if does not turn out to be good u can incubate ur self because if they do not go broody they will continue to lay around the season. I have observed some cases mostly on web of peahens sitting on clutches more then 6 or 8 eggs.
Best of luck.......!

 

[old biddy]

Thanks for the advice...I don't have an incubator but I do have a broody chicken hen sitting on 2 week old chicken eggs. I am thinking of taking the peahen eggs and putting under the broody hen, though I hate removing the 2 week old chicken eggs. Guess I have to make a decision here. Any suggestions?

 

[red horse ranch]

You could go ahead and put the pea eggs under her and then take the chicks as they hatch. It would mean raising the chicks in a brooder. She would likely stay broody as long as she had eggs under her.

 

[ChickNanny13]

You could do what red horse ranch suggested, hopefully the Broody won't "give up" after the chicks hatch. You would need to keep a close eye on your Broody's weight & health, making sure she's eating/drinking enough to maintain her health. Or just get or even DYI an incubator

 

[old biddy]

Thank you for the suggestion - I think it just might work or at least it is worth a try. If she does stay broody long enough to hatch out the peafowl eggs, is there a chance I could return her own chicks to her and give the peafowl chicks to my peahen? Or would that put all the chicks at risk of attack from the hens???

 

[red horse ranch]

I wouldn't recommend it. I doubt that either hen would accept the chicks.

 

[ChickNanny13]

2x red horse ranch You may have a blood bath you weren't expecting.