Pea Eggs Scheduled to Hatch?

[frenchblackcopper]

Okay,heres pics,,this is my large coop that is 8x16 with several 8x12' pens on the other side,,

 

[Lil Zoo]

Lil Zoo,,many quail are kept off ground their entire life,,,internal parasites caused from eating worms is the culprit along with many diseases chickens carries that other species are not immune to,such as blackhead.Soil born disease and parasites is why,and in my opinion the first 6 months of peafowl is the most critical,,get them to that age,,and they should survive anything.

Thanks. Maybe plans for tearing down the old trailers the kids lived in will be put on hold awhile longer.. It does seem to make a nice house for them. It's unbelievable that these birds can live to be 20-40 years old and yet are so hard to get started.

 

[frenchblackcopper]

And heres 2 pics of my 6x16' pen behind the house,,this is where the peas first will be outside with no heat lite or heat source,,normally brought out here when they outgrow the 4'x8' brooder box inside the garage,

 

[kuntrygirl]

Lil Zoo,,many quail are kept off ground their entire life,,,internal parasites caused from eating worms is the culprit along with many diseases chickens carries that other species are not immune to,such as blackhead.Soil born disease and parasites is why,and in my opinion the first 6 months of peafowl is the most critical,,get them to that age,,and they should survive anything.

 

[frenchblackcopper]

Mmmaddie,,everyone has their own ideas as to what works and what don't,,I guess the bottom line is how many surviving peas do you have from hatch to 1 year of age.My biggest,,BIGGEST problem is I always bought first,then HAD to build as birds outgrew what they were in.Peachicks needs supplemental heat for several monthsa and the evenings here does drop down in temps in late summer-=early fall,,(nothing like in Colorado) but still before they can be put somewhere without heat,they must be proper size.I have 3 seperate pennings before any of my peas sees dirt,,first after they hatch for about 3 weeks inside the house in a 2x3 box(actually have 2 of these made) with a lite bulb for heat(plus the internal temp of the inside of our home) then they move to the garage to the 4'x8' box brooder,also with heat,,using heat bulbs or higher wattage lite bulbs,,then to the 2 compartment 6x16' pen abopve ground,,then to the outside pens with a 4x8' comparment for them to get into,also we do have heat there if needed.

 

[frenchblackcopper]

Kuntrygirl,,,I have over 2 acres here with plenty more room for pea pens,,and since some can't be sexed until they get older,,I'd like to pick and choose which ones to keep.I still want a pen of whites,cameos and peach,,then a pen of straight purple b/s,,,,and maybe a diffrent pen of Charcoal B/S besides my Charcoal dark pied w/e pen,,O want a pen of quads of every color,,,,thats my goal,,depends on the checkbook status as well.

 

[Mmmatt13]

Mmmaddie,,everyone has their own ideas as to what works and what don't,,I guess the bottom line is how many surviving peas do you have from hatch to 1 year of age.My biggest,,BIGGEST problem is I always bought first,then HAD to build as birds outgrew what they were in.Peachicks needs supplemental heat for several monthsa and the evenings here does drop down in temps in late summer-=early fall,,(nothing like in Colorado) but still before they can be put somewhere without heat,they must be proper size.I have 3 seperate pennings before any of my peas sees dirt,,first after they hatch for about 3 weeks inside the house in a 2x3 box(actually have 2 of these made) with a lite bulb for heat(plus the internal temp of the inside of our home) then they move to the garage to the 4'x8' box brooder,also with heat,,using heat bulbs or higher wattage lite bulbs,,then to the 2 compartment 6x16' pen abopve ground,,then to the outside pens with a 4x8' comparment for them to get into,also we do have heat there if needed.

Randy,
We have a brooder box that's about 5'x2.5'x2.5', in the house. They'll be kept in there until they outgrow it. In the meantime we are building their 8'x16' "coop" where they will stay until they are safe to venture outside. Their 8'x16' house is inside their 30'x40' enclosed yard, which we are also currently building. They will have electricity for a heat lamp in their coop.

 

[Lil Zoo]

Kuntrygirl,,,I have over 2 acres here with plenty more room for pea pens,,and since some can't be sexed until they get older,,I'd like to pick and choose which ones to keep.I still want a pen of whites,cameos and peach,,then a pen of straight purple b/s,,,,and maybe a diffrent pen of Charcoal B/S besides my Charcoal dark pied w/e pen,,O want a pen of quads of every color,,,,thats my goal,,depends on the checkbook status as well.

Oh my, I have 3 acres. Hubby made me some rabbit hutches that look similar to your off the ground cages. They are on cement where an old barn burnt down. Maybe it's time to say good-by rabbits hello peas. The question is their a market for them? Pea eggs are high but not that high, when you concider they only lay about 30 a season. Pea chicks are a little pricey, but sounds like hatch rates stink. Grown peas with long tails take 4 years to feed to see the kind of tails in the picture at the auction. On craigslist there is a pair for $150. I paid more for mine and drove some ways to get them, but that's me.. Maybe in your areas there are more people living on acreages. Here the farmers keep buying home acreages and tearing the houses down. My daughter has 3 acreas just outside the city limits and people complain about the noise her peacock and the donkey make, so there wouldn't be a market in towns.

 

[frenchblackcopper]

Lil Zoo,a 50lb bag of 16% layer crumbles is $11.50 here,,,if your hens lays 30 eggs per year,,times $10 each,thats $300 worth of feed money per bird,,and at present $300 worth of feed here would be 26 -50 lb bags of feed,,no way will 1 hen eat that much feed per year(1300 lbs),,the risk is hatching the eggs,,and getting them started,,and I have no qualms about feeding a nice male for 3 years to get a premium price for him,,can't breed until 2 years anyway,,so you really only have 1 extra year of feed and risk to sell him for top $$$ and home hatch rates are much better than shipped eggs,,esp if you have a merlot cooler
Mmmaddie13,,get the rat and mouse bait out now,and bait heavy,,if your "building" a new building,,concrete footing around the perimeter and about 2' deep will keep digging intruders away,,nows the time if the budget is enough.

 

[Lil Zoo]

Lil Zoo,a 50lb bag of 16% layer crumbles is $11.50 here,,,if your hens lays 30 eggs per year,,times $10 each,thats $300 worth of feed money per bird,,and at present $300 worth of feed here would be 26 -50 lb bags of feed,,no way will 1 hen eat that much feed per year(1300 lbs),,the risk is hatching the eggs,,and getting them started,,and I have no qualms about feeding a nice male for 3 years to get a premium price for him,,can't breed until 2 years anyway,,so you really only have 1 extra year of feed and risk to sell him for top $$$ and home hatch rates are much better than shipped eggs,,esp if you have a merlot cooler
Mmmaddie13,,get the rat and mouse bait out now,and bait heavy,,if your "building" a new building,,concrete footing around the perimeter and about 2' deep will keep digging intruders away,,nows the time if the budget is enough.

It might be something to think on. The pen being constructed estimating $1000 + for 25 x 50, for the pleasure of their beauty. The birds. The feed to come. I do have the set up. I quess there also is a market for peacock feathers. I have been raising chickens and a few rabbits for food value, but mostly the enjoyment. My feed bill each month makes me wonder if I'm saving. I do like the health issue of raising my own food. I raise a large garden and even if they aren't freeranged they benefit from the grass, weeds, and slop I dump into their pen and can be freeranged after garden season.. I have all kinds of fruit trees, vine fruits, and strawberries. I raise extra lettuce for their enjoyment. I know color makes a difference but what does an average 3-4 year old peacock and hen sell for? I paid $150 for each of mine, but could of bought a pair for $175. Is the biggest market at the auctions? That would be hard for me, with my sight. The market for them here is my worry. They are just not something I see., but maybe the trick to sell is better that way. People see they want. I think it could be something that I can take care of even if I loose most of my sight. Heck last week they taught me to thread a sewing machine needle using feeling and dental floss and it works really easy. Your talking just makes me wish I was a bit younger to take on a new adventure. I've adventured on my own before and grew a big bussiness. Did you start small and get the bug for more???? I have one perfect building if I went big. A 60 foot large insulated with wood quansent machine shed. Only trying to get my hubby to give it up might never happen as he wants to tinker building race cars after he retires.. I have to think about being really tied down also. It wouldn't be like asking the kids to feed a few animals if I wanted to take a trip. Keep talking, I just am not ready for a rockin chair yet either.