Peachicks imprinted on Furbo camera

[Casperhem]

Hello all,

I'm open to some criticism and also just need a space to tear my hair out a bit. This is my second year having peafowl, but my first time raising peachicks from the egg.

I had two hatch on 5/11. Both struggled to hatch- no external pip on both after internal pip for 20 hrs- then they shrinkwrapped after I put in a safety hole because of course I didnt adjust my humidity higher than 60%, so I essentially had to full assist both. They were great in the incubator once they got out, but now that theyre in the brooder everything has gotten a little nuts.

Is it normal for them to cry so much? Of course I didn't know what imprinting was until after I'd ran in to reassure them several times and help them find food and water, then let them play in my hair. Now they scream when they cant see me. When I'm at work I have a Furbo camera that automatically moves to detect their movements so I can watch them- so far this morning they screamed after me for 20-30 minutes, and now theyre sitting at the edge of the brooder trying to huddle under the Furbo (which I moved out of the brooder after they huddled under it yesterday) away from their heated brooder plate. They're desperate to get to it. I tried putting in a stuffed animal but they won't even look at it.

One of them looks like it has a spray leg this morning- its like a joint/tendon slipped in its elbow? I used surgical tape to pop it back in and hold it in its proper position and keep it from slipping, then created a hobble brace so its leg sat proper. I showed it where the food was multiple times but everytime I look in the camera it's trying to eat the pine bedding.

Both of them also look kind of hunched- but I don't know if thats just how they should look. My thermometer broke (of course) so I'm picking up a new one today so I'm not completely sure on temperatures, but I have ambient heat in the room and they sit under the plate comfortably when I put them under it. They slept through the night quietly under the brooder once the lights were off in the room. I have them next to my bed.

Running under the Furbo

I've never raised any other kind of fowl/chicken, etc. Are peachicks generally more advanced, or am I just a beginner thats hovering too much? Im mostly worried about them possibly imprinting to me and the Furbo camera because they keep leaving the brooder plate for long periods of time to endlessly fuss over not being able to get to them.

Sorry to vent! I didn't realize how good I had it with my mama peahen doing all the raising last year. Gotta give these hens serious credit.

 

[KsKingBee]

I am not sure where to start, you are not the typical pea-momma and it is kind of heart-warming, but, yes you are 'hovering' a bit much. You are doing a great job but worrying yourself a bit too much. First, turn the volume off. Assisted hatches causes problems especially when you move in too early. 60% humidity is fine for hatching as long as you do not let the moisture out by opening the hatcher too frequently. You were good on the fixes to the problems you enhanced. Take the camera away and let them be birds. Put a glass marble in both the water and the feed, they will be fine.