Peahen Made a nest up high, How will babies get down?

[Joe.G]

Hi, My PeaHen is sitting on Eggs on a ledge that is about 5 FT off the ground, Is this safe for the Babies? What are my options? Thanks

 

[zazouse]

Mom will call them and they will flutter down, mine nested high last year and i helped them down after hatch was done,

 

[Joe.G]

So After they hatch I should move them to teh ground?

 

[zazouse]

It really won't matter they will get down but i would make sure she is in a pen where nothing can get to her and the babies if they free range.
Can't wait to see photos of them, what colors are you expecting?

 

[Joe.G]

She is a BSSP, and the Father is a BS Male with a Sieple Gene.
I also have chickens sitting on BS Spalding Hen eggs that were fathered by a Midnight BS Male.

 

[zazouse]

Oh wow can't wait to see their baby pictures

 

[msmolly]

If she is in a safe area- like inside your pen- not to worry. You say its a ledge? Is it wide enough for her whole nest? As long as there is a softish landing should they flutter down. Momma bird expects the poor little peeps to fly up to a high perch to roost under her, when they are only days old. The first nights are torture watching them flutter, hit then fall...repeat. Mom bird just waits patiently till they all make it up or...not. I confess to have assisted a few times. I've even added tree branches to help them work there way up. The point being, that being up 5 feet isnt bad. My bird makes her babies fly up about 8 or 9 feet at 4 days. On the other hand, last year - when it was raining buckets for 3 months my hen has moved her nest from inside the coop to outside in the run-when the chicks were only 2 days old. She moved the 2 day old chicks out into the rainy run and sat on them there for 2 days, before making them fly up 9 feet to roost under her.
I'm thinking, up high is safer than down low.

 

[Joe.G]

Yes the Ledge is big enough to fit a few full size birds, and there is a somewhat of a pad landing if they were to fall. Just checking I would like to hatch some Peas out, Between her and what the chickens are sitting I should get something. Thanks and great pic's.

If they do hatch should I just let teh mom do here thing or do I need to help?

 

[MinxFox]

I would let the peahen do her thing. In my experience they are great mothers. Just make sure to provide medicated chick starter. Also, if they are penned make sure the fencing at the bottom is small enough so that they don't get out of the pen away from their mom. I have lost peachicks from them wandering like that and I think the local hawks have used the peachick's wandering to their advantage by preying upon them.

 

[msmolly]

Yes the Ledge is big enough to fit a few full size birds, and there is a somewhat of a pad landing if they were to fall. Just checking I would like to hatch some Peas out, Between her and what the chickens are sitting I should get something. Thanks and great pic's.

If they do hatch should I just let teh mom do here thing or do I need to help?

As for letting the Mom do her thing- or helping once they hatch.....here's my experience. I had 2 Hens. As chicks, one was incubator hatched, and the other we took from the mother peahen when she was several weeks old. As adults- their ability to parent was very much affected by their upbringing. The hen who had a mother as a chick was and is still a fabulous parent, no help required.
The Hen who came from an incubator was a spaz! Poor thing had no idea what to do with those chicks. We had to keep vigilant and make sure she allowed them to eat and drink etc. Lots of intervention was required- but other than a hawk grabbing one, they all survived. The second year her parenting was some what better. She passed away last year )-: As you know, there are no black and white rules with these birds, but if your hen had a parent bird raise her- you might have an easy time of it. If she was an incubator egg.....good luck