Peahen Mating Squat

[MelStL]

{{{ I’m wordy, so for anyone that likes details, enjoy! Anybody that prefers to cut to the chase, please scroll to the bottom. }}}


BACKGROUND:
I rescued an abandoned peachick at just a couple days old in June 2020. I intended to take her to wildlife rehab & rescue, but by the time they were open, she had imprinted on me, so now I have a nearly 2-year old big baby bird. (I’m grateful she turned out to be a peahen, as a male would be an even bigger handful in my current space.)

WHAT’S GOING ON NOW:
She was raised with baby chicks, though unfortunately, both of the two chickens she grew up with passed in 2021. She had 6 other chickens in her flock, until she got sick about a month ago and was pulled immediately from the coop and brought inside for care and monitoring.

She had to have gavage (tube) feeding and subcutaneous fluids for about a week and a half and was on anti-inflammatories as well as a couple of antibiotics (the first one didn’t work well) for the better part of 2 1/2 weeks. Her digestive system is s.l.o..o…o…o..l.y resetting, and her appetite is only recently approaching her previous intake. (I am happy to provide a fully detailed account of her treatment and recovery if of interest to anybody.)

I have been giving her a lot of attention and hands-on care for the past month, and now that she is finally feeling better, she follows me EVERYwhere. She likes head scratches and neck rubs, which is quite normal, but suddenly in the past couple of days when I reach for her, she has been squatting like a hen does for a rooster. When my young pullets have done that, it usually means an egg is coming within a week or two.

THE QUESTIONS:
• Is she likely to lay an egg soon, even without a mate?

• Have I evolved from ”Mom” to mate?

• Has anybody else ever had this experience with their peahens squatting for them?

MOVING FORWARD:
Now I am building her separate quarters from the chickens and will be getting a couple of day-old peachicks when they hatch in a few weeks. I will hand raise them as babies so they imprint, and then put them pen-within-a-pen outside with her and hope there is some bonding and only one peacock, at most. Regardless, I will have 2 to 3 years before they mature during which time I will be locating to a larger property and building them appropriate facilities.

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TL;DR: My 2-year old hand-raised and only peahen, who has been spending nearly constant one-on-one time with me for the past month, is suddenly squatting like a pullet does for a rooster when I pet her.

Is this common?
Is an egg coming soon even without a peacock?

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Thanks to anyone for any thoughts or advice!

- Mel

 

[KsKingBee]

I have a lot of hens that squat when I come in the pen, they don't have to be imprinted to do that. If a hen squats for you she may not be breeding the cock... that is if you had one. Also, do not imprint a cock, it may not turn out like you are hoping. It might be fine but there is a risk that he could become territorial during the breeding season.

 

[MelStL]

Actually the imprinting is just why I kept her in the first place at the recommendation of one of the wildlife rehab workers. Was not intentional. I will not know the sex of the peachicks until they get old enough to tell, but will raise them together and adjacent to the peahen, though separate from her. I will be in and out as needed. They will be inside with a heat lamp until they are old enough to be out.

If anybody ends up being aggressive during mating season once they fully mature, or otherwise, they will get their own pen. I have a rooster that was hand-raised (because he got injured and had to be separated at two weeks old) and he is the biggest jerk to me now that he has matured and mates the hens.

My intention is for her to have company and a flock to belong to, not for me to have devoted housepeafs. I would prefer them to be friendly and interactive, but if they are not, I will manage, nonetheless.

I’m still curious, though, as to my main question… Is she likely to lay an egg soon even without a cock?

 

[KsKingBee]

If you are stroking her on the back when she squats she might be stimulated enough to lay. Most hens will lay without a cock.