Peahen sitting on nest or....

[Annika514]

This is our first year with a peahen- we had two peacocks and last fall adopted a hem and her chick (who ended up being another male).
They are free roaming and we woke this morning to no sign of her- we are assuming she’s sitting on a nest somewhere? Is this what happens- you just don’t see her for a while? I hope so and she’s not dead or hurt somewhere.
Also, her chick from last year is almost a year and until today he was still following her around. He’s been crying for her this morning. Do chicks typically stay with their mom this long? He’s at least 8-9 months old.
Thank you for any experience or thoughts you have!

 

[KsKingBee]

Hens normally distance themselves from the chicks for a while before the breeding season, like weaning the young ones. A hen setting a nest will fly into the feed area mid to late morning and sometimes late afternoon to eat and drink. They will be very coy about returning to the nest and will allude you from following them. You have to be sneaky to see where she is going, it may take a couple of days to find the nest.

However, if the chick is crying for momma it may be a sign that something bad has happened. Watch for her return for feed, if you do not see her for a couple of days it will be a bad sign. You can also scout the area for feathers if something had attacked her on a nest.

 

[Annika514]

Hens normally distance themselves from the chicks for a while before the breeding season, like weaning the young ones. A hen setting a nest will fly into the feed area mid to late morning and sometimes late afternoon to eat and drink. They will be very coy about returning to the nest and will allude you from following them. You have to be sneaky to see where she is going, it may take a couple of days to find the nest.

However, if the chick is crying for momma it may be a sign that something bad has happened. Watch for her return for feed, if you do not see her for a couple of days it will be a bad sign. You can also scout the area for feathers if something had attacked her on a nest.

Thank you! That is so helpful.

 

[Midnightman14]

Usually when they come off the next they honk and make a great deal of noise so you shouldn't have any trouble hearing her when she comes to eat. Be advised though that if she is on a nest and she isn't a regular colored hen she could be an easy target.

 

[KsKingBee]

Usually when they come off the next they honk and make a great deal of noise so you shouldn't have any trouble hearing her when she comes to eat. Be advised though that if she is on a nest and she isn't a regular colored hen she could be an easy target.

Last year when Penny was setting a nest out in the pasture it was up a hillside. When she came off she would ha-ha-ha-ha the entire flight down the hill to the yard to eat. We knew she was up there somewhere, following her back was like a covert operation. Once we found the nest we pulled lots of dog hair and scattered it around her area. It also helped that the dog would go up there and lay with her at night.

 

[discerning]

This is our first year with a peahen- we had two peacocks and last fall adopted a hem and her chick (who ended up being another male).
They are free roaming and we woke this morning to no sign of her- we are assuming she’s sitting on a nest somewhere? Is this what happens- you just don’t see her for a while? I hope so and she’s not dead or hurt somewhere.
Also, her chick from last year is almost a year and until today he was still following her around. He’s been crying for her this morning. Do chicks typically stay with their mom this long? He’s at least 8-9 months old.
Thank you for any experience or thoughts you have!

Here in So Cal I can’t free range the pea hens sit on eggs and predators (raccoons or coyote) eventually kill them

 

[JennGimlet]

Last year when Penny was setting a nest out in the pasture it was up a hillside. When she came off she would ha-ha-ha-ha the entire flight down the hill to the yard to eat. We knew she was up there somewhere, following her back was like a covert operation. Once we found the nest we pulled lots of dog hair and scattered it around her area. It also helped that the dog would go up there and lay with her at night.

I'm having this problem now. One of my hens has a nest hidden in the woods and I can't find it. She flies up from a side of the property that I can't get to quickly enough to try to follow her. I'm very anxious that she won't survive nesting season, or that her chicks will be vulnerable. Today, our second hen is missing. I'm trying not to panic. The male has been calling and no one is replying.