Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[Werforpsu]

So, I let my flock out today since it is a bit warm. One of my roos, his waddle looks blue/grey towards the bottom. The other roo looks normal and bright red.
Any thoughts on what/why? I've never noticed his waddle being anything other then pure red before. Is this frostbite?

 

[Chaos18]

I hope to this year. The last 2 years, fertility and hatching have been bad, I only hatched 1 chick each year. This year's chick survived and is living with some Ameraucanas. I don't have space to keep more peafowl, so anything I hatch this year will be for sale. I'm also going to change how I incubate them in the hope of improving the hatch, and each year the males get prettier and supposedly that improves fertility (because the peahens are so vain about wanting only the prettiest of suitors).

Peas are by far the toughest eggs I have ever tried to hatch. I would caution you about trying to hatch your own. The eggs tend to be pricey ($10 and up) and with no guarantee they will hatch, that's an expensive experiment.

Yea I've heard that they are expensive and difficult to hatch. They sure are pretty though When they mature.

 

[fisherlady]

So, I let my flock out today since it is a bit warm. One of my roos, his waddle looks blue/grey towards the bottom. The other roo looks normal and bright red.
Any thoughts on what/why? I've never noticed his waddle being anything other then pure red before. Is this frostbite?

Looks like the cold got to it...probably got it wet dunking it in water bowl from the way it looks with such a stark line between the affected and unaffected parts.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

I hope to this year. The last 2 years, fertility and hatching have been bad, I only hatched 1 chick each year. This year's chick survived and is living with some Ameraucanas. I don't have space to keep more peafowl, so anything I hatch this year will be for sale. I'm also going to change how I incubate them in the hope of improving the hatch, and each year the males get prettier and supposedly that improves fertility (because the peahens are so vain about wanting only the prettiest of suitors).

Peas are by far the toughest eggs I have ever tried to hatch. I would caution you about trying to hatch your own. The eggs tend to be pricey ($10 and up) and with no guarantee they will hatch, that's an expensive experiment.

If you hatch any extra peafowl, I may have to buy a couple off you to travel through the chicken train lol

 

[dheltzel]

Yea I've heard that they are expensive and difficult to hatch. They sure are pretty though When they mature.

They take a lot of space and are noisy like you wouldn't believe. Mine have not gotten nearly as tame as the turkeys, though some people have them very tame. I deliberately tried to tame the young one this year, handling her often and talking to her. She knows her name (Sweetpea) but won't tolerate me touching her at all. Her parents will eat out of my hand if I'm very still and have something really good, like bread, but they are otherwise quite standoffish.

 

[Chaos18]

They take a lot of space and are noisy like you wouldn't believe. Mine have not gotten nearly as tame as the turkeys, though some people have them very tame. I deliberately tried to tame the young one this year, handling her often and talking to her. She knows her name (Sweetpea) but won't tolerate me touching her at all. Her parents will eat out of my hand if I'm very still and have something really good, like bread, but they are otherwise quite standoffish.

Sounds like most of my chickens.

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

Quote:
I totally agree with you. They do get annoyed if another chicken is in "the good box". Haha, speaking of which, here is a picture of three fluffy butts trying to use the same "box". These were my girls that are no longer, and for a little while they tried laying eggs in a leaf bag on the porch.

Quote: Can a broody hatch them out any better? Those girls seem to know what they're doing!

So, I let my flock out today since it is a bit warm. One of my roos, his waddle looks blue/grey towards the bottom. The other roo looks normal and bright red.
Any thoughts on what/why? I've never noticed his waddle being anything other then pure red before. Is this frostbite?

Looks like it might be a little frostbitten, hopefully he get circulation back when it warms up a little this weekend. We are supposed to be up to 45! My one Roo has some tips of his comb that are look grayish and dark. I am hoping he keeps his gorgeous comb.

 

[dheltzel]

Can a broody hatch them out any better? Those girls seem to know what they're doing!

One of the largest peafowl breeders in the world keeps a whole flock of cochin bantams to incubate all the pea eggs for the first 10 days, then they go into an incubator for the rest of the time. He claims they hatch much better that way, that no incubator he's tried could do what a broody hen does in the first part of the process.

You want to try to hatch peachicks under your broody next year, huh?

 

[Werforpsu]

Thanks for the frostbitten roo replies.

What happens if his waddle doesn't go back to being healthy?
Will I need to do something about it...cause this guy is a mean roo that is going to the freezer as soon as I can convince my hubby to put him there. If this is going to cause him pain or require treatment, we can stick him in the freezer now.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Thanks for the frostbitten roo replies.

What happens if his waddle doesn't go back to being healthy?
Will I need to do something about it...cause this guy is a mean roo that is going to the freezer as soon as I can convince my hubby to put him there. If this is going to cause him pain or require treatment, we can stick him in the freezer now.

You shouldn't have to do anything unless it becomes clearly infected or worse, if he becomes lethargic. Since he's going to freezer camp, I wouldn't worry about it.
If he becomes lethargic, get him into a warm place. If it becomes infected, he may need antibiotics but I've never had to administer any for frostbite - yet.