What's going on here

[degan]

I finished my outside pen for my 1 male and 2 female blues, they are a little over two years old.

The pen is 12x26, 10 feet high. Every thing was great, the male was breeding and everone was getting along.

Now all of a sudden one of the females will not stop harassing the other one. She won't leave her alone! She chases her all over, won't let her up on the perch, this goes on till their both exhausted.

It seem to start when they started to lay eggs. Would this have something to do with it? They just lay their eggs on the ground. Should I build a little nesting spot for them?

They used to be one big happy family, what happen?

 

[xlboergoats]

I built mine a nesting spot, but they do not use it. They are still laying eggs wherever they are standing when the thought crosses their mind. We gather eggs everyday.

Ernie Haire
Arp, Texas

 

[natron96]

i found a nest area to not be helpfull i am in the same situation my hens are harassing each other and 1 is setting now i think they are fighting for the best spot to nest and peafowl will somtimes lay decoy eggs all over before they find the right spot to actually have a nest good luck

 

[MinxFox]

Yeah don't build a nest box. We built them a nice nest box that I am sure chickens would use but not peafowl. All they do is perch on top of it but they don't nest inside it. Instead they like to pick places in the shade like under plants for their nest. They like to make a depression in the dirt for their nest. Although you can get a dog box and put it in there for them with some sand and straw inside for beading.

Sometimes the peahens will get a bit bossy or mean. One of my peahens got that way all of a sudden last breeding season but my young male peacock set her straight by chasing her whenever he caught her harassing his favorite hen. This year everyone is getting along well and everyone has their own nesting spot.

A picture from today of Ice on one egg. She just started setting on it yesterday or today.

This is Damsel, she finished setting today under a bush. Sadly the peachick hatched today and then died. I think it hatched too soon.

This is my third peahen Pip inside the top dog box.

Here is what I did with the dog boxes. They have that perch there to help them jump into the top box. So far they haven't used the bottom box at all only the top one.

 

[degan]

Hey I really like the dog box idea!

My pen that I built does not have any landscaping in it so there is no bushes for them to go under. They lay their eggs on the ground but will they sit on them out in the rain?

For now I put a big barrel on its side and put some straw in it and put the eggs inside. I have'nt seen anyone go it yet but its only been 1 day.

They have been scrapping so much that there is feathers all over the pen!

 

[MinxFox]

Yes peahens will stay on their nest even in the rain. It rained a few times on one of my peahens while she was nesting but they stay there on the eggs.