Will a peahen foster another hens chicks ?

[gourdlady]

I moved both hens with their nests to safe pens. ( I free range) Girl's eggs hatched 2 days after the move as anticipated. Peaches however had just started to set and had 3 weeks to go. After the move she abandoned the eggs. I tried giving her a few of Girl's babies but after a few minutes she pecked one and I panicked. Is it at all likely she might still foster if I try again. I have since given her back her freedom. I know she will nest again soon but I don't want more chicks and I know she will be distraught without having young to raise.

 

[jvls1942]

first of all, she will not be near as distraught as you seem to be.
they get over losing their nest, eggs and young in about a day.
that is how animals have it over humans..
I doubt she will take foster kids.
maybe try a chicken or other bird.
I had a turkey raise guinea keets for me. she did a fantastic job.. chickens raised all sorts of different birds.
funny to watch a chicken when her baby ducks go into a pond to swim..

....jiminwisc...

 

[Midnightman14]

Peahens don't foster brood well, unlike chickens they are not truly domesticated. They're closely related to pheasants so when new chicks start appearing they tend to just kill them.

 

[gourdlady]

Peahens don't foster brood well, unlike chickens they are not truly domesticated. They're closely related to pheasants so when new chicks start appearing they tend to just kill them.

Bummer. I was really just hoping to have the one batch of chicks. Now Peaches will be at risk when she nests again, it will be a late hatch and I will have peachicks of different ages running around. History repeats itself.

 

[KsKingBee]

Some will and some won't. I have had hens that steal not only eggs from another setting hen but steal babies too.

 

[Midnightman14]

The chicks have a period after hatching in which they bond with their mother. They know her by the distinct sound of her "voice" and she knows them the same way. Chicks that she hasn't bonded with are just strangers to her and her to them. Many times the fosters don't do as well as they could because they don't "get" their foster mom's social cues that her own chicks understand perfectly.

 

[nchls school]

A very old thread, but maybe....

My peahens have started laying. Since my peacock died last winter, these eggs are infertile. My question-Will the peahens brood and, if so, would they hatch and raise large breed chicken chicks?

 

[jvls1942]

first, it depends on the individual bird.
I had a turkey hatch guinea eggs and she was a better mother than any guinea hen I ever saw.
I like to have chickens hatch guinea eggs because the chicks/keets grow up more tame.
Gander geese will adopt any duckling that peeps. but watch out for goslings. They do not accept younger goslings. they will go out of their way to kill them.
I would give your pea hen one of her own eggs and add the rest in with it. she should reject any egg that is not going to hatch as time goes by. in this case,,hers.
all you can do is try it.

 

[nchls school]

first, it depends on the individual bird.
I had a turkey hatch guinea eggs and she was a better mother than any guinea hen I ever saw.
I like to have chickens hatch guinea eggs because the chicks/keets grow up more tame.
Gander geese will adopt any duckling that peeps. but watch out for goslings. They do not accept younger goslings. they will go out of their way to kill them.
I would give your pea hen one of her own eggs and add the rest in with it. she should reject any egg that is not going to hatch as time goes by. in this case,,hers.
all you can do is try it.

Thanks for the response and I'll give it a try. Perhaps they are like my turkeys that will foster ANYTHING that peeps when they are broody.

 

[KsKingBee]

A very old thread, but maybe....

My peahens have started laying. Since my peacock died last winter, these eggs are infertile. My question-Will the peahens brood and, if so, would they hatch and raise large breed chicken chicks?

Yes, BUT she will try to take them up to roost at a very early age. It will depend on the hen if she will stay on the ground with them. You will need to take the high perches down or offer very low ones that the chicks can get up to or a series of steps to get up to the roost. Two years ago we had a peahen that was given a chicken egg to hatch at the time her two chicks were hatching. We had to help the chicken chick up to the top of the pens where momma wanted to roost. We eventually taught the chick to climb up a ladder then later it would roost with the chickens and hang out with mom and the peachicks during the day.