Breeding Season.

Janb · **Posted:** Fri Jul 28, 2006 11:25 am

I have a single layer of shade cloth over the wire Snowball, but they can still see each other. I was hoping to have a hen for Lord Snowdon before now, but there has been a delay getting her. I may have to double the shade cloth if she doesn't arrive soon.
I do have an unrelated Indian Blue juvenile hen (6 months) which, of course, is too young to mate, is there a major problem putting her in with Snow? She is the chick of Sir Percival and Piper. I don't want to risk her being hurt or traumatised and she was going to be moved in with Snow when she is 12 mths. Would you advise leaving the move until then, or will her youth mean that she is not attractive to Snow at this time and therefore protect her?
cheers
Janb

snowbald · **Posted:** Fri Jul 28, 2006 12:48 pm

Hi Janb,
The only time I let a juvenile hen run with a mature male is if they are running free and not caged up, I find the males get too amourous :shock:

and the young hen can not get away from him in a gage, but thats only me see what some of the others think!!!!.
Regards,
Snowball :-D

tlloy20 · **Posted:** Mon Jul 31, 2006 11:07 pm

Hi everyone

I'm quite new to peacocks, only having acquired 2 pied pairs, a normal pair and 2 young cocks earlier in the year. I have recently moved 2 of the pairs into larger pens, in which they seem very happy. Last week it was quite exciting to find that they had started laying. One hen laid on Monday and Wednesday, while the other laid on Wednesday and Thursday. However since then there has been no further action or interest in the eggs.

My question is to ask advice on what is the most desirable course of action with these eggs. Should I leave them in the pens without interference and hope that the hens will resume laying and incubate themselves, or should I grab them now and put them into the incubator? Are the first eggs of the season likely to be viable? Is it the usual process to only lay a couple of eggs to start with and then get serious with a clutch later on? If I do raid the nest I have heard that they will not lay again. Is this true or an old wive's tale?

The assistance of you knowledgeable (or at least experienced!) readers would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks - Tom

Janb · **Posted:** Thu Aug 10, 2006 8:06 pm

Hi Tom, I am not sure what the more experienced breeders may know but I am surprised that your hen has laid eggs so early in the season. Hens do lay 2 days apart but it seems that your hen has had a false start if it is quite a few days since her last laying. I am not knowledgable re incubating eggs in an incubator as I don't have one, I would leave the eggs as they are, but if you have an alternative maybe it is worth trying it. What do other members think?
Janb

R_M · **Posted:** Tue Aug 22, 2006 10:15 pm

Tom, if the eggs are left any longer than 5 to 7 days the chance of them hatching are greatly reduced...(assuming they are fertile)
You can remove them and place them in an incubator but my guess is that they will be duds.
What they will be good for is to place in the nests later in the season to encourage hens to sit after laying..........
(well thats my experience anyway)
I would be listening to people like Mr Peabody and Snowball on here as well as PA as they are vastly more experienced than me. :oops:

Mrpeewee · **Posted:** Wed Aug 30, 2006 5:35 pm

I am not that experienced, but I do alot of reading and talking to other breeders, its the only way to get knowledge!!!
I suggest removing older eggs as they can cause problems later on when the may crack easily and spoil fresh eggs. As stated by Buggsy, eggs l;ose fertility fast after about 7 days old and should be incubated before then for the best results. If you do decide to remove the eggs for artificial incubation remember to start incubation before 7 days old and to turn the eggs at least once a day while you are storing them, and 5 times a day at least while incubating. When incubating eggs should never spend 2 nights in a row facing the same way as the embryo may stick onto one side of the egg and then the chick will have great difficulty hatching later on.
Good luck with it all.
Matt

Peacocks Australia · **Joined:** Wed Jan 02, 2002 9:14 am **Posts:** 310755

Hello everyone, how's your season started? its been an early start this year, we have a number of Peachicks recently hatched including Java, Java Pied, Indo Chinese, Blue Pied, Whites. We also have 2 incubators running at the moment with a number of eggs from, Java, Indo, White & Pied, also Pheasants, Guinea Fowl, Pekins.

A very busy time!

Thanks
Peacocks Australia :lol:

Janb · **Posted:** Tue Sep 26, 2006 9:48 pm

You are doing well PA. We have lots of display and rattling by Sir Percy but Lady Piper has a continual headache and is not the least interested. She laid her eggs in early January 2006 so maybe she is waiting until January 2007!!
Unfortunately no mate yet for Lord Snowdon but he is displaying in unison with Percy.
Janb

Mrpeewee · **Posted:** Sat Sep 30, 2006 10:02 am

Hi PA,
Nothing here yet unfortunately! I have pheasants laying like mad though and a full incubator with too many eggs to set, I really need to buy another one, every chick is sold before it hatches so far! Good luck to everyone else with breeding, I will be very busy these next fewmonths and may find it harder to contribute on the forum more than once a week of so. Fingers crossed for peachicks soon!!

Janb · **Posted:** Thu Nov 23, 2006 9:09 am

Hello all,
We have had a few eggs laid by Miss Pied (6 in total) but she has not laid for the past 2 weeks and is not sitting at all. I don't think the eggs would have been fertile as she was not the least bit interested in Lord Snowdon's romantic approaches.
I have moved Miss Pied and Miss Plain in with Sir Percival (4 yr old male) and moved Piper, the mature hen, in with Lord Snowdon (3 yrs).
None of the females are showing interest in the boys at all. Is anyone else having the same lack of action? The boys have been displaying and rattling for months. All are penned for the season, whenever they decide the season is going to start happening that is!!!
Janb

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