how many eggs will a pea hen lay?

bert23 · **Posted:** Mon Nov 09, 2009 10:21 pm

hi how may eggs will a pea hen lay?
last year mine layed 4 eggs
but this year one of my hens had 8 eggs and hatched out 6 chicks
did not see any of the other hens go near her but was not watcher her closely
so are the 8 eggs her or are some from other hen?
thanks
craig

oozcorpse · **Joined:** Sun Nov 04, 2007 8:15 am **Posts:** 2715

COME ON FOLKS !!!!!!!!!!!!

I want to know the answer to this one too !!!!!!!!!!!!!

bluepeafowl · **Posted:** Tue Nov 10, 2009 10:22 am

Up to 10 but normally 8 eggs. 99% of the time they will hatch only 25% as the first have degraded. You are right on the statistical average, good job

bert23 · **Posted:** Tue Nov 10, 2009 9:16 pm

thanks
last year the 3 hens i had layed 4 eggs and hatched the 4 out
so with this hen having 8 eggs was think that one of the other hens had drop some off in the nest
as i have never had a hen have more than 5 eggs in the past

so thanks for the info
craig

oozcorpse · **Joined:** Sun Nov 04, 2007 8:15 am **Posts:** 2715

thanks bluepeafowl

Pam Jackass · **Joined:** Sat Jun 18, 2005 7:21 pm **Posts:** 284

Hiya Craig, the only way to tell is to see if an egg appears each day in which case it is two hens or if 2 eggs appear in one day. I reckon pretty well from all I have seen they only lay max 5 usually 4 and any more is another hen sharing the nest particularly a younger hen. Lost a white chick last night, thought it was a bit sickly during the day and of course it was cold here, got down to 5deg. Cheers, P

bluepeafowl · **Posted:** Thu Nov 19, 2009 5:15 am

If you’re only getting a max of 5 usually 4 then check the fowls dietary intake Pam it must be lacking as that is a low number. Quote- "If the eggs are collected from the nest for artificial incubation, a peahen may lay as many as thirty eggs" from the UPA link below. Officially it's 7-10 for a blue hen 8's the average.

Have a read http://www.peafowl.org/ARTICLES/14/

Pam Jackass · **Joined:** Sat Jun 18, 2005 7:21 pm **Posts:** 284

Thanks for your answer. But I don't collect the eggs nor do I incubate. My hens are all free range and I let them lay where they want to. I only collect abandoned eggs and put them under chooks. Sometimes they lay some and they are stolen by crows if I don't find them first, but I find if left to their own devices they basically sit at 5, 4 for young hens, which if you think about is 10 days worth of eggs and after that, in our heat you would question the viability. I feed them maize, game fowl breeders mix, sunflower seed and dry catfood three times daily plus they have total access to green food in our massive vegie garden and I add calcium in the breeding season. I am very happy with my production as I let the hens do it all naturally and to my mind 5 chicks is about all they can successfully cope with anyway. My point to Craig is that if two appear over two consecutive days or two in one day then two hens are laying in that nest. Incubation in Victoria is notoriously unsuccessful eg today we have a top of 36deg C ( supposed to get to 41degC )and yet 2 nights ago we had an overnight of 5.9deg. I agree that one could collect heaps more but in Vic it doesn't pay to be greedy!!! Even with a Wyandotte Mum she is pushing to keep them warm as they grow, especially if we have a cold snap eg a 2deg in Dec and another in Jan! Pam

Pam Jackass · **Joined:** Sat Jun 18, 2005 7:21 pm **Posts:** 284

Forgot to add mine are all whites and pieds. P

bluepeafowl · **Posted:** Thu Nov 19, 2009 6:57 pm

Even if you don't collect them a hen should lay 8-10 eggs that’s normal for all blues including white & pied blue mutations.

Your right if he gets 2 eggs in 24 hours then 2 hens are on the lay.

You do have some wild variations in temp makes it hard for incubation, all the best.

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