Does Mother know what is best?

Pea-Goddess · **Posted:** Fri Feb 05, 2010 1:55 am

Hi Im very new to this site & forum & also to owning and caring for Peafowl..(or they own me) :-D

Here is the situation.....

I have a large roofed hut 4 x 4x 4 height meters attached to this hut is is open run of 4 x 12 meters with a height of 4 meters covered by aviary mesh wire with perches for the peafowl to fly around & live in.
The hut is dirt floor and the run is full of grass partially long etc with branches to connect to large beam for them to roost at night.

I have 2 blue males with 3 peahens. A total of 5 living together.

1 male 3 years old (ALPHA MALE)
1 male 1 year old

1 female 3 years old (Dominant female) Laying eggs
2 females approx. 2 years old (I think she lays eggs.)

3 year old was laying eggs she had a set of 2, then 3,then 4 underneath her then next day 5 then ..she sat then she sat some more, only coming off her eggs for food and water...she sat on them for 2 weeks then they all disappeared into then air....

Where did they go? Did she eat them?
Previously to this I ended up collecting 12 eggs in total as they neglected to sit on them or eat them.
I have read other topics on this believing its not enough calcium etc protein eating the shell grit but I feel I give them enough of those things daily!

Example of Menu at the Peafowl Palace;
Water is available to them 24/7 ( this is be a given for all animals)
Fresh bok choy, pak choy silver-beat cucumber (cut up) 60% of diet is greens
Sunflower seeds (1 takeaway rectangle plastic container full)
Mixed Grain (2 takeaway rectangle plastic container full)
Layer Mash (2 takeaway rectangle plastic container full)
Corn & dry cat food( 1 takeaway rectangle plastic container full)
Wet/dry mix of egg and biscuit mix (you know the stuff chicks are supposed to eat)
Shell Grit (1 takeaway rectangle plastic container full) Every second day

Some days certain things are left over...so I will hold back on these things next day. Greens inclusive of this.

Am I missing something? Not feeding them enough? Or does Mother really know what is best, and her eggs are simply not fertile so she destroys them herself? Remember nothing can get in or under this set up... Not even snakes...
Any help I would appreciate.
Chicks this season = 0 (not for lack of trying either)

Pea-Goddess · **Posted:** Fri Feb 05, 2010 1:52 pm

Today I got my answer, aviary wire is good, it does keep the bigger animals out but today..for the fist time in a year, I saw a small carpet snake flattening itself between the wire inching its way out...I had thought I had made this whole thing snake proof! I think that is what is eating the eggs (well the insides anyway then the peafowl might be cleaning up the shell? I am in total amazement of this animal, it get in anywhere!

Do peafowl eat or kill snakes, I thought they did in India, they invite them into the villages as it keeps the snakes away or is this and urban myth?

Has anyone had experience with this at all?

I just wanted to add it was a very SMALL carpet snake which was stuck in the aviary wire, & we cut the wire and released it! I know it sounds silly but I don't think he will be returning anytime soon! I will have my eyes peeled?

Still we are unsure if it has eaten the eggs... can snakes crack the eggs? HAS ANYONE HAD THIS PROBLEM??

bunyanuternie · **Joined:** Wed Jul 11, 2007 10:31 pm **Posts:** 2903

I was going to suggest carpet , until I read further on and saw you'd found the culprit , I have witnessed puncture marks from a snake that was to small to swallow the eggs so he tried to bite in , on several occasions all in the same pen , eventually I found the culprit , This season , I've lost count of how many carpets I relocated from the peapens ( probably the same few over and over again) , I don't think I lost many eggs , I think they were keeping the mice down , I live in the forest so I am more at risk from carpet snakes . I am still getting plenty of chicks .

bunyanuternie · **Joined:** Wed Jul 11, 2007 10:31 pm **Posts:** 2903

almost forgot , Pea's and guineas 'definately' go crazy when a snakes about , the trouble with carpets is they come in at night while they are snoring and are quiet enough to not wake the pea's.

AllWhiteHens · **Joined:** Wed Feb 10, 2010 3:05 pm **Posts:** 1

Reading this brings back bad memories of the day I found a large carpet snake in the chicken coop the worst part he was coiled up between the wire and the tin roof on the shelter so for the better part of 5 mins he was right above my head and I had no idea. I almost had a heart attack when I caught a glimpse of him out the corner off my eye and jumped about 10 feet and took off to get big bad hubby. We relocated him he was about 5 feet long but the good thing is he didn't touch the chickens not even the little chicks we had at the time. Just lucky I guess

Chukar · **Posted:** Sat Feb 13, 2010 8:46 am

I think peafowl killing or even eating a snake is a myth. Snakes will eat eggs hole in a heartbeat, so will big goannas

Pheasant Lover · **Joined:** Fri Feb 12, 2010 11:21 pm **Posts:** 14

Your right chukar I have had a few snakes in with both my peafowl and pheasants and they avoid them not attack them

Chukar · **Posted:** Fri Feb 19, 2010 10:32 am

Its quite funny to watch them stick their necks right out to invetstigate the snake but the second it moves they jump a mile :lol:

Pheasant Lover · **Joined:** Fri Feb 12, 2010 11:21 pm **Posts:** 14

It can be a stand off for hours :lol:

Lars · **Joined:** Thu Feb 25, 2010 5:38 am **Posts:** 1

Couldn't a carpet python eat a peafowl or I should ask would one eat a peafowl. I live close to a state park and we get carpets all the dam time I worry when I get my peafowl they will eat them

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