Peahen laying

parvo · **Joined:** Sat Jan 02, 2010 7:39 pm **Posts:** 735

Hi Love Peafowl and thanks for your reply.

I do understand the advantages of artificial incubation all too well, and totally agree that it has increased the populations of many species and mutations, making them more affordable to everyone and has also saved many species from extinction in this country.

My question was aimed at the more "common" species eg blue peafowl.

At what cost does this artificial incubation come? Are we just interested in producing peafowl that look like peafowl but which lack the full range of peacock behaviours eg the instinct to raise their chicks?

This trait (parenting skills) is also subject to selection ie if we select for birds that are better at rearing their young, then eventually more peafowl would be more successful at raising their young. We can afford to start this process with the more common species, if we chose to do so.

I'm not saying that they will ever be as successful as artificial incubation, nor that commercial breeders or semi-professional hobbyists will ever resort to leaving peahens to raise their own chicks.

But surely watching a peahen incubate, hatch and successfully raise her own chicks would be a wonderful experience to have for anyone keeping these birds.

It just becomes a little disappointing that so many species these days are losing this instinct eg Californian Quail etc.

In the end, as you say, it's everyone's choice to do as they wish.

I'm just trying to raise awareness of the long term implications of what we're doing as breeders of birds and animals.

Now for the barrage of bullets coming my way...............

FlockPheasants · **Posted:** Wed Jan 26, 2011 8:07 pm

Don't think there will be any barrage of bullets coming your way

I do agree with love_peafowl taking the eggs away is the best option BUT with the common blues you could let them raise their own and I do sometimes and yes it is nice to see mum with the chicks. I also think you can take the eggs away and replace them with chicken eggs and let the hen hatch those if you want her to have chicks. I also do not let my pied or white raise the chicks because I want 100% to survive and I know they wouldn't if the hens raised them.

George

Livo1964 · **Joined:** Fri Dec 17, 2010 6:03 pm **Posts:** 60

Anyway, back to my original comments. The egg turned out to be infertile again and she hasn't laid anymore. So frustrating!

parvo · **Joined:** Sat Jan 02, 2010 7:39 pm **Posts:** 735

Sorry to hear about the infertility Livo1964; It is the uncertainty in our birds that leads to that famous saying amongst all birdkeepers..." Oh well, maybe next year"!!. It also keeps us coming back for another try next season. Good luck.

Thanks George, your comments are appreciated and I agree with you 100%.

Cheers

Parvo

Karen J · **Joined:** Sat Feb 05, 2011 4:08 pm **Posts:** 2

I have found this discussion very helpful as it was a dilemma I was facing this year with my first pair of peafowl and now I will collect the eggs and use the hens (chooks) to raise them. I was going to post a similar question but it’s a little intimidating with all the power broker breeders on the one forum I thought you may think it was a silly question but after spending time here reading everything I realized that all the people on here are incredibly knowledgeable and so helpful nowhere else can you find that, thank you.

parvo · **Joined:** Sat Jan 02, 2010 7:39 pm **Posts:** 735

Hi Karen,

There are no dumb questions- better to ask and learn than just wonder or hope somebody else asks the question for you

I don't think you should feel intimidated. There are some very knowledgeable people here, both local and overseas- but there are also many people new to poultry keeping so even the most basic questions need to be discussed and there is always someone willing to help.

Enjoy the forum and enjoy your birds.

Cheers

Parvo

PS: We were all beginners once- now we just realise how much more there is to know!

bluepeafowl · **Posted:** Mon Feb 07, 2011 7:43 am

Livo1964 wrote:

Anyway, back to my original comments. The egg turned out to be infertile again and she hasn't laid anymore. So frustrating!

This is part of the keeping process but yes frustrating. Have you witnessed the peacock mating at any time?

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