Peafowl

My first peafowl were given to me by a good friend. I had no idea what a great time I was about to have. She gave me a trio of two Black Shoulders and one White.

Notice, on the left, the green neck feathers of the three month old black shoulder peafowl. This appears to be a cock while the one on the right side appears to be a hen.

This is a first for me raising peafowl. These are about 4 months old. I have a cock and a hen in the black shoulders. The white peafowl is another hen.





			The pictures on the last two rows are the latest of my Regal Royals. They are in their Palace and now about 6 months of age.

Spring 2004, at two years of age the hens started to lay but nothing appeared to be fertile. I continued to incubate and candle until I found two that looked good. I found one pipped and was surprised to see it out and healthy the next morning. I waited for the other egg to pip but nothing after 24 hours so I slowly peeled back some shell and found it had already died.

This peachick is Indian Blue. Due to the brown color, and some white feathers on the wings, it is from BS cock and the White hen. Charles and Camilla are parents!


	hours old
	Peacock?	William Peacock
		He has an orthopedic problem and limps but gets around just fine. He is allowed to free range.

Only one of the three eggs I put in the hatcher tray lived to pip day. It pipped and stopped so I helped it out. All was fine with it.



Moments after hatching	1st pea chick of 2005	Nine days old

	Now 1 month

Both of these eggs pipped and STOPPED! I helped by slowly peeling shell and membrane until they were free. The second one I delivered, lay on it's side for two days. The third morning it was on it's feet as if nothing had happen.



Helping them breathe...and out		Pea babes at 4 days

The top two pictures are the same peachick. Although it looks pretty bad it was not bleeding. The lower two pictures are the second chick and it did good until the very last and there was a lot of bleeding. As you can see, they are both looking good now. I hope they continue to thrive.

Hatching peachicks in the incubator has been disastrous. I have now started trying broody chicken hens. This is my first hen, first two eggs.


This is a splash showgirl hen who was broody several weeks before I set the pea eggs with her.	I put 4 eggs under two hens and all eggs hatched healthy chicks.


The lighter one is silver pied.	Here again with one the yearling Black Shoulder cocks.

Edward

Purple Peacock

Edward & Sophie

Purple Pea Hen

There were well over 50 eggs layed this season and only the first four were fertile but only three hatched. Camilla was the hen and after she died that was it. All three of these chicks turned out to be hens.