You might recall I had a peahen sitting on the nest for something like six weeks, twice as long as it takes to hatch eggs, but she finally hatched two chicks last week. Sadly, the smaller one, did not make it.
I don’t know what happened, but it just disappeared. The other one is doing quite well.
It’s still a long ways before I’ll say it’s going to make it to adulthood. There’s the naughty stage where the chick leaves the pen and free ranges with its mom pacing along the pen and popping at the baby to get back in. The sassy little chicks just ignore their mom.
Out there, they risk being stepped on by a goat, grabbed by a goose or hunted by a Bob cat. Bob and I have had the conversation that peacock is NOT on the approved menu. It seems drowning is the biggest danger for the little chicks, and I actually had one that got smashed when a sudden windstorm blew the door shut. Seriously. I’m hopeful this one will make it.
Remember, there were three eggs left in the nest that the mom abandoned. Remember I didn’t want to throw them because I didn’t know how long they had been incubating, but they were cool. Remember I didn’t figure anything would come of it, but I put them under a broody chicken.
Well, after about two days, she seemed to think they were too big for her to have to sit on and turn, so she moved to another nest box. I didn’t get around to cleaning them out, and yesterday, when I was gathering eggs, she was back in that box. I moved her to see if she had any chicken eggs under her, and I was surprised to see she had a baby under her. It worked! She hatched a peachick!
Now what am I supposed to do with the two eggs under her because I don ‘t know their age. At some point, she’s going to have to get off the nest and take care of the little chick.
Oh my, I don’t know how this is all going to turn out!
I do have to share this peachick update with Bird d’Pot.
Teresa
Eden Hills 