Re: Peahen leaves the nest: Update from Janet -- Peafowl Talk

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Subject: Re: Peahen leaves the nest: Update from Janet

Author:
Janet

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Date Posted: 11:20:54 06/23/08 Mon
In reply to: Janet 's message, "Peahen leaves the nest" on 09:58:46 06/23/08 Mon

>Neighborhood has a bunch of peafowl who have lived
>here for years-- and thrive. A penhen nested in my
>fenced back yard this spring and 2 peachicks hatched 3
>weeks ago. Plenty of bugs/worms in my backyard... I
>supplemented with wild bird seed & water. Mama has
>pretty well scoured the premises... wonder if there's
>enough food for her here.
>Then, this AM, I watched her take off, leaving her
>chicks for the 1st time -- up to the roof and onto the
>front lawn. She sat there for awhile, then took off.
>That was over 4 hours ago (keep in mind the peafowl
>roam our gated community freely). Would a mother
>leave her chicks for that long at 3 weeks of age?
>Needless to say, they are frantic. Any ideas?
>
>Janet

A couple of hours after I sent this message, I observed the 2 chicks peeping (that distress cry) at my fence gate that leads out to the neighborhood. I could see another peahen (with one chick in tow) on the other side, communicating with "my" chicks. She was making that soothing cooing sound peahens make (I recognized it from times their own mother made that same sound when she was perched on the wall, and they were calling to her-- seemed to be saying, "Don't worry, Dears, I'm still here.")So, I opened the gate. My two chicks joined the "new" peahen and her chick, following her like they did w/ their own mother. I watched for awhile... the peahen seemed to take the foundlings in stride, and off they went. Does anyone know about peahens 'adopting' [apparent] abandoned chicks?? I'll rue my decision to let them out if the Real Mother returns... but it's been over 6 hours and no sign of her..
Janet (again)

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[> Subject: Re: Peahen leaves the nest

Author:
D C T --friendly poultry orthopedist
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Date Posted: 19:33:34 06/23/08 Mon

This is certainly something outside my experience.
My very first mother peahen would sleep on perch between
her two daughters until they were ten months old. She drove
them away only as a new breeding season arrived.
Last year a had some large mean peachicks that were eating
feathers off the back of the peahen that was raising them.
I had to put her in a different pen. NO complaints from her
but the juveniles did make sad noise for a while. They
were old enough to not need peahen.
Actually it seems unusual for a mother to adopt any babies
that are not her own.....but strange things do happen