Legg's Peafowl Farm
Peachicks are hatched from an incubator once a week. Once hatched the peachicks are identified with double wing bands and recorded in a logbook. The chicks are removed from the incubators 12 to 24 hours after hatched. If the peachicks are left in the incubator for to long they seem to dehydrate too much and don’t do well when removed. The chicks seem to be sluggish.
When chicks are removed from the incubator they are placed into single layer brooder batteries. The floor of the battery is ¼ inch wire so chicks’ legs are more stable and/or an elbow doesn’t go through larger ½ inch wire. We dip every chicks beak into the water lid and feed is available in small flat feeders. Birds are given a 20% protein starter crumble feed. Chicks actually don’t have to eat for 24 to 36 hours after hatching because the egg yolk is the last thing to be absorbed before the chick hatches and this is the chicks nutrients for this time period.
Raising Peachicks from Start
By Brad Legg
In the chick barn the peachicks have a dirt floor with wood shavings under the roof and sand in the outside runs. The covered area is 10’ x 12’ and the front run area is 10’ x 24’. Each bay holds approximately 50 chicks. As the chicks grow they are moved in to larger areas for more exercise. Space is the most valuable tool in raising healthy, vibrant chicks.
Chicks are kept in the single layer brooders for 1 week. After that the chicks are then moved into larger 5 deck brooders. The chicks remain in these brooders for 3 to 4 weeks to keep them clean and away from waste matter.
From the 5 deck brooder battery the chicks are moved to 10’ x 12’ sheds after 4 weeks of wire floors to a wooden floor with pine shavings on it. This is a graduation step from the wire. The chicks are left in these sheds for a couple of weeks then transferred to our chick barn.
This formula for starting chicks has worked very well for us over the years.
Hope this helps you with ideas for raising your chicks.
Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.
816 781 4498