Pied Pals

This is a Pied peafowl. It is sort of a hybrid of a blue peacock and a white one, and considered a new species. You can see the bird is primarily a traditional blue peacock, but it has slashes of white in the tail and on the body. Sometimes, these birds have glorious white breasts, or they have big streaks of white along the tail giving them an even more mottled look. This particular peacock recently had eggs, which were thrust onto e-bay for a quick one day sale.

Of course, I bought them.

My two pied peafowl eggs should arrive tomorrow, where I will carefully nestle them into my incubator and begin the 31 day watch once again, becoming a slave to turning them four times a day and checking the temperature and humidity. I figure it’s now or never – or at least, it’s now or I have to wait until next spring due to seasonal complications. Early needs a spouse (and a spare) and I can’t expect him to wait a full year for some warm feathered friend to nuzzle with this winter, can I? This time, I will set up the incubator in my office so I can spend more quality time with the eggs. I’ve just started re-writing the first novel I ever wrote . They say the first book is like a pancake, good for seasoning the pan, but really it is best to just toss it in the trash and chalk it up to a learning experience. The problem is, I still like the story and want to give it some attention- perhaps a few peacock embryos in the room will be good luck  – for us both.

While I was at it, I made another bid for four additional “surprise breed” eggs for a different seller. This person keeps blue, white, purple and pied peacocks in one big cage so he can’t determine which eggs come from which birds. It will be a surprise! I like the idea of that- a potential hatch and the anticipation of waiting for the birds to feather to determine just what breed they are. My bidding will go on for a few days, but I am only going at it half heartedly.  When I told Mark that two new eggs would arrive tomorrow, he rolled his eyes and said, “Why don’t you just buy a chick so you know you have something for your investment.”

He doesn’t get it. I’m not buying peacocks. I’m buying the experience of hatching peacock eggs, trying my hand at raising a new pet from seed, and forming a special relationship with the bird due to it. Perhaps this is just a romantic’s view, but that’s how I see it.  Anyway, we are building a big ole’ peacock pen, and it seems a waste to do all that for one young bird (and his chicken buddy).

Early is doing fine, by the way. I moved him out by the chickens to a bigger, makeshift pen. There is a small support beam in the corner, and he perches there as high as he can. Peacocks like to perch far up off the ground, which makes sense considering the length of their tails when fully grown. It will take Early three years to mature completely (it will be a while until I can confirm that he is indeed male). But he still looks wonderful to me, snow white and strutting with pride despite his puny size. (I don’t have the camera today, or I’d post a pix). 

Anyway, I’m diving back into the peacock hatching game, hoping for better luck this time. When at first you don’t suceed……. drive your family crazy until you do.