Penelope's Surprise

Penelope is the name that we have given to the peahen that adopted us.  She just showed up one day and has never left.  I was going to try to catch her and ask around the neighborhood to see if anyone's missing a bird, but I can't catch the old girl.  You oughtta see her fly!  She has a magnificent wingspan and can fly to the top of the tallest tree.

Usually when I throw the chickens rice to eat, Penelope swoops down from her treetop roost and dines with the hens.  They don't like her much, but she is twice their size, so they can't do much about it.  The other day when I didn't see Penelope, I thought she had moved back to her primary dwelling, wherever that may be. Russ told me, however, that she was on top of the goat barn.  You can see her looking regal below.  She's a very patriotic bird, just in time for the Fourth of July!  Maybe she things she's a Bald Eagle...

Patriotic Peahen

When she didn't come to eat with the hens and sat on top of the barn, I wondered what was going on and so I sneaked up to take a peak.  As skittish as she is, she let me get real close, for some reason and I was wondering if something was wrong.

Sitting in her spot atop the goat barn

She is a nice looking bird with a very fancy headdress.  One thing about her that is different from a hen is that she has long spurs on her legs just like a rooster.  I would think that she can protect herself with those things, but her first inclination is to fly.

Fancy hair-do

But then it hit me, I bet she's sitting on some eggs!  I read that it takes 28 days to hatch out baby peafowl. Do you know how many eggs a peacock lays in a year? None.  Peacocks are male and don't lay eggs. (Trick question)  I learned that a peahen will lay up to six eggs a year and only once during the mating season.  What a difference from chickens.  Hens lay upwards of 200 per year, but peahens only six. Those eggs are some expensive eggs!!

Penelope's nest egg?

Well, Penelope finally got up and revealed that she was indeed setting on four eggs! The information on peafowl said that peahens lay their eggs on the ground right out in the open and thus, the eggs are prone to be destroyed by predators.  At least she's on the top of the barn, but the nest is out in the weather.  Oh well.

Four peafowl eggs

What a surprise!  The only downside is this: I haven't seen a peacock in the area.  If there is no male these eggs will be infertile and won't hatch out any baby peafowl. What a waste.  Perhaps Penelope travels and has a mate somewhere that we just haven't seen, but I kind of doubt it.  We'll watch her and the nest for the next four weeks.  I read where peahens will sit on infertile or rotten eggs long after the 28 days have passed, so it is best to remove them if they don't hatch in 28 days.  We'll just have to wait and see.  Patience is, after all a virtue and we will report back on Penelope's progress.