A Strange But Blessed Event

How exceptional,this glorious tale of survival.........thanks for sharing, Kathleen. Something tells me that this orphan will be your best friend ever.wishing it well..............let us know the continuing saga. And maybe a picture?

How wonderful.... I hope that the little baby makes it. I wonder if the baby bird food that you get at Petsmart would work. It's called Exact by Kaytee.

How about a picture? I dont know what a peachick looks like. Nice story.

That's a hard thing to do. I raised a couple of blue jays years ago that had fallen out of their nest. They were older, though, they just didn't have their flight feathers yet. I let them go in a week after feeding them canned dog food with a baby spoon. We had to teach them to fly by letting them perch on our finger and fly from one person to the other.

Good luck with your little friend!

I can't wait to see her. I love life's little miracles. No matter the out come - it was so good that you found her and provide her with comfort.
Enjoy your baby. mealworms ?

Phyllis, I have unmedicated game starter on hand but I always use boiled egg yolk for the first few days. Has lots of protein and fat and they love it. This one doesn't need food quite yet because it's belly is still full with the yolk in its own egg. I'll gradually mix the starter mash in with boiled yolks but will keep feeding boiled yolks for weeks. I've saved lots of tiny animals that way.

Some things are just meant to be ... and some people are just meant to be in the right place at that time. What a great story you have shared -- anxious to see what the little one looks like!!!

Kathleen, if you're positive the white male peacock can't be the father, could there be another peacock in the woods somewhere? Some bird nearby has to be the daddy!

And might the mother peahen take an interest in the baby now that you're back to run interference with the chickens?

Good luck - and, yes, pictures please...when you have a moment! :))

Wonderful story thanks for sharing.

Awwww..... Thank you for this piece of good news! Keep us posted. :)

.......waiting for cute baby bird pictures!

Oh what a great story!

I'll get a photo soon. Won't be artsy but at least you'll be able to see the baby.

I've raised very young peachicks before and they are fragile until they're big so I'm not taking a chance on trying to return it to the nest. There was a reason why the baby was not with its mom and I'm not sure if she is the one who hurt it or if she just isn't a good mom. This is her first nest so she may just be clueless. There's one more egg under her and I'll be watching closely to see if it hatches. The other issue is that ground squirrels tunnel in and they steal eggs and chicks. My baby is NOT going to be squirrel food.

Susan, I don't have peacocks running loose anymore so neighborhood boys can't pay a visit. There's a highway nearby on a steep hill and the cocks used to fly to the middle of the road and display for all the vehicles flying down the hill. Could have caused an accident so I had to round them up.

It's possible that there is white peacock ancestry somewhere back in their lineage but I've never even seen a white feather on any of these, let alone a "splash". I hope this is a girl because she will be unrelated to my white male.

I bought him at a show in Fresno when he was nearly grown. I was traveling in a tiny car and had it crammed full of cages with pairs and trios of show birds. When I saw him I couldn't resist so I wrapped yarn loosely around his midsection to keep him from flapping his wings and set him next to me on the seat. He was very calm and sweet so I thought it would be OK. Well, he was calm until I got on the freeway then he got loose and went beserko, and with semis flying by and no way to pull over it was really stressful. Then it started to rain like crazy and get dark. It's a 6 hour drive on a good day but with me pulling over every few miles to secure the bird, and driving with one hand on the wheel and the other holding onto him, it took me 8 hours to get home. Once I got him settled here he went back to being a calm, sweet boy.

That is helpful to know about the boiled yolks ( & a bit ironic. lol ) I will be able to use that for future reference when I pick up any stragglers.
Fully cooked , or a little bit moist ? will pass that tidbit along : )

Janine, I hard boil the eggs but crumble them very fine and give it to the animals while it's still warm. When they're bigger and eating other things, I give them the boiled white part as well as the yolk. Every animal I've ever raised goes crazy for boiled eggs. Not smart to give them to older mammals who sleep in your room though, LOL.

A newly hatched and still damp dove was dumped on my desk one afternoon by the boss. I took it home and got on the net to see how they feed. They stick their head down Mom's throat and drink her "milk". So I rigged something like a pastry bag and filled it with boiled egg yolk mixed with warm milk. It was a nasty, sloppy mess but that bird would dive into it up to its shoulders and slurp the stuff down. He'd come up for air all covered with goo but he grew fast and was very healthy. When he was older I mixed powdered baby dove food in with the egg and milk.

When a feral cat left her 8 2-week-old kittens behind the shed I fed them round the clock with a big syringe filled with a glop of full fat yogurt, egg yolks, mayonnaise, sweetened condensed milk and (cooked) unflavored gelatin. It was tough at first because they weren't used to eating that way but pretty soon they'd suck it out in seconds and start screaming for more. Now they are big old couch potatoes so maybe I overdid it just a bit.

Well Kathleen, that was the best, I felt as if I was reading a National Geographic article.....it may well be an albino. Take photos lots of photos and post the progress....I want to see. great nature story, thanks for posting..... I just read your post to Janine,,,,,my dad back in the 50's raised canary's. I have his diary., and he was trying to breed a solid black canary.....I remember he used to feed the need chciks with the yoke of the hard boiled, and but extra ingredients, i think he even used wheat germ. My dad passed years ago and not long ago I came across his dairy, it was pretty exciting to read how he managed all the chicks, etc. As a kid he build a huge 4 story purple matin mansion, he would actually tag the young ones to keep track of them on their migration and I remember he told me a few would in fact return, he loved birds. Great story thanks for posting......

Very cool story, Kathleen...I'm rooting for your baby! It's so easy to get attached, isn't it? Good luck with him/her!

Michael, I love your story about your dad! Isn't it wonderful to stay connected to your people through their stories? My great grandfather kept journals for years and wrote in them every day. I never knew him but I can sit on the porch on his homestead and read the entries and look around at all he created there and feel as though he's sitting right beside me. I wish more people would take the time to write their stories so they can be passed down. They are such treasures.

I checked the little bird's eyes and it's not an albino. Gotta be some sort of throwback. He/she is a perky little thing. I had it in a warm spot next to the laptop while I was working and it kept crawling up on me to sleep. They like to be near another heartbeat.

I'll try to get some pictures of him tomorrow.

What an incredible story, Kathleen -- ready for a Masterpiece Theatre episode, at least!

I'm constantly amazed by the diversity of lifestyles represented by people I meet online. The Internet has truly made the world a very 'small' and wonderful experience!

Mama Kathleen....so what is "his" name? :))

I know someone who got a young kitten she named after a female character in her favorite book. The kitten's supposedly obvious gender signs said "female" then, but about a month later she noticed "proof" it was a male! At that point, however, the boy kitty would respond only to its female name. True story!

Aww this just the best! How adorable!!

Wendy, my life/lifestyle has never been mainstream. I used to strive to be "almost normal", LOL, but soon realized that it wasn't worth the effort, nor would I be content if I changed my ways to fit in. I've been lucky to get by all these years but there are always trade-offs with any life choice.

Susan, I've been calling Baby "Chipper". It's not gender-specific and when I talk to it in bird, it will understand. I'd named the latest little feral who showed up "Mini" because she was tiny, with little ocelot-spots. She's really wild so it was a few weeks before I noticed knobs growing under her tail. I've changed his name to Maxie. He won't come near me anyway so he doesn't care what I call him.

Chipper is starting to peck at the egg and drinks water like a pro. I checked a few times during the night to make sure it was warm enough in the box and Chipper was either sleeping or walking around making happy chips. I'll put it back beside me when I settle down to work. They are social animals and like company, human or otherwise. My little Lhasa is intrigued with the baby so I'm hoping they'll be friends. The dove I raised used to sleep with my old cat. It was a hoot to see them crashed out together on the bed.

Kathleen,

I haven't gotten any further than your OP before making this comment. I was enthralled with your story and when I read that it's about a peachick my heart just got all warm and fuzzy straight 'till the end. What a fabulous story! I'm a bird fanatic and didn't know you have all those birds! Ok, now off to read the rest of the thread. :) Oh, and before I forget to say . . . you are surely someone special. :)

--Donna Proctor

Quick update - The peachick was badly pecked when I found it. I didn't want to gross folks out with the details but now I will. Both sides of its tiny head were trashed. One eye still worked but the other appeared to be missing. It was hard to tell for sure because that side of its face was really bad. I didn't want to mess with it and cause the baby more pain and stress until it was stable. Well, it's been pigging out like a little hoggie bird and running around flapping its wings (sprouted tiny tail feathers today!) so I figured if it was feeling that good I'd take a chance on cleaning the bad side. I soaked cotton balls in warm salt water and got the goo off. After about 10 minutes of dabbing the warm water against its eyelid, it popped open and there was a perfectly beautiful, intact little eyeball looking up at me. Now I won't have to name it One Eyed Jack.

wow, poor little tike...or tikie. Glad you waited to tell us about that!

Kathleen, please don't close this thread. It's heartwarming and educational, to say the least! Where did you learn how to treat little critters so well?

Kathleen - this is such a heartwarming story.
Thank you so much from bringing us back to the things that really are important in life.

To this little guy - you are everything in the world.

Poor little thing. I'm so glad to hear he's improving.

Nature can be cruel sometimes. I visited a bird sanctuary yesterday and a youngish duckling swam up to me and started peeping. Moments later two female mallards rushed over and started trying to attack the young one. It swam off and had to dive underwater to avoid them but the two mallards were relentless and kept pursuing it. I had some bird seed so eventually managed to distract the older ducks with it but it left me wondering what that was all about.

Wow, thank you so much for this story. If I ever get the chance to save a creature, now I know what to feed them!

Well that's a tough start... but as good fortune would have it, he/she found a good mom... . =>))

Wonderful story Kathleen and what a woman! Not only that so informative on the egg yolks! I admire your determination and love for all creatures great and small. Please keep us up on "Chipper".

@Michael, did your Dad finally breed a black canary?

@Susan - I was one of those "back to the land" women in the early 70's. We bred dairy goats for milk and cheese and raised all kinds of ducks/geese/chickens/turkeys/guinea fowl/peafowl. I never showed my animals (or ate them!) but I went to shows to buy and learned tips from the breeders. There were still a lot of old-timers around who became mentors and taught me folk remedies. I gained a reputation as the bird lady (I think there were more than a few who referred to me as the "crazy bird lady") so I'd get random birds dumped on my doorstep that needed fixing. I did my best and learned along the way. One of my best friends here is a rancher/farmer in her 80's who runs the ranch alone and has decades of experience with all kinds of critters. Whenever I can't solve something animal-related I call her and we figure it out together.

@Peggy - Nature certainly seems cruel. I have a hard time watching a lot of things that happen though I find all of it fascinating. I do intercede sometimes because I can't stand bullies.

This morning Chipper flew up and if there hadn't been a screen covering the top he would have flown out. It's amazing how fast they develop. His/her head is completely healed as if it had never been hurt. I'll try to get some photos today if it will hold still long enough. I'm already wondering where I'll find enough space for him to roam until he's big enough to join the others.

Kathleen your animal expertise and ease with them is amazing. I'm like Mike it's like reading National Geographic. How old is the bird to have developed wings and now flying?

Suzanne, it's not "flying" flying, if that makes any sense. It does a clumsy runway run and leaps into the air while flapping as hard as it can. It cannot sustain flight but it did make it to the top of its house and would be able to perch on the edge if it wasn't covered. I think it's about 3 days old now. Its feathers are developing really fast and it looks gangly rather than roly-poly like it did when I found it. I'm going to try to get some photos now...

Wow, that was great to read.
Thank you

OK, here's a couple Chipper pics. I brought him into the sun porch for the session because it's hot in there and I let him explore. He still shows some battle scars around his eyes but he'll be fine.


He seemed intrigued with the mosaic ball and kept pecking at it. Maybe he saw a reflection?

Awww... simply adorable.
Your cup runneth over :)

So adorable! Okay, so the creamy yellow color Chipper is will be all white when he grows up? Do we know for sure if it's a he or a she?

Thanks, Donna. I am truly blessed.

Melissa, yes, yellow chicks will become white adults though it would be really cool to have a yellow peacock!

Can't tell the sex yet but it won't be long. It's easier with the blues because they show different color patterns on their chests/neck early on. Apparently the white birds come from a recessive gene and it's not that uncommon but this is the first time I've seen it and I've raised a lot of blues over the years. Years ago I bought 2 tiny peachicks from the feed store that turned out to be male and female. They were about this one's age when I brought them home and they imprinted on us right away. Whenever my partner was working outside they rode around side-by-side on the bill of his baseball cap like a pair of hood ornaments. When they grew too big to fit, they stood on his head. When they grew too big to fit on his head, they'd fly up and perch on his shoulders. They got really tall and heavy and still thought that was where they should be whenever he was working outside. They'd get all P.O.d when he'd try to brush them off and they'd peck his ears. Walter passed away but I still have Hazel and she is the matriarch/mother/grandmother/great grandmother and still comes running when I call her. Chipper will imprint on me too and since I'm not raising him with other birds it will be harder to transition him to the flock. If Chipper is a girl, they will accept her but I don't know if she will accept them.

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

Awww, what a cutie!

Kathleen - I think it's safe to say everyone in this forum - and many other nature lovers reading it - are in love with this little fighter - who would be long gone were it not for you!

What I still don't understand is how she/he could have been created since you say the only male around (the white peacock) could not have been the father....??

It does make me wonder if the rest of the animal kingdom, like humans, have recessive genes (if my understanding is correct). Either the male or female could be descended from a white peacock?

Wow! That is an amazing story! It sounds like something I would do :) Had me gripped from the beginning.

@Susan - I have lots of blue male peacocks in with the peahen who laid the egg so Chipper isn't a result of immaculate conception.
http://www.aviarybeauty.com/fine-feathers-the-white-peacock/
"The white peacock is rarely found in the wild since any patches of white make the bird more visible to predators. It’s theorized it’s the safety of captivity that actually made their recessive coloration genes emerge." Whether true or not, that seems logical.

Here is more about hybrid peafowl:
http://www.uwa.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/114153/peacock_info.pdf
"Contrary to popular assumption, the white peafowl are not albinos, they are a common genetic variety of the Indian Blue and are born of parents who are either hybrids or white. Hybrids are normal coloured peafowl with a recessive white gene. Hybrids are easily identified by the white feathers present amongst the large brown wing feathers. Hybrid parents have a 25% percent chance of producing white offspring. This percentage increases to 50% if one of the parents is white.”

Here is some information about breeding and caring for white peafowl -
http://informedfarmers.com/white-peafowl-white-peachicks/

If I understand it correctly, both parents must have had a white ancestor to produce white offspring. In other words, they both have to carry the recessive gene. One of the web pages shows an India Blue cock with a single white wing feather that indicates white ancestry. I'll take a closer look to see if any of mine have a white wing feather. All of my breeding-age peafowl were born here and there are several generations of them so their white ancestry is buried fairly deep.

Looking forward to watching this little one grow.

What a heartwarming story and an adorable little baby. :-)

Very interesting Kathleen and thank you so much for your educating us on them.

If I may ask, how did you get interested in them?

Sydne, I grew up surrounded by fairly pristine natural places (marine, riparian, redwood forest and coastal prairie) so I had the opportunity to spend time watching all kinds of wildlife. I was also fortunate to have parents who took the time to show me animals that usually go unnoticed so it's natural that I developed a passion for animals.

The first wild bird we had was a California quail that had been rescued as a hatchling when a cat got his mother. Duffy lived in the house for years as I was growing up and he'd follow me everywhere. He was a gorgeous bird with very opinionated views on most everything but we got along great. My grandmother's old glass greenhouse had been converted to a dove house when I was tiny and I spent a lot of time with them too. We never ate any of those birds or sold them so I don't know why they raised them but I sure loved them. It seemed like there were always nests full of babies.

As soon as I bought my first place, I brought in all kinds of domestic poultry and exotic birds, Mandarins, Egyptian geese, chukars, rheas etc., and had a license to raise wood ducks and wild mallards. When I first got the rheas they were only about 2 feet tall. I put them in the pasture with the goats and the goats chased them around for sport but never hurt them. Well, within a couple months the rheas were towering over the goats and they chased them and kicked their butts big time. Payback really is a b****, LOL.

There was a picture window in the living room that went to the floor and there was a constant parade of birds walking by outside, looking in at us as they passed. Several breeds of ducks, geese, turkeys, guineas, chickens, peacocks, etc.. There were redwood groves on the property and the peacocks would roost in the tops of the trees. It really was paradise while it lasted. Every one of the birds, with the exception of the peacocks, had to be locked up at night because of predators so my border collie and I would go out each evening and she would round up the different flocks and move them into their respective houses. She even knew if someone was missing and she'd go into the woods to find them. All I had to do was lock the doors after everybody was inside. Lots of good memories of that time and now I finally have the room to enjoy raising birds again, but not nearly as many as the old days.

Kathleen - fascinating stuff! It reminded me that I have photos in my archives of a full-grown white peacock strolling through a church's large garden in NYC. His/her plumage when opened was like white lace, and I simply thought "beautiful white peacock!" Until now it didn't occur to me that he/she was the result of recessive genes. When I have time, I'll upload the photos - one is a close-up and shows some feathers sticking out atop the head.

How long until Chipper is of breeding age?

Hope you have a great weekend with your critters!

Thanks, Susan! I'd love to see you peacock photos. They really are majestic birds especially in the right setting. I have a few photos of the white cock somewhere on an old hard drive and if I can find one I'll post it. I think it's tiny, low-res though.

Peacocks usually start breeding at 3 years but they start displaying (fanning) when they are still just chicks. Both the males and females fan so that's no indication of gender.

Unfortunately I have to head to the valley now rather than hang out with the animals but they are in good hands.

Hes adorable Kathleen. Nice photos.

What a wonderful story Kathleen! Well keep us up on "Raising Up Chipper". Hey that would make a wonderful book!

Update on Chipper - What a strange little soul!

I've raised baby peacocks before but never a single baby so it's not surprising that raising Chipper as an only child presents new challenges. Baby birds are either taught how to eat by their mom or learn by watching other babies who've figured it out. If there are multiple babies, a natural competitiveness kicks in that is lacking in Chipper. Another trick to get reluctant babies to eat is to dribble a bit of the mash/yolk on a baby's feathers which is quickly cleaned up by its siblings. When there is no competition for food and no examples to learn from, it gets a bit trickier. Mama peahens' language is understood by their chicks so they know when she's talking about food and they pay attention. Moms will sometimes peck them on the head to get them to peck at food or she'll put her head down so they can peck off the crumbs on her beak. The best I can do is try to raise the level of excitement in my not-very-fluent Peacock to try to engage him.

He seems perky and healthy and makes contented little noises but he doesn't eat nearly enough and isn't growing much. He's the only animal I ever raised who doesn't seem to like egg yolk. I've had to settle for a commercial feed that I don't like because I've not been able to source a better one. He hardly touches that either. I can get him to eat from my hand, but he'll only peck at whatever crumbs are on my fingernails, even when my palm is full of goodies. I thought maybe he's attracted to the white of my nails because a mother's beak is white, though he never spent any time with his mom. He'll eat a bit of yolk from my fingernails but it seems more like he eats it accidentally. Well, for the first time I mixed a bit of boiled egg white with the yolk and his commercial mash and put the mixture in my palm. He immediately picked out all the white stuff from my palm and wolfed it down like he was starving. What is it that draws him to peck only at white objects?

What an amazing experience. I do not know anything on raising birds, so i would be of no help, but I still am fascinated by this story. Good Luck!!!

I did a quick search on pea chicks, and it was interesting what I found out. They like to peck at shiny things/objects. One person put marbles in the feed and they ate well. Here is the link to the message board Kathleen.
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/524541/feeding-baby-peachicks/10

Perhaps it's peacock instinct that makes him think white=good food, like food coming from mama's white beak, whether or not she actually ever fed him? What if you tried wearing a white glove when offering him food?

Good luck, Kathleen.

Kathleen -

Thanks for the update. How wonderful that you get to be Chipper's surrogate mama... you are so knowledgeable! I am thinking along the same lines as Susan re's why he is pecking at white. I wonder if he's hard-wired towards white since his nourishment/food comes from a white beak from the very earliest stages of life? And as Sydne said, they like "shiny"... now if you can find a shiny white glove it just might work... lol ;)

I have to tell my little story because this reminds me of when I adopted my companion Oliver, who's an African Grey (Congo) and for the first 2-3 weeks I had to feed him a diet of long pellets by hand. They needed to be softened so I'd soak them in water - We made his 3 daily feedings into a love-fest. I sat in a chair, had several already soaking (20-25) in a cup of warm water on a table beside me - he'd perch on my hand, I cuddled him very close to my chest just under my neck and offer the pellet which he always accepted and swallowed. He was adorable - he closed his eyes each time he took the pellet... one at a time by hand, and that's how he ate until they were gone. He was precious at feeding and afterwards, he bent his neck slightly back and cooed at me for a few minutes...the very last ritual was when he'd regurgitate and try to feed his food to me. It was so sweet! When feeding was over he nuzzled up under my neck and all was right in his world.

Thanks again for the update and I look forward to the next one!


--Donna Proctor

Thanks Sydne and Susan. I'll check out the link and spend a bit of time looking for more info. I thought I was such an old hand at this that I wouldn't need to look anything up but this little guy is not the normal birdie.

Richard, I'm glad you're enjoying Chipper's story.

Loved you story about Oliver, Donna! Most birds like company and seem to like routine. After my feeding efforts Chipper always climbs up and lies flat on my outstretched hand. He stretches his little neck along my arm and I stroke his head and back until he falls asleep. He is a darling.

Just to make a liar out of me, at the last feeding about an hour ago I added a liberal amount of chopped egg white to the yolk and held the mixture in the palm of my hand. Yep, he ate all the yolk and left the white! Me thinks he enjoys messing with my head a tad too much but he ate really well. Last night I started adding a tiny pinch of vitamins and electrolytes to his water and I think it may be stimulating his appetite. I live a long way from town so yesterday was my first chance to get to a feed store.

Speaking of marbles, today I've been going through boxes to sort stuff I haven't looked at since I moved here and found a few marbles. I'll clean them well and put them in his food dish. He's such a curious little guy I'm sure he will enjoy having cool new things in his house.

Keep us "abreast" Kathleen. We enjoy your "tails" in pea-chickdom.

LOL, Sydne, you musta just read the Weird Chickens post.

Kathleen, how are your other indoor pets taking to this tiny critter? In nature, most cats and some dogs seem to view birds as prey whether or not hunger is an issue.

Susan, Chipper is behind closed doors in the back bathroom. We go in several times a day so he can have social time and I'll let Edsel, my sweet Lhasa, see him but not close enough to get to him. I won't let my cats anywhere near him but they pay no attention to any of my outside birds.

I just came from feeding him and he ate quite a bit. He always has a plate of food in his house but I bring him fresh bits of egg several times a day also. I really think the vitamins and electrolytes perked up his appetite.

Kathleen, I stumbled upon this thread and have been so moved by Chipper's story, and how many people are invested in this tiny life. Blessings to you and this beautiful creature you are protecting.

Thank you so much, Maria. Raising Chipper has become a community effort here and I'm grateful for everyone's support and ideas.

Today Chipper turned one month old. He's been moved into larger quarters and is getting alfalfa greens along with his regular food. He loves to dance! He starts to dance when I talk pretty to him and now he's added a new song to his chirps. He seems very happy. There's a tiny bump of feathers on his crown that looks like a topknot erupting. His wings have grown long and he looks a bit like a white turkey vulture but I still think he's beautiful.

Yeah! Glad chipper is doing so well. More pictures?

I'll try to get some pictures soon. Need to get back outside and help move some railroad ties.

Very cool. Thanks for sharing.

Happy ONE Month Birthday to Chipper! :::::::insert noisemakers whistles and singing here:::::

I know I am thrilled to hear he is thriving, so I can only imagine how you must be feeling to know that your efforts have paid off, Kathleen. Little Chipper is alive due to your efforts.

'Nuff said :)

Looking forward to "some pictures soon." Without seeing him, I too think he is beautiful!

--Donna Proctor

I was wondering about him - glad to know he is happy and growing!