Advice please for new Peafowl babies!!

Potts571

In the Brooder
Jun 29, 2016
20
0
14
Hi
This is my first ever post! I am in the UK, I have had poultry on a small scale for years, chickens and ducks and now geese, they are all family pets and spoilt rotten. I have always loved Peacocks, and when my youngest son asked for one for his birthday it seemed a brilliant way of indulging my love of them and sorted out his birthday present! I (He) now have two three week old pea-chicks, I had them at a week old, no idea of sex, although I have a hunch they could be a pair (fingers crossed) I have been reading up on the nutrition and care, they are eating very well and have tripled in size......I have a heat lamp over their run (which is at the moment indoors to prevent predators!) My question is; How long do they need a constant heat source? I have turned it off a couple of times but they do seem to be huddled up, fluffing their feathers up and shivery when I go to check them, and look happier when its switched back on; obviously from this I am leaving it on, but how long should it be before I try weaning them off it again, looking towards them being introduced eventually to the outside world of my garden? Would appreciate the advice of more knowledgeable and experienced Peafowl people!!
 
I give my birds access to one for the first 3 or so months. Once they start perching away from it at night I turn it off. When it comes to them in the garden they get pretty destructive with eating plants. Mine rip into parsley and other leafy greens like they're candy. Sexing them visually is not reliable until they hit 8 weeks at the very earliest. I'd keep them away from your other poultry as chickens can carry nasty diseases that will kill peafowl and ducks and geese make a mess which can make them sick too. While some people have success keeping them with other poultry it tends to be a ticking time bomb unless you medicate heavily which is a major pain and can cause health problems by itself if not done properly.
 
Hi
Thank you, some useful advice there. We're hopeful from the colouring of developing plumage that we have got a pair; my son was so excited! Will not be housing them with the other poultry,just hoping they don't rip my garden to bits
1f914.png
will keep an eye on here for tips .
 
Any tips on when to first worm and what's the best and cheapest way to do it, bearing in mind I only have two birds to concentrate on, and could probably give meds orally to each bird?
 
Any tips on when to first worm and what's the best and cheapest way to do it, bearing in mind I only have two birds to concentrate on, and could probably give meds orally to each bird?
Since you're in the UK, I think you might want to look into getting Flubenvet, that or a dog/cat paste wormer with fenbendazole.

-Kathy
 
ours are now 9 weeks old and have been outside in their cage for 4 weeks now with nighttime temps around 72F and daytime around 90F.
I think gradually removing their heat will acclimate them best.
I think you can add some Corid in their water about anytime for Blackheads and as long as they are not exposed to the other birds or the ground then unless you start seeing a sick one or notice the weight starting to drop then use the Safeguard liquid I found is pest via a small syringe into the corner of the mouth.

good luck, I still can't tell for sure what sex mine are.
 
ours are now 9 weeks old and have been outside in their cage for 4 weeks now with nighttime temps around 72F and daytime around 90F.
I think gradually removing their heat will acclimate them best.
I think you can add some Corid in their water about anytime for Blackheads and as long as they are not exposed to the other birds or the ground then unless you start seeing a sick one or notice the weight starting to drop then use the Safeguard liquid I found is pest via a small syringe into the corner of the mouth.

good luck, I still can't tell for sure what sex mine are.
Very nice setup!

Be warned, Corid does not treat blackhead, it treats coccidiosis. One needs metronidazole (Fish-Zole) to treat blackhead.

-Kathy
 
Hi
Have tried to get both together for comparison.....desperately waiting to find out what these two spoilt babies are! I've looked up everything I can to try and sex them but still can't make up my mind. One is darker feathered, slightly bigger from birth, is the bossiest and the other has more rusty colouring, smaller and less aggressive and is now making a deeper more croaking noise which the other one doesn't make.....I think they could be a pair with the female being the boss but any suggestions would be very welcome. They were my sons birthday present so it's been an exciting time watching them grow
1f60a.png


400
 
Last edited:
This is the one I presumed to be male sun bathing today. I presumed because of the rusty colouring on the feathers and the different noise it makes to call to the other it could be male, the other one has much darker wing feathers and makes a different higher calling noise. Time will tell what they are but it's interesting trying to guess
1f601.png



400
 
This is the one I presumed to be male sun bathing today. I presumed because of the rusty colouring on the feathers and the different noise it makes to call to the other it could be male, the other one has much darker wing feathers and makes a different higher calling noise. Time will tell what they are but it's interesting trying to guess
1f601.png



This is a male you can tell because the primary feathers on the wing are turning a rusty color.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom