THE ULTIMATE PEAFOWL THREAD

[ramhatch]

I can't seem to find answers to my questions. Too many threads or feeds with different answers. So if you all can help me, it would be nice. BTW, this is my Mom's account and I was told to research the birds before I got them. I have to work to raise my own money for pens and the birds and I turn 16 this summer so I can start putting away money for this. I know some that have these birds and they roost in pretty tall trees and barns. Seen them get on second story porches. 1. I want to keep two males and about eight females. Will this ratio be okay? I am pen keeping my birds as free ranging unsupervised is out of the question thanks to gun happy idiots as well as predators. 2. Since my birds have to be penned, can I teach them to return to the pen if I let them out or they escape? Can it be done with food? 3. Another pen question, I don't want to do a top on the pen since I plan on a very large pen. At what height should my fences be? Perches? to keep them from flying over. Another reason for this is I heard they hurt themselves on the top if they get startled since their reaction is to fly up. 4. I want to do a large pen for all my birds with housing for cold weather since I am in WV. I was thinking a 24 foot by 48 foot pen or should it be bigger for 10 birds? 5. If I put the perchs in the building only, will that get them to sleep there? I plan on putting fencing on the roof of the building, canted inwards to keep them from getting onto the roof and out of the pen. 6. I want my pen to be natural. Trees and plants. I read they will eat most of what is in there so know I will be have to replant often. Can I put netting or fencing on the trees to keep them from using them as roosts or getting out? I know any trees near the fence will have to be trimmed so the fence will go under them without bending. 7. I DO NOT want to clip wings. But if I do, will that keep them in? If I have to clip wings, will keeping them penned keep them as safe as possible thanks to this alteration?

You will need a top for your pen. Ive seen my birds fly almost straight up 30+ feet high into a tree. Use a netting for the top. It will give when the birds fly up and hit it. If you clip their wings and a predator gets after them they can't get away. Each birds need around 100 sq ft. So that pen should be fine. As far as having 2 males together that depends on the birds. Some males get along some dont. Hope this helps. Check out Hopkins Alternative Livestock and Leggs peafowl. They have some really good info that will help.

 

[birdmanmax]

Agreed you will need a top peafowl can fly not flutter like chickens fly, honestly I don't prefere netting as here in Michigan netting doesn't last long with 3-4 feet of snow and -30F weather. But WV netting might work well. Never clip peafowl wings, they love to roost and will try to roost anywhere. Without flight feathers they will feel vulnerable and open to a variety of predators especially if there is no roof. This vulnerability can lead to stress and less productive birds when it comes to egg laying. As for two males it's hard to say you could have major problems and even fatal issues but they might just get along great. Peafowl will eat all the green in your pen and will still roost in trees if allowed to do so.

 

[appalachianchic]

Thank you. What if the males are raised together from the start?

What do you use for the top of your pen in Michigan?

 

[ramhatch]

Thank you. What if the males are raised together from the start?

What do you use for the top of your pen in Michigan?

Even when raised together they may still fight. Mainly just in the breeding season.

 

[birdmanmax]

I use a real roof with shingles's for the coop and then for a run I use heavy gauged wire mesh (the snow falls right through and it'll never rust). Yes it can hurt them if they fly up and hit the top but I have yet to have a problem with them getting injured from hitting the wire.

 

[izigg]

If you get pea eggs and can hatch chicks you most likely will get the friendliest birds and probably be able to pet them ,take a look at Elvis by @KsKingBe ask him abut eggs. they will be better trained and stay around your pen and more able to get them to be free range and come and go even with all the gun loving hill billies, depending of course how much land you have to work with but my male free ranges around my place just fine and winters in my garagee with perches and lofts( non heated ) and we are minus a few coons and other sorts of varmints with the help of my friends Smith, Wesson, Beretta and few more acquaintances but you should be able to shoot and kill a coon or other large predator that comes around after your birds and they will eventually. My neighbor a couple miles up the rd. had chickens, had chickens and a large black bear that killed all his chickens in two nights and ended up a skin rug, Bread works well as treats to get them to respond and lure them into places just as long as you dont give them too much at one time of anything as a treat. Read up on what foods not to give there's a lot here that will help you as it has myself. They are kinda noisy especially mating season sometimes my male calls all night long every half hour plus to every car that goes by, And when one calls sometimes they all call or when my girlfriend gets em calling I gotta tell em all to shut up and the girlfriend or they go on and on and and on , she thinks its so funny, she will throw bread and call to them for ever if i let her, yeah its so funny, but Im not laughing so why is it so funny, women and I got 5 of them are you sure you want this ? See its going to be all different for you , your asking for it, lol,

 

[CochinCuddlr]

Thank you. What if the males are raised together from the start?


What do you use for the top of your pen in Michigan?

We've only had peas for 3+ years, so I cannot claim any great wisdom or experience. However, in regards to your question about keeping 2 cocks--even if raised together--I would urge caution. We've had many different breeds of poultry & fowl (chickens, pheasant, Guinea fowl, 2 different breeds of turkeys, ducks, geese, & now the peas), but one thing has always been the same about ALL of them: adult males (dominant or 'flock' cock) do not tolerate other adult males. It makes no difference if they hatched from eggs side-by-side; once they're sexually mature, there's no more bromance. This has been our experience with flock birds over the past 27 years.
Currently, we have 1 adult IB cock, his IB wife, & their yearling IB Black Shoulder son. Junior has hit adolescence, & papa Ricky is rapidly losing patience with his son.
If you seriously wish to keep 2 cocks--to have 2 breeding harems--I'd say you probably need 2 separate enclosures.
We free-range ours, with the option for safe-keeping at night in inclement weather; however, most of the time they choose to tree roost. During the winter & if it's particularly stormy, our peas will elect to enter the poultry house at dusk. They seem to know their limits.
Here's my adult cock, Ricky Ricardo:

 

[GldnValleyHens]

After years of wanting, I am finally getting some peacocks at the end of may. I think they are gorgeous birds. My question is this:
do peafowl totally ruin gardens? My mom and I are big gardeners with high hopes for our landscape, which does have free range chickens who are always in the garden. I also hope they can forage for most of their food in the summertime, I think I've heard they are good foragers

 

[izigg]

They will eat your garden vegetables! destroy tomatoes, green and or red by taking just a small bite here and there, eat your brocolli completely , Kale, chives,strawberries and such, dig up your freshly planted onion bulbs just because they watched you plant them so they had to go look and see what you did.Plus they like to dig into the soil and lay there so expect pot holes the size of birds all around. They like to play in the dirt and sand. I had to put up a 5ft green silt fencing all around my garden to keep them out and my male would pace back and forth by where I made my door and scream because he couldnt find a way to walk in even though he could fly over it anytime he stayed out. They are amazing birds and fun but lots of responsibilites. they will forage all summer but wont be able to find enough to eat so you must give them more to eat as they need a lot of protein in their diet and other vitamins and such . I recommend you start reading up on the how to sections on pea fowl 101 posts if your serious, theres way to much to post thats already been posted just for people like you and I, good luck and welcome to the fun of having pea fowl.

 

[celtic red]

Looks like my Purple male! has to get into everything.