New peacocks

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meggers32

meggers32

In the Brooder
11 Years
Jul 8, 2008
86
12
41
Mt. Vernon, WA
Hi everyone,

We recently were given a beautiful india blue peacock and peahen. It was a sudden thing and no other housing was available except our chicken coop. Well I thought that you could not mix peacocks with roosters, but they put them in there anyway and they seem to be fine. We have plenty of predators around here, coyotes, raccoons, etc., and I am leary of having them be free outside when it is time to let them out. We live on a nice big property, flat farm land, surrounded by forests. The coyotes just sit on the outskirts, waiting for the right moment, and I have seen them recently out as early as 2pm. What would you all do? Keep in a pen or take the chance?

Also, I am wondering how we are supposed to feed them some other feed when the chickens are in there too. Aren't the chickens going to eat the peacock feed? How do you feed them separately?

Thanks for the advice!
 
Peafowl fly better than chickens, but you should probably keep them penned for at least a month so they realize where "home" is.

Our peafowl eat chicken layer feed with no problem.

If you do decide on permanent containment remember the males train. He will need a pen at least 6 feet in height and 10 feet across to avoid damaging it.

Welcome to peacocks!
frow.gif
 
What warcard said and welcome to peafowl!

As you see you can mix them.. but, not the best if the coop is small or overcrowded and you probably need to stay on top of deworming everybody regularly, just in case as chickens are potential carriers of diseases that don't do much to chickens but are lethal to peafowl. Deworming breaks the cycle of these particular disease and so works as a preventative for the peafowl. Check up on Blackhead if you're interested in this. Blackhead is a big reason for the advise on not mixing chickens with peafowl and turkeys.. but again it will be okay if one stays current on worming..

Another thing about mixing, it's possible the other birds may damage the peacock's tail by picking on it or stepping on it. Peafowl do and look better in very large pens/runs.. 10 x 30 is considered a good minimum size for a pair or trio.. a lot put them in smaller pens like 10 x 20 though. Bigger is always better, especially for permanent penned up situations(peafowl will be fine with that also) and also especially if you want other birds in there also.
 
I've mixed peafowl and chickens for years. They eat the same feed, and do well. I've had chicken hens hatch peachicks, and it works just fine. Just be sure to deworm regularly.

It's been my experience that peafowl will be the "boss" in a mixed flock. I feed old hamburger or other meats to mine, and the chickens rarely get any.

Is your male beginning to get his long tail? Males are not usually fertile till their third year, when they get a really long tail. Hens can be fertile in their second year, and rarely in their first. Good luck!
 
Quote:
Agree if keeping with chickens ,make sure to deworm them, also Feed a medicated starter untill older. Best to feed a turkey or gamebird feed, chicken can eat it also.
 
Quote:
India blue will breed when 2yr old. but only put with 2 hens. 3yr old male get their full train, and can breed 4 to 6 hens

Few yearling hens will lay, and if with older male will hatch peachicks.

Peafowl like turkey need higher protein feed. yes they will live on chicken feed. Best with a higher protein if you want to raise peafowl.


The green peafowl need to be 3 yr to breed. some 2 yr old hens will lay.
 

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