Advice please for new Peafowl babies!!

[Potts571]

Hi
This is my first ever post! 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!!

 

[DylansMom]

Hi
This is my first ever post! 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!!

Temps for Peachicks should be 95 degrees the first week, 90 the second week, 85 the third week. If they are 3 weeks they should not be below 85 degrees at any time. You can drop that 5 degrees for each week of age. Congrats on your new family members and welcome to the Peafowl section.

 

[casportpony]

@Potts571 , welcome to BYC!

-Kathy

 

[Potts571]

Thank you; Really appreciate that information; poor little devils must have been cold Have heat on now and will reduce weekly as you suggest.

 

[ButchGood]

I just got 6 peachicks (4 days old) on the weekend. Its so hot in Texas right now, need for a heat lamp. I went to the auction for turkey chicks and come home with peachicks. I was told I have 3 greens. 2 blue shoulders and 1 white. I'm very interested in sexing. What should we look for.

 

[new 2 pfowl]

Hello @ButchGood , welcome to the Peafowl Department of BYC!
And


You might check out the Peafowl Stickies for a lot of good basic pea info, it's a great place to start (see below).
And if you post some pictures of your babies someone here will certainly be able to take some guesses about what you've got there!
(For example, "blue shoulder" is probably not quite right, they might be Indian Blue Black Shoulder?)
And we love pictures anyways!

"Sticky" Threads for the "Peafowl" forum:

• Peafowl - "Sticky" topics index

 

[AnimalsRmyLife]

and Welcome to the Peafowl group!

Hope you continue to have a wonderful time here! We're glad to have you join us!

 

[Potts571]

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

 

[Birdrain92]

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

Both look like males to me. They look like they could be very low % Spaldings based on the crest. Hopefully low enough that it doesn't interfere with sexing them.

 

[Potts571]

I'm a complete ignoramus on the varieties, would you mind explaining to me what a spalding is? And why the crest makes you think they are? Very interested to hear your views.
Thank you