Another fox victim? or hiding in a nest?

[TinaK]

Hi guys,

I have had my peafowl for over a year now and this season (I'm in Australia) they have finally reached breeding age.

As soon as the season started, my Peacock moved from the back of my house, to the front verandah (to admire himself strutting about in the big windows). My peahen would visit him every day. Over the last 3 days I haven't seen her, and she is not roosting in the hen house with the chickens like usual. I found one egg of hers in an old dog box, but that was weeks ago. She never laid there after I found it!

Now, the male has ceased strutting around and calls out a few times a day. He isn't acting stressed though, and is still quite happy living at the front of the house & sleeping on the roof.

I have hunted about, but I live on 20 acres surrounded by a forestry plantation. We have heaps of grass and my guinea fowl usually sneak away to nest.

I have had foxes before... so I'm very concerned that she has free ranged too far from the house & been pinched during the day.

I'm wondering if it is possible to tell what has happened by looking at my Peacock's behaviour? Would he be stressed if his one and only girlfriend had been taken by a fox?

 

[Cluky]

Is it possible she decided to go sit on eggs somewhere?

 

[TinaK]

It's quite possible.

What I'm wondering is - would the peacock exhibit different behaviours if his mate would gone as opposed to if she was hiding and sitting on a nest?

Would he be calling out very frequently and acting anxious searching for his mate if she had been killed? He is probably calling out once every few hours or so during the day, but this isn't any more often than when she was about during the breeding season.

I'm really hoping she is on a nest.... if she is, would she answer her mate at all? would I be likely to spot her walking about? Or are they super sneaky?

 

[zazouse]

Are you home most of the time during the day?