Bought 2 Peacocks @auction and haven't a clue - Help!

goosemama

Songster
10 Years
Jul 11, 2009
244
9
111
Forestville, New York
At farm auction yesterday 2 young male peacocks came up for sale. I couldn't resist them. It was a simple impulse buy! We think they are young, their tails are about 2 foot long. I have a large henhouse for my 26 chickens(our old garden shed) and a small henhouse 6x8 w/two roosts - my first henhouse that I was going to use for a brooder or for rearing incubator chicks. Both feed into a fenced l/2 acre area w/pond. We put the two peacocks in the big house last night with the hens but after reading last night, we feel we should keep them contained and not free range for at least 2 months. Was thinking of moving them to the small 6x8 house by themselves. Our weather in Western NY will get cold soon. Will they be ok in an unheated building? I used to mount 2 heat lamps in there for my hens when it got really cold. Or would a 2x4 roost w/heat tape as I saw illustrated for peacocks on the web be sufficient?

Does anyone have any ideas - I'm really out of my depth here folks! I need help!
Thanks
Linda
 
What kind of peacocks are they? From what I've heard on here some breeds tolerate cold very well while others don't. Do you have any pictures of them?
Oh and congrats on your first pair of peacocks! Enjoy!!!!
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Tail is a bad age indicator. Right now they are just getting them back from their molt. They are at least 2 if they have a 2 foot tail now I would think. You will be fine with no heat as well as long as they are not green birds.
Definitely keep them penned for a few months before free ranging them. And by themselves would be best. I dont mix with out chickens for disease purposes.
I'm sure some of the seasoned peafowl breeders will post on this as well.
They may have a little better input than I, but this is what I would do....
Congrats on the peas!
Aubrey
 
I only wish I knew how to post photos - I am totally ignorant about how to do anything on the computer other than type!!! (showing my age).

But I believe they are India blues - their head, neck, chest are this bright "peacock" blue and their back and wings are kind of a herringbone pattern of brown and white. I found some beautiful long rust colored feathers in the bottom of their box. Thanks for your info - keep it coming!
 
Ok Thank you everyone for your help. Am reading a lot on the website of people worming their peafowl and that sounds a big concern. Not knowing what care these fellows have had I'm a little concerned to do this for fear they may have been wormed recently. However, someone selling them at auction probably wouldn't have bothered.

I use food grade Diatomacious Earth sprinkled on my hen's and ducks feed and use it on the floor litter and on roosts. Should I use something added to the peacocks water for instance like Ivermectin etc. or some other type so I know exactly how much they are ingesting? I will not do this until I get them separated into their own building. What do most folks use and recommend?:
Thanks again
Linda
 
Being just 2, I would give the Ivermectin orally, as it is not water soulable and you never know exactly how much they get. A lot of people also use Safeguard Goat drench wormer, I would recommend the same method, orally, that way you know for sure they got it.
As for worring about them ebing wormed , you're right, most local auction people probley dont,
(dont get all over me for those of you that do! you're the good ones) Even if they did, another round will not hurt a thing anyway.
 
Hi linda. welcome to the peafowl world..
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...Its all new to me also..
Looks like I'm your neighbor... I'm in cassadaga. Send me a pm sometime.
Marie
 

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