Breeding pairs.

[Jhawker]

We have a mature peacock and hen we purchased as a pair and a young peacock that is getting some train feathers now. All three free range (until I get a pen built, tired of poop on all my patio furniture).
The hen obviously prefers the youngster and spends most of her time with him. I am thinking of selling the younger as we don't need two males. Or at the very least pen the two and leave the young male out. Will she mate with the male that she doesn't seem to prefer?

 

[Dany12]

A peahen must have 2 years to be interested in an adult rooster(the female is mature at 2 years). In peacocks breeding season begins + or - in April.

 

[DylansMom]

We have a mature peacock and hen we purchased as a pair and a young peacock that is getting some train feathers now. All three free range (until I get a pen built, tired of poop on all my patio furniture).
The hen obviously prefers the youngster and spends most of her time with him. I am thinking of selling the younger as we don't need two males. Or at the very least pen the two and leave the young male out. Will she mate with the male that she doesn't seem to prefer?

Good question. I tend to think that "out of sight, out of mind" will probably apply here, and she would forget that younger fellow. However, Peahens tend to have a reason for preferring one male over another, a reason you and I may not see. Could the mature pair you bought be a brother & sister, my first pair were.

Also, there could be something genetically wrong with bachelor number 1 that she picks up on and we don't. I think if it were me and she so obviously preferred the younger one, I would consider rehoming the older male. JMO

 

[Garden Peas]

My bs hen prefers the company of the younger sp male socially... But I noticed the other day that she was quite willingly mating with the older, dominant male in the pen... go figure.

Eta... I dunno if she's mating at all with her buddy bird, won't know till there's chicks, maybe not even then ;-D

 

[Garden Peas]

If they are not fighting (and you won't know till hormones kick in), you might be able to keep both males together. Some do ok, some fight incessantly. Mine seem to have the pecking order worked out, so fairly peaceful

 

[Jhawker]

Dylansmom,I hadn't thought about the hen knowing something we can't see. That's a valid point sometime we need to trust animal instinct.
Of course I prefer the mature male because he has a mature gorgeous train. I'm sure the youngster will get that with time.

Thanks for the replys everyone.

 

[DylansMom]

Dylansmom,I hadn't thought about the hen knowing something we can't see. That's a valid point sometime we need to trust animal instinct.
Of course I prefer the mature male because he has a mature gorgeous train. I'm sure the youngster will get that with time.

Thanks for the replys everyone.

Several years back I had a pair of Black Shouldered Peacocks penned together, they bred and produced chicks for several years, then suddenly the hen quit squatting for him. He would chase but she would run. One day I let them both out so I could clean the pen a little, the male wandered to another pen and started trying to pick a fight with the male in that one. The hen walked a fair distance to a pen with an older India Blue male and he made a run at her even though there was a wire fence between them, she dropped to the ground outside the pen. I saw her do this several times and finally I went down and let her in that pen. She walked in, they bred in less than 3 minutes probably and I let her back out. She did the same thing the next 2 breeding seasons and I ended up putting another hen with the BS male, however he beat her up, so I tried yet another, and he tried to kill her. This is a nice male, but he hasn't bred for the past 3 years or so, because he suffers from testosterone rage and can no longer be trusted with hens. I have to wonder if that first hen knew something was up with him, before I did. He is the only male I have like this and that was the only time I ever saw a hen act that way.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[KsKingBee]

Several years back I had a pair of Black Shouldered Peacocks penned together, they bred and produced chicks for several years, then suddenly the hen quit squatting for him. He would chase but she would run. One day I let them both out so I could clean the pen a little, the male wandered to another pen and started trying to pick a fight with the male in that one. The hen walked a fair distance to a pen with an older India Blue male and he made a run at her even though there was a wire fence between them, she dropped to the ground outside the pen. I saw her do this several times and finally I went down and let her in that pen. She walked in, they bred in less than 3 minutes probably and I let her back out. She did the same thing the next 2 breeding seasons and I ended up putting another hen with the BS male, however he beat her up, so I tried yet another, and he tried to kill her. This is a nice male, but he hasn't bred for the past 3 years or so, because he suffers from testosterone rage and can no longer be trusted with hens. I have to wonder if that first hen knew something was up with him, before I did. He is the only male I have like this and that was the only time I ever saw a hen act that way.

Good luck with your decision.

@DylansMom, that is a sad story. Is there no happy ending? Like one day, he was wandering through the forest and came upon a damsel Black Shouldered hen in distress and.......... happy ever after?

 

[DylansMom]

@DylansMom, that is a sad story. Is there no happy ending? Like one day, he was wandering through the forest and came upon a damsel Black Shouldered hen in distress and.......... happy ever after?

It's Poppie, we've talked about him before, tried to kill my Cameo BS hen. His happy ending is that when it is not breeding season he is spoiled rotten, lays on the porch, and pecks on the windows when he wants treats. Unfortunately he is the one who puts the hens in distress, but only during the breeding season. Right now he is happily cohabitating with my Bronze BS hen and getting along fine, but I will pull her out of there end of March. I'm done taking chances. He doesn't even look for hens Bill, if let loose he just fence fights all day during breeding season.

 

[KsKingBee]

It's Poppie, we've talked about him before, tried to kill my Cameo BS hen. His happy ending is that when it is not breeding season he is spoiled rotten, lays on the porch, and pecks on the windows when he wants treats. Unfortunately he is the one who puts the hens in distress, but only during the breeding season. Right now he is happily cohabitating with my Bronze BS hen and getting along fine, but I will pull her out of there end of March. I'm done taking chances. He doesn't even look for hens Bill, if let loose he just fence fights all day during breeding season.

I thought so, I just like stories with happy endings.