Eye feathers and breeding age

[tony garza]

Hi,

I have a young male that has only two eye feathers so far. He is in his second year. I remember hearing that they will be old enough to breed when the males start getting eye feathers. Is that correct?? I have him with a two year old female. I'm not expecting anything this spring but the female "may" lay an egg. If she does, will the male be old enough to have the egg fertile??

Thanks for your replies,

Tony Garza

 

[Pavo Royale]

My two year old had no eye feathers but was fertile. That hen will be good, too. I am hoping my one year olds lay. Get ready for peachicks!

 

[dorthal]

In everything I have read, they say a Peacock will not be fertile until he is 3 years old. I would love for that not to be the case. My Black shoulder is less than a year, has eye feathers emerging on one side. He also displays and does a little dance. He is in with two young females. Do you think he will breed this year? When will the females lay?

 

[deerman]

Very few 2 yr old are not fertile. Peacocks and peahens. The greens take longer like 3 yr.

I breed with 2yr old peacocks every year. and no they don't need eye feathers. Most will have a few.

Now they do need to be 3 yr old to get a long train

 

[Frosty]

Deerman, if they don't have a train at all when they are two, will they still have a long train when they are three or will they have a shorter train than a peacock that started his train as a two year old? Sorry if that is a stupid question, my two year old has no sign of a train and I just want to know what to expect for next year. Also, is it normal for them to have pale gray irregulal spots on what they do have in the way of tail or train feathers? (Not sure if the spots are on the train or the tail, I'll need to catch him to see for sure). If it is normal, does it mean anything, like could it mean that he will be a white eye?

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

grey or white back spot are usually indicators of a white eyed bird, usually have a greyish tint too on the hens backs.
All my 2 year olds barely have anything for a train at this point, few stargged feathers is about it, at 3 they with have a decent train,
4-5-6 they get bigger and fuller each year. You have a normal ol boy, just takes them a long time to get pretty, like Deerman said, try some greens, they take forever to color out and even longer to breed, some dont start til they are 4

2 year old spaulding

coming 7 year old midnight only about 2/3 full here in late january, massive train now...

 

[deerman]

Yes they will get a long train, but may not be as long as another 3yr old. 4 ,and 5 years will be a little longer.

 

[tony garza]

Thanks for the great replies. I have another question. I'm purchasing two 1 year old females tomorrow and I'm going to keep them seperate from the two pairs I have until the breeding season if over. Then I hope to place one of the new hens in each pen. Does that sound about right???

thanks,

Tony

 

[deerman]

I would put them with a older male, just in case they lay, I have had yearling lay, not common ,but it does happen....