Feather oddities

[Garden Peas]

Big Blue is still stomping around, fanning instead of eating what with the warm weather and all...

He kept backing into me in the pen this morning, and I noticed what looked like a butterfly in his train -- very cute. When I looked closer, I realized he has one tail feather which is barred like his wing feathers

There is actually one other feather which also has some barring, but had trouble getting a good photo of it, because along with all the displaying, he's also stamping, rattling his feathers like a wild thing, and desperately trying to get someone -- anyone -- to pay attention to him

So it was a little hard to keep the feathers in focus...

See how it looks like a butterfly landed on him? It's right in the center of the photo:



This is the first time I have seen this.... does it happen often?

 

[Pfauenfreund]

Howe old is your male?

 

[Garden Peas]

He hatched in June 2011, so he is 3 1/2 years old. This is his new train which he is growing in now.

 

[zazouse]

Looks like my baby peacocks feather before they start getting their mini train.

 

[zazouse]

He hatched in June 2011, so he is 3 1/2 years old. This is his new train which he is growing in now.

Mabe you should call him peter pan cause he don't wanna grow up

 

[Garden Peas]

Mabe you should call him peter pan cause he don't wanna grow up

I think I'm gonna have to start calling him Churchy LaFemme... he's out there calling his fool head off like it was spring or something.

Dang, if I get Christmas eggs, it'll be the best present ever

He gets this poor hen all confused...

 

[Pfauenfreund]

He hatched in June 2011, so he is 3 1/2 years old. This is his new train which he is growing in now.

Based on the age it is not normal and it looks that it is a hormone problem. It will be interesting to see if he will fertilize well during the next season.

 

[Garden Peas]

Based on the age it is not normal and it looks that it is a hormone problem. It will be interesting to see if he will fertilize well during the next season.

Thanks, that's an interesting thought. He was definitely fertile last year, and he's the dominant male in the pen. He's gotten his train earlier than the other two males, but I thought perhaps he was just getting a bigger share of the food so was getting his train faster. He dropped his train earlier too.

We had that cold weather, but it has warmed back up the last few days, so it feels like spring - we get many of these false spring warming spells all winter, and it plays havoc with anything temperature dependent. Peach trees have a very difficult time here, due to the alternating warm and cool weather.

I guess I will just have to wait and see what happens.

Thanks again