free range question

[fowlmood]

Hang in there chicknmania. I think having peacocks is a lesson in patients. I have a pair that were new to me this past spring. It's taken a long time for them to 'warm up to me' shall we say. Taking treats out to them each day helped, now they look forward to seeing me come out there. At least I like to think they look forward to seeing me.

And I look forward to seeing them shake their tail feathers. Anyway, I know it takes a long time for them to mature, and a long time for them to be able to free-range but I'm optimistic that they'll be worth it. Mine are still young. About a year-year and a half old. In the spring I'll be adding on to their pen. For now it is alright, but I know as the male starts to get a longer tail, he's going to need more room. I'm still debating about free-ranging them. On the one hand I'd like to, on the other, I'd hate to lose one or both of them. I've heard they can handle the winter quite well. Hopefully mine will smarten up and go inside to roost when winter really hits hard. So far mine still roost outside every night. It doesn't seem to matter if it's raining, snowing, windy etc. they still sleep outside. They do have the option of staying in if they want, so I guess they'll be fine. Again, hang in there and good luck. If you ever need encouragement about having peas, come to this site. Everyone here will kindly answer your questions and give you the positive boost you may need.

 

[featherhead]

It seems to take a few years before peafowl "get it". They can have a cozy barn and lots of straw, and will STILL stay on their perches in snow and ice storms.

My experience has been that peas under the age of 3 will brave the elements in their pens because they haven't figured it out yet. Around age 3, the light clicks on and they seem to understand that since they don't like being wet, all they need to do is head for their barn. And when you get a few peas in a 10x12 lofted barn, their body heat makes the temperature quite nice. The younger birds learn from the older ones, but don't always follow right away.

My husband jokes that I'm overprotective. Whenever the temp is predicted to get under 20 degrees at night, I herd all the peas into their barn and close the trap door. Their body heat will also keep their water from freezing, which is a bonus. I keep them inside if freezing rain or ice is predicted.

Chickmania Re: new peas slow to accept people - they all have individual personalities. I've had new peas come to live here and they were in my lap after a week. There's another hen who has been here for about a year and she's just starting to get real comfortable near me. The more time we spend with them the easier it is for them to accept us but there will probably be some that never do.

Here's a beautiful story about one of those birds who kept his distance from the lady who raised him:
http://upaforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=1070

 

[deerman]

Peafowl are not that much trouble, the joy of having them if well worth it.

Thanks for the link to that story.

 

[chicknmania]

Thank you everyone for the encouragement. We are enjoying them so far. We have been taking treats out to them most days in the middle of the day, and now the hen makes little noises back to me when I talk to her. The cock says nothing but he is bold and curious. They seem to be slowly getting used to being here, although they don't exactly run up to us when they see the food coming. They are beautiful; I really don't want more than two but I'm sure will have more questions as they get older. I believe they are under six months as the breeder still wasn't positive about the sexes when we bought them, and they are growing rapidly. Not sure exactly how old, though, don't know why we didn't ask.

 

[Lady in Blue]

I absolutely love my peafowl! They are well worth any problems that I have had or will have. Beautiful!!! I started with three and now entirely addicted.....I have to have more and more!

They have done really well through Indiana winters!

Nothing like them! I could sit and watch them all day! To bad no one is willing to pay me to do so!!!!

Sheri

 

[featherhead]

I've got the giggles and just can't help it. It's 40 degrees outside and the rain showers are blowing sideways. I walked one of the old dogs out under an umbrella and decided to check on the peas. No peas. Their aviaries were empty. Curiosity got the better of me, so I hiked out to peek in their barns.

Yep, they were all there, safe and dry and out of the wind. Quite content and happy. They had divided themselves into two groups and each group chose a barn. (In my head, I'm saying "YES!!!") Come February when it gets really cold here, I hope they remember that they have this choice!

 

[fowlmood]

featherhead maybe your peas could teach mine a few things. They are sleeping outside in a snow storm right now! And with a perfectly good perch inside going to waste.

 

[mbtulimaa]

Hello and Congrats on your peafowl,
We currently have 3 (1 hen and 2 cocks). We are in Iowa along the mississippi river and are in the midst of the BIG storm. Our peafowl do great in the winter. We have a 3 story barn and they stay in the barn for about 90% of the winter. I have a big pan of food out all the time and a 1 gallon heated dog water dish. I have only had one that had anytrouble in the winter and that was last year. A yearling peacock stayed out all night and got severe frostbite on his feet. He lost 5 toes total but got along all right from the ordeal. I have about 600 bales of hay in the loft and they like to stay up there most of the time. I have never had any health problems either. When I initally got mine it was in the winter time. I left them in my horse stall for 3 weeks and then let them out. That was 3 years ago now and I didn't lose any to just wandering off.
Good Luck
Amy L. Cone

 

[chicknmania]

Wow, I would love to have a three story barn!