Getting Peafowl eggs this weekend-what should I know?

[happyhensny]

A gentleman that lives about 1/2 hr away just sent me an email that he just put some pea eggs in his bator and will be candling this weekend to check fertility. He offered me some to buy. I WANT SOME! They are so beautiful. I live in a climate that can be high 90's in the summer down to below 0 often in the winter. What type of housing and I've read they need 80 sq ft/bird outside run. Experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Annie

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

I'd do 80 feet as a minimum, bigger is better, and higher is a must.
They will do just fine in both your temp extremes, pure grrens are the only cold sysitive ones.
Mine have a 8x8 house in each 25x50 ffot pen, but they never hardly use it.
I have a 12 foot high top on it with rooste on the center poles, they always rooste on them out in the open instead of the houses. I have 1 opal bs male that will go inside, the other 40 are outside 24/7 dispite the weather
They arent too finiky, worm them 2 times a year, once in the early spring and again in the fall is bets
Keep the peachicks, dry and warm, dont over do it on hi protein feed, it will cause them to get spradle leg and will have to be put down, good vitamin/mineral supplements help wth over all health, aside from that, you're good to go

Enjoy them and get ready to build more pens, you'll get addicted, they are like tater chips

 

[happyhensny]

Quote:
I think he has only India Blue's (hardiest?)

We are building a new coop for our chickens but I do have an 8 x 8 shed - will a pair or trio fit in there?

A friend has some 8 ft high chain link for us (She used to have Emu's) - that with flight netting as a run? There is at least 300 ft of it.

Thanks again - this gentleman is the only person that has peafowl anywhere near us so I want to be sure to have all info before I get the eggs in the bator.

 

[texascowboy1979]

Quote:
As far as your 8 X 8... 2 -4 peafowl will fit just fine for the 6 months to the 1st year of there life... but at 1 year for sure... you need to upgrade to a 10 X 20 or 20 X 20... you will need to upgrade Sexing chicks is not easy until there plumage starts at about 6 months of age...

If you cant provide them the adult size pen... I would not get them... but if you can provide them the adult space... knock yourself out with the chicks in the 8X8 for the 1st 6 months while you work on the larger pen.

By the way.. im not sure what he's chargeing for eggs.. but IB chicks normally run about $30 bucks each.. so if the eggs are a bit costly.. it might be cheaper to buy chicks because at least with chicks.. its a garantee they hatched... eggs.. several things can go wrong and even thow they are fertile... might die in the egg and not hatch....

 

[happyhensny]

We are pouring the concrete pad for a new 12 x 24 building in a couple weeks-hoping to have the whole building done by summers end.

Eggs are $5 each- he has 2 different pens. #1 has a IB peacock with a IB and a pied hens and #2 has a White peacock with a white hen and a pied hen

They may not all be pure but we just want pretty pets.

 

[deerman]

Quote:
1 pen all chicks will look blue, unless parents are split.
2 pen chicks will be white or pieds.

Peafowl split to another color are worth more than a pure blue. India blue split to other colors are still pure india. only spalding are not pure (cross of blues and green)

 

[deerman]

If you were raising poodles , some white some black ,but still pure poodles, just not same color.

now if you cross that poodle with a beagle then the pups would not be pure...

Same thing with peafowl..

No pied are not a cross of whites and blues, it is a pattern nothing to do with cross.