How do you keep young peas off the ground?

[Pavo Royale]

It is my understanding from what I have read that peachicks should be kept off of the ground for about 6 months. Is this correct, and how do you accomplish this? My adults are in a large pen with a dirt floor. I have a 3 ft by 3ft by 6 ft cage that I could use, but I would want it in the pen since we have bobcats. In the house is not an option for something that large. Would it be good to sit the pen on saw horses in the pen or not, or is that as bad as on the ground? Thanks for your help, Mitch

 

[deerman]

Mitch sound like that would work, wire floor so dropping can go thru. I keep mine on wire for 3 months, know peafowl breeders that do for 1 month others for 6 months.

 

[chickenmum]

Why do you keep them off the ground?

 

[Pavo Royale]

To keep them off of their poop. Sanitation seems to be a big issue for peachicks as they are quite succeptable to disease.

 

[GardienneWings]

Mitch, I keep mine on wire for 3-4 months then on concrete until after the first hard freeze (about 5-6 months old). If I don't, I lose them. We have the same issues with Turkey Poults and have learned to follow the same protocol with them. We have tested our birds for Blackhead without any conclusive results so it could be Blackhead in our soil/earthworms, or something else but it seems by about 6 months old they can deal with whatever it is.
Val

 

[Pavo Royale]

Thanks for your help. I think the cage in the pen will work. I have more eggs in the bator and the wife wants her kitchen back. She was very kind to trade her baker's rack for a brooder. Mitch