How Long Should I Pen my Peafowl before free-ranging?

[thesankeys]

2 follow up questions:

1) I posted this in May and it is now August and they now come up to me and eat out of my hand. Do you think it would be okay to let them out now?

2) I have NEVER heard any of them make a noise. is this normal? I thought they were supposed to be very loud? They are penned with some of our chickens. Just think it is odd that they don't make noise.....???

Thanks!

 

[Peacocks Fly Free]

2 follow up questions:

1) I posted this in May and it is now August and they now come up to me and eat out of my hand. Do you think it would be okay to let them out now?

2) I have NEVER heard any of them make a noise. is this normal? I thought they were supposed to be very loud? They are penned with some of our chickens. Just think it is odd that they don't make noise.....???

Thanks!

Hey I have heard that peafowl can get very sick if they live with chickens because chickens immune system if much stronger than peafowl. Even if their not in the same cage it's still risky.

 

[KsKingBee]

Hey I have heard that peafowl can get very sick if they live with chickens because chickens immune system if much stronger than peafowl. Even if their not in the same cage it's still risky.

It is recommended to keep a good deworming regimen if keeping chickens with your peas. Especially important is treating young peas for cocci as the chickens carry a lot of cocci and chicks are very susceptible, older peas not so much unless under stress.

 

[sasglm]

we have not had any luck in letting ours out here in central NC. Too many Hawks, Owls, Coyotes, and Foxes. Plus we've had no luck in "herding" them back to their pen.
We can let our chickens out but they don't fly and with a little bread they will come right back to you. The Peas seem very interested in the chickens when they are out, but i don't trust them enough to let them or even one out.

 

[Kimearley]

oh wow! I was initially told a few weeks. So maybe we should plan on keeping them penned a lot longer than that then!

I would go for a few months also. I made the mistake of letting two new juveniles I had out of pen after 3 weeks. They ran away and sadly one didn’t make it .
I have a mature peahen now and I am letting her stay in until September.

 

[Midnightman14]

There is no magic number. You can have them penned for years and they will take off the first chance they get. Rule of thumb never free range a bird you aren't prepared to lose. They like to wander and are really bad about getting hit by cars or attacked by dogs.