I want to get peafowl, but I have a few questions first...

[DylansMom]

Okay, thank you!
That sounds excellent. Another question (sorry!) : If I buy chicks at, say, 8-12 weeks of age, would it be best to buy an extra male and an extra female? Obviously you can't predict the future, but do most deaths occur *after* 8-12 weeks of age? I know that ANYTHING can happen, but on average how many spares should I get?
Say the run is about 11 x 25. That's approximately 500 sq. feet *total*. If I do get a spare of each, but luck out and I end up with 2 males and 3 females, will that be enough room for them? I'm going by 100 sq. feet per bird. And will the males fight? Would I need x number of females per male, like chickens?
This is a lot of 'what ifs,' I'm sorry!

It is best to keep Peachicks off the ground until 12 weeks because their immune systems are slower to develop. Things that a chicken can tolerate at 8 weeks can kill a Pea at 8 weeks(cocci for one). Generally if I can keep mine healthy until 12 weeks I relax a little, after that it is more a matter of regular worming and just being observant. My hubby seldom notices a bird feeling off, I can tell almost immediately, because I try to eyeball each one every single day. Good idea to get yourself a basic first aid kit together, we have lots of info on here about basic meds to have on hand. I don't think I would get a spare male, most of us have too many males and are always looking to find a decent home for the extras. Two mature males will spar over breeding rights in a pen they could hurt one another and if you want to sell feathers you don't want them damaged. Right now I have a mature 5yr. white and a mature 5yr. Silver Pied, as well as a coming 2 Opal, I'd love to sell, but I won't give them away free, so I haven't been able to get rid of them yet. If something were to happen you could probably replace a boy pretty quickly, hens at least around here are a different story, very hard to find. A male can live happily with 1 hen, but 2-3 will make him even happier and it will give the hens a break.

 

[Birdrain92]

I sell my feathers to local people and I have someone who is buying lots of them to make earrings. My inside area for my breeding pair is 10'x15'x8', outside is 12'x12'x8'. Of course I only have the two breeding and young ones I got to get males and build coops for. I start worming as they touch ground. Safeguard horse paste 1cc for a week, give a two week break and then worm again for a week. Also I use citric acid (lemon juice, orange juice, or lime juice) in a spray bottle and mist their coops down as well as them to get ride of external parasites and sometimes I will put some in their water. My older peafowl are not tame like by young ones so I can't catch them and give them an oral injection; since they have a higher immune system they can tolerate them longer than my young ones but I use a natural wormer rather pumpkin seeds or garlic. I don't put it in their water just on the ground and let them eat as much as they want.

 

[lovetopaint]

Thank you both for your help That is great to know!