Interested in hatching Pea Fowl for myself.

[Lil Zoo]

I understand what you're saying. I have to give this a lot of thought, and I may have to wait until I have more property - we only have six acres. That may not be enough. I can see where I'd get completely addicted to Pea Fowl..... At first I thought, "Well, start out with India Blues and see what happens" then I started looking at pictures. Ha. I guess it's already started.

I only have 3 acres. They are addictive and you get lots of company not to visit you, but to see your peacocks. We started last June, come on join in we can learn together.

 

[JLeigh]

I'm getting more tempted! I'll bet I could hatch some eggs and then sell a couple! Some questions:

1) Could I build a coop and pen that would be smaller than recommended (except for height for the tails) because I'll free-range them during the day? I mean, how much room do they need to sleep, and how much room would they need if I were out of town for 3 days?

2) Are they relatively safe against night time predators if they roost in the trees? I have owls (small) raccoons & opossums here. No coyotes in the immediate area.

3) I live in North Georgia. How cold is "too cold" for India Blues? How cold is too cold for Whites?

4) Do they ever develop "street smarts" meaning, are they so dumb that they'll hang out in the middle of a road? I'm set back from roads, but they could easily get to them if they wanted. I worry about that.

I'm not worried about learning to hatch them or brooding them up. I can manage that......I hope.......I think....maybe .

 

[zazouse]

Pea will roam and a long ways sometimes if you do not head them off.
you can train them to stay in an area but you will have to be their to catch them every time in order to get them to understand, even at that if they see or hear something strange they will go check it out and that can also lead them away from your place also.

A road being within sight is a problem, if something were to spook them it would be nothing for them to fly right across it and hit someones windshield , seen it almost happen on my driveway when the hay bailers were comming threw.

If you free range and want them to go into a coop every night to roost be prepared to climb the tree they are in or roof they are on to get them down cause they aint gonna come down just cause you call them , mine are safe in the trees but they roost up by my home where some of the dogs sleep so they are safe.

 

[JLeigh]

Thanks, Zazouse. I have guineas, so I'm familiar with roaming and trying to train them to stay within a certain area. I know it can be done, but it isn't easy. My chickens stay closer to home.

I coop my guineas and chickens every night at early dusk. I would plan on doing that for my peas, too. Although if I can't free-range them, I think I'll wait until I get more property.

You can't see the road, because trees are in the way, but it's only about 100 yards away, maybe less. I'm thinking I should wait.

 

[zazouse]

I have a hundred acres so mine have yet to make it off the property but they would have had i not caught them headed down my driveway trying to catch a cat, my guineas would never go this far even though they also give chase to a certain point.LOL

I have always had alot of land and could have raised them in pens but i wanted to let them run loose so i waited till i retired and then gave it a try and had i not been here to deture them a few times they would have made it to the main road which is 6/10's of a mile from the safe zone, somehow i get this feeling they are up to no good and i go check and sure enough they are up to no good trying to harass a wild critter so i have to herd them back, i use my Aussie sometimes, they do not like being rushed by her one bit

 

[frenchblackcopper]

My BSSP pen is STILL laying eggs here,,,never too late to incubate peas especially if you live in the south.

 

[Wayne&Kim1963]

Do you have any peacock eggs for sale. I would love to get some from you if you do.

 

[frenchblackcopper]

Their not fertile,,Roadtrip dropped his train weeks ago,,another fresh laid egg was in the pen last night again.Wayne&Kim,,see you havn't posted much and havn't seen you post in here until now,,peacocks only lay eggs for about 3 months normally starting in April-May for most,,when the Peacock (males) start losing their long trains they stop breeding the hens.Peacock eggs are one of thee most,if not the toughest egg to artificially incubate and hatch on the planet.Most all of us here have went thru the buying and shipping of fertile pea eggs and had very poor results.You would be money ahead to buy peachicks and go thru the long uneventful 2 year wait until thay are adults and start laying eggs,then hatch out your own from their eggs.

 

[Frosty]

I'm getting more tempted! I'll bet I could hatch some eggs and then sell a couple! Some questions:

3) I live in North Georgia. How cold is "too cold" for India Blues? How cold is too cold for Whites?

This is one question that I can answer... If they have a high percentage of 'green' (Java, etc...) they aren't very cold hardy. India Blues and the color sports of them (white, pied, bronze, etc...) will take any cold that you will get there. I don't provide heat and mine handled -38F (actual temp, not including windchill). As long as they have shelter to get out of bad weather and wind if they want to, they do fine.

 

[Wayne&Kim1963]

Their not fertile,,Roadtrip dropped his train weeks ago,,another fresh laid egg was in the pen last night again.Wayne&Kim,,see you havn't posted much and havn't seen you post in here until now,,peacocks only lay eggs for about 3 months normally starting in April-May for most,,when the Peacock (males) start losing their long trains they stop breeding the hens.Peacock eggs are one of thee most,if not the toughest egg to artificially incubate and hatch on the planet.Most all of us here have went thru the buying and shipping of fertile pea eggs and had very poor results.You would be money ahead to buy peachicks and go thru the long uneventful 2 year wait until thay are adults and start laying eggs,then hatch out your own from their eggs.

I knew they only normally laid for few months I am new to peacocks but I got mine by hatching out from shipped eggs. My next days off I need to take picture of my youngest and show you guys and see if male or female so I can know what I have. I messed up and lost my male few weeks ago. I just let my peacocks sit in top of tree to roost 15 ft in air at night they were so happy to sit up there and would give me such grief about going to bed. A bobcat got my boy,just makes me ill. Of course I penned everyone else and got him but it is such a loss. So I am trying to hatch me a new male. Seems like any for sale are 100 miles away and that is why I was wanting to try to hatch. I am quite experienced at hatching eggs and usually can get them to hatch if possible. I set them under broody hen and that does the trick.