Java Green peafowl questions

[RavenWings]

I have been wondering a lot about Java Green peafowl. They're a breed that i'd like to try and get this summer, and I have some questions i'd like to know before looking for some or making any plans to buy some. I know that they're rare, and it's why I want them. Rare, beautiful, and interesting. I already have Blue peafowl, and I want to own Green peafowl as well. Especially because they're worth quite a bit more (IMO). I also love their color overall, straight crests, and their straight tail.

1. Is an insulated medium-sized building enough for them during the winter without heating directly inside the building? (we burn wood in the wood-burning stove during cold months and days)
2. Are they really that much more aggressive than blue peafowl? (Have you ever been attacked by one?)
3. How much are they worth (day-old chick, juvenile, yearling, 3-year old adult ready for mating?) (or how much do you sell them for if you have some?)
4. Are they in high-demand? (would like to know this, because high-demand means that there would be at least a few people who want to buy for my price (a little lower than most breeders)).
5. Do you know anyone who sells them a little bit cheaper than most breeders?
6. How much more expensive are the Indochinese Green peafowl (pavo muticus-imperator) and the Burmese Green Peafowl (pavo muticus-spicifer) than the Java Green Peafowl (pavo muticus-muticus).
7. Out of these 3 varieties, which is the most colorful? The pictures I saw of them were hard to compare.

 

[Pfauenfreund]

Many questions, I try to give you some answers.

1. If a heating is needed I cannot say. I don’t know what low temperature you have in winter. Inside of the barn you should have minimum +5°C. If you have a well isolated barn, a small electric heater 500W with a thermostat will be enough. I had the same at the beginning.

2. This is a difficult question. I would say you will find more aggressive greens that IB’s. I have more tame greens, but I have also aggressive once. In general I recommend that you keep them (1,1) this makes it much easier.

3. I don’t know the prices in US, but when you are looking on the price then you will not get good pure greens.

4. It is up to you what you are ready to pay.

5. You have to search

6. As far as I know, there is no big difference between the species.

7. It is always mentioned that the PMM are the most colorful PMI a little less and the PMS are even more less. But based on all the pictures what I have seen you can for sure not make this difference between PMM and PMI. I have same PMM as you have in US and I have imported PMI from Thailand and when you look on my web side www.pfauenfarm.de you will see there is nearly no difference.

Many regards
Reinhold

 

[frenchblackcopper]

I was contacted tonight by a coworker of mine who said a lady that lived 30 miles from him stopped by and asked him if he knew anyone who raised peafowl. He mentioned me and she then said she had 2 imported Javas? that she had to get rid of,,male is 3,hen is 2,both came from California,,she has all paperwork on both of them and I will get it with the birds,,she paid over $2500 US for this pair,and says they are not spaldings,but pur imports. Also getting 2 eggs with them. I will post more info tomorrow on them and possibly some pictures if the weather is good but cloudy and rainy is forecast. This males train is supposed to be over 12' across and both birds are hand tame and like women since this lady is the only human they have been around. Could this pair be pure? Anyone know of breeders in California from a few years back that imported Javas?

 

[MinxFox]

These are great questions to ask Minx Fox on here. She's done lots of research! Hopefully she'll come along and share her knowledge.

Here I am!

Make sure you pay attention to what Pfauenfreund and Leo7 say. Leo7 is in Thailand and raises very beautiful Indo-Chinese greens (Imperators). So both of them know a lot of great knowledge about green peafowl.

It has taken me a while to find nice green peafowl in the US. At least, nice looking ones in my eyes. I haven't seen them in the wild or have green peafowl (yet), but I have looked at lots and lots of photos and have learned from both Pfauenfreund and Leo7 about green peafowl and how to identify a high % spalding from a green (Which can still be hard to do). The problem in the US is all of the hybrids, or Spaldings, makes it confusing. Many people want green peafowl but don't know exactly what to look for, and thus they end up buying a Spalding. Then they sell the chicks as "pure greens" and it ads to all the confusion and impure bloodlines. This is an issue because green peafowl are of course endangered. Some subspecies are endangered more than others, and some are extinct. They definitely need heat like others have said. When they don't get heat they get frostbite on their feet and they can lose all of their toes.

From what I have seen with green peafowl I will tell you this: You get what you pay for. If you pay $100 for one you probably just bought a spalding. The place I want to get my greens from sells theirs for $900 each and that is just birds that are a year old or younger! You must save up some money if you want the real thing, and of course it would be nice if there could be a big import to get green peafowl from Reinhold...I still say the United Peafowl Association ought to do that. Here are some prices that I have gathered. Some might be outdated as some places change their prices sometimes:


Here are photos taken off of websites of a few green peafowl breeders birds in the US.


Who I would recommend, and Reinhold has said also that he likes this breeder, is Read Mountain Peafowl. They are in Virginia so around 14 hours from you which is not too bad. Read Mountain Peafowl raises Javas. If you are not a member on facebook you can still view their page and look at their photos of their pretty greens. Here is their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Read-Mountain-Peafowl/299476123405814
and also here is their youtube page (they have a few green peafowl videos on it): https://www.youtube.com/user/kjw63111/videos

When I went to Rocking BAB Ranch here in Florida, I got to see all three subspecies. I definitely do love the Javanese and the Imperators. The Burmese are nice but they are less colorful and have an overall darker look. All of them were very tall birds. What I personally look for and want in a green is a long crest, long legs, and nice bright blue on the wings. I had to fight myself not to buy some green chicks from them right away since I loved their birds so much. First I need more pens and everything but I still have green peafowl on my mind for sure. I am just glad to have found a great place to get them from. Anyways, when I went to the Rocking BAB Ranch for their farm day, I probably looked really silly because I brought along a clip board with papers for each green subspecies. I had photo reference taken from Reinhold's website along with a check list for each green subspecies. Here is the checklist page I used for the Javanese birds:


Basically remember not to go by just what the seller tells you. Know what to look for in the birds as far as color, height, etc. If they are being sold for cheep normally that is something you should question. Looking at a lot of green peafowl photos helps you figure out what you are looking for in a bird. Green peafowl are closer to being wild than India Blue peafowl and their varieties, so make sure the pen is safe for them if they get spooked and fly up. Josh at the BAB Ranch told me the main way he loses greens is if they get scared and fly up and hit something hard like the ceiling of the shelter and then it kills them. He said for shelters that they roost in always keep a dim light on in there at night to prevent them from hurting themselves.
Here are some articles on my site that might help:
1. http://www.bamboopeacock.com/Green Peafowl Vs. India blue.html
2. http://www.bamboopeacock.com/The Dragon Birds' Plight.html
3. http://www.bamboopeacock.com/The_Search_for_Green_Peafowl.html

 

[MinxFox]

So you mean a Blackshoulder Spalding? If you searched so hard for a pure hen, I cannot understand why you wouldn't want to breed her to a pure peacock... That's just my opinion. You first generation will just be splits, then you would have to breed offspring to dad. The percentage of spalding will also vary.

I agree it is going to be harder breeding for Spaldings, especially if you are going for ones that look more like green peafowl. It takes some breeders a long time to get birds that look a lot like a green peafowl but are not. Spalding chicks from the same parents will vary in looks. Some will look a lot more India Blue, while some will look a bit more green.

I understand the appeal of having birds that can withstand the cold weather better, but just know that green peafowl are endangered (some subspecies are more endangered than others, and some are already extinct), so there is a need for them to be conserved also. That is part of the reason why they are so hard to find in the US, is everyone wants to breed the Spaldings, but less people want to breed the green peafowl.

Just make sure when you sell the offspring you label them as Spaldings without saying Java Spalding or something like Green Spalding.

 

[leo7]

Everyone his own special peacock color
But !!
nothing is more beautiful as the original.

 

[DylansMom]

Ok yall sos need help my peacock Indian blue had been breeding with my amercona chicken her eggs are larger then befor and have clearly been fertilized when I crack one open to eat it ,now my blk sholder peahen has layed 4 eggs in the dead of winter and they all will not let me get close enuf to stop her from this odd mix ,has any one ever seen a peacock chick mix? Also will the peachicks be ok in the winter I have heat lamps on her but all of them go on attack mode when I go in the house... help.

There has been quite a bit of debate on the subject of Pea/turkey, Pea/chicken, and Pea/guinea cross breeds. Seems it is possible, but generally unlikely, most eggs will quit before hatching or offspring will not live long if they do hatch. Occasionally we see a picture that is a supposed cross that has reached adulthood, but I think all have been sterile. As for the BS hen who has laid 4 eggs, who do you think is fertilizing those? Several other members have hens that are confused and are currently laying, but so far I have not heard if any of these eggs are developing. You are in TX if chicks would hatch, I would think they would be okay with a momma hen and a heat lamp to keep them warm.

 

[Peafowlssssssss]

You will need to wait more time with green chicks, you will notice a small orange feathers in their wings which will tell their gender,

http://www.castlebury.net/greenpeafowl.htm

This page has more info.

 

[Pfauenfreund]

You will need to wait more time with green chicks, you will notice a small orange feathers in their wings which will tell their gender,

http://www.castlebury.net/greenpeafowl.htm

This page has more info.

I don't know what you mean with orange feathers. I never have seen orange feathers on my greens. The only clear mark to see the gender with approx. 6 months are the light bordered breast (neck) feathers of the hens.
As you can see on the picture, on the left side it is a male and on the right side it is a female. The males are never will have this border on the breast feathers. With approx. six months this is the only identical mark. Later you can see it on the hand feathers of the wings and other things but with six months this is the only clear mark for people which are new with greens.

 

[Peafowlssssssss]

These tan colored primary feathers here, aren't the hens will have black stripes on these feathers and the males feathers will be solid?