My Peacock is moulting already

[r4eboxer]

This is my first year with peafowl, I have a four year old peacock and a 2 yr old hen. I was told the hen would lay eggs this year. She has not laid a single egg and the peacock has moulted all but a few of this tail feathers. It seems early in the season for him to be moulting, I have read that June is when the hen should lay eggs. Anyone know why he is moulting already?

 

[MinxFox]

It depends on where you live...Northern peafowl owners should still be getting eggs or should still have males with full trains.

The peahen is two so she should lay, but she could be one. I have been sold a peahen before and was told she was two when really she was only one, not saying that is what happened in your case, but it can happen. I am in Florida and I contacted a nearby peafowl breeder recently to ask if I could visit them before their males lose their beautiful trains and they told me that some are already shedding. They told me that pure green peafowl and high percentage spalding peacocks are the first to lose their trains, so in that case it also depends on what variety of peacock you are talking about? Is your peacock a spalding?

Some peacocks are shedding already though.

 

[3BirdGirlz]

I'm up north and my yearling has lost almost all of his....but my little girls are loving collecting the long feathers....but no eyes this year. Can't wait to see what he gets next year

 

[MinxFox]

Yeah the yearlings seem to shed more randomly or sooner than adult peacocks.

 

[r4eboxer]

Thanks, he is a blue pied or so I was told, he is the peacock in my avatar. He is suppose to be 4. I'm in WV, he is really early I think.

 

[AugeredIn]

I have several boys already molting. It is also my experience that many times two year old girls lay only at the very end of the season over infertile, molted boys.

 

[MinxFox]

Also I recently learned it depends on if your peacock was an early or late hatch bird that determines when they shed. Just another idea...
Looking at your avatar picture he does look like a India Blue pied. He looks pretty! I really hope my peacock holds on to his train for a few more months... My Spalding White is shedding his train feathers, but he is only two.

 

[Yoda]

This is my first year with peafowl, I have a four year old peacock and a 2 yr old hen. I was told the hen would lay eggs this year. She has not laid a single egg and the peacock has moulted all but a few of this tail feathers. It seems early in the season for him to be moulting, I have read that June is when the hen should lay eggs. Anyone know why he is moulting already?

You also need to take into consideration that she will be 2 this year. Her egg was laid during breeding season and she hatched when? Right after that date she should start laying but unfortunately your male will no longer have a train. I have a male in with almost 2 year old hens and he is molting but the others (breeders) are not and I believe he is molting early cause there are no breedable hens in with him. Next year he will not be molting early LOL he'll be busy!

 

[zazouse]

I have several boys already molting. It is also my experience that many times two year old girls lay only at the very end of the season over infertile, molted boys.

I guess I got lucky I have 7 girls laying sitting and even hatching wee peas and they are all under the age of 2, some of them layed last year also but not many eggs and they were infertile.

One of my males under 2 has a train with about 30 eye feathers is now dropping his train but he never actively did much breeding this year, my male coming 3 in Aug is the sire to all the wee peas and he is still going strong with a full train.

 

[r4eboxer]

Thank you all for responding, I have learned a lot from this thread. I guess I'll just hope for fertile eggs next year.