new to my coop

[laura13617]

given to me by a friend of mine...

anyone help me out w/ type and possible age?

should u clip thr wings?

the peahen laid an egg today!!

thanks for the help

 

[Kev]

They're both black shoulders. Male looks 2 yrs old.. most hens start laying at 2 so she's 2 at least. If they were raised together, she's 2 too..

Wing clipping is somewhat controversial and mostly depends on the situation. Do keep them locked up for as long as possible before letting them out at all- 2 months at least. Then let only one out..

Suggestion: incubate those eggs. He is old enough to be fertile.. and peachicks are the easiest ones to 'let loose', especially if raised there too. Can let a (chicken)hen hatch and raise them too- she will teach them the ways of your place..

 

[laura13617]

thanks Kev! would be allright to let the peahen hatch them?
my incubator has chicken eggs right now that r in lockdown..
i was curious about the wing clipping i just dont want them to fly away and get killed by some predator. i really want them to stick around

 

[Kev]

Yes she can, if she will set. Not all peahens will set if kept in a pen. Just leave 4-6 eggs in the same spot she lays them and see if she eventually goes broody then replace with the freshest eggs. They seem to be big birds but in reality most peahens can adequately incubate up to 6 eggs at most. More than that, they will be hidden.. but likely some are going to be under the tail or under the wing and not directly touching the broody patch. Those get chilled and can be killed.

The problem with wingclipping peafowl is they are very strong jumpers. A clipped one can jump to top of a 6 foot fence, easily. If it jumps down the other side, it becomes very vulnerable.. that's the controversial part for wingclipping them- if they were not clipped, there's the chance it still could jump and fly to safety or have easier time getting back over the fence(they will forget they are clipped if in a panic.. so a clipped one can be just jumping around- easy target for a dog chasing it)