new to peas... questions

[squeak1387]

About 6 months ago. They were prretty newly hatched. I know nothing about them, was told I got 1 male and 1 female. Only problem is they both every once in a while walk around with their tail feathers up. I can't tell them apart. So if you guys could help and answer some questions that would be great.

1. How do u tell male from female?
2. Do both put their tail up sometimes?
3. What age do they start to lay?
4. When is breeeding/laying time?

And any other info would be great!!!!!!!

 

[new 2 pfowl]

Well, I don't know anything about pied peababies!
But here are some clues for guessing about IB peachick sex:



(easier to see if you click on image to enlarge)

 

[new 2 pfowl]

I certainly don't have any experience with white peachicks, but it seems to be a fairly universal opinion, among those with a LOT of white peachick experience, that they cannot be sexed as small chicks (searching on this forum will provide some of these expert opinions). It also seems apparent that a difference in "tone" of whites in adults can often be strongly influenced by diet, so that may not be a reliable means of predicting sex. For example, a high corn diet can create a yellowish tint in the white.

As far as IB sexing goes, it seems to be pretty straightforward based on wing barring, although it is much easier to tell the difference if you have a few peachicks to compare to each other!
Birdrain92, very nice job observing IB peachick coloring...but this isn't only your theory about peachick sexing!!

This seems to be the generally recommended way of telling the sex of IB chicks...

These guys are about 1 month old.

 

[Birdrain92]

Peachicks hatch out with wing feathers and can fly within a few weeks.

 

[msmolly]

Pedda, you are probably wise to with hold guessing, but I think some of us are gamblers. I guess we are just anxious and excited parents, like those that like guessing if a woman is pregnant with a boy or girl, because of the way she's carrying etc... It will entertain us to hope and guess. Though, I appreciate having your wisdom about the inconclusive nature of it. Nothing in nature has a gaurentee on it. Sure do love these birds though, what ever they are!

 

[Glenmar]

Can you post pictures? Both males and females can display their tails.
Male India Blues will have barring females will have faded to a more solid color.
Breeding season is March- July.

 

[squeak1387]

i am not sure if they are blues or greens. but i am working on getting pics up right now

 

[squeak1387]

pea #1

pea #1

pea #1

pea #1

pea #2

pea #2

pea #2

pea #2

both

 

[MinxFox]

Sorry to tell you but you have two males (peacocks).

To answer your questions:
1. How do u tell male from female? Peacocks will have barring on the wing, Peahens will have solid brown wings.
2. Do both put their tail up sometimes? Yes, both peacocks and peahens display so that isn't a reliable way to tell the sex. Even as adults sometimes peahens will display, the females usually do it to look threatening and the males just do it to show off for the girls or to anything else that moves.
3. What age do they start to lay? Normally at 2 or 3 they start laying.
4. When is breeeding/laying time? The breeding season is Spring-Summer. All during that time is the laying season then the breeding season ends when the peacocks shed their train feathers (what most people call the tail but it is really tail coverts and the tail is what holds it up).

Here are some pictures of my India blue peafowl:
This is a two year old peacock displaying. They do not get a big train until three years of age. Your males are not going to be this colorful yet, but they will be eventually.

This is what the train feathers look like of a two year old peacock:

This is what a peahen looks like:

Peahen displaying.

When getting a peahen, look for a bird with solid brown wings and no barring.

 

[squeak1387]

What is the earliest you can sex them based on feather color?