Peacock molting already???

[old biddy]

I've been posting a lot lately and here is another one (I am on a roll...)

My 3+ year old peacock "Mozart" is in his first year of mating. I have him in a pen with one peahen. He grew a beautiful train and was quite the studmuffin...until about 2 weeks ago when he started dropping feathers. He has now lost almost all his long feathers and is done with the mating dance. I moved the peahen in with my much older peacock and other peahen, so she is now mating with him.

Last year my older peacock "Rainbow" didn't start to molt until late July. Is it unusual for a peacock to molt this early (early June)? Could it be because it is his
first season and he is just getting used to this whole mating business?

 

[KsKingBee]

No, moult can happen at different times every year. Greens and Spauldings molt earlier than Blues. I have had Blues hold their trains until August and some will drop trains in late June, it is different every year.

 

[Lulu-Dixon]

Our guy is dropping already this year. It's been very hot here and not much rain. Not sure if that has anything to do with it or not. Last year he dropped mid July.

 

[Gengoz52]

My 12-year-old peacock usually starts dropping feathers in July, and is done by August. But this year, he (and his younger male buddy) dropper ALL their feathers the 3rd week in June. I think it's the abnormal heat. They seem happier anyway, without all that train to worry about.

 

[KsKingBee]

Molt was earlier this year but that has been the trend for the last few years. We still have three cocks with full trains left but most started dropping trains in mid June which is about six weeks earlier than normal.

 

[Waterfaery]

Yes, mine are dropping theirs early as well. I put it down to the heat.

 

[KsKingBee]

Yes, mine are dropping theirs early as well. I put it down to the heat.

Could be the alignment of the stars, earth wobble, planet X, or climate change. In the end, I think it is just the way God wants it to be.