Peafowl and chicks

[juliawitt]

My husband spontaneously bought me 2 - 5 week old peafowl while I was gone on a business trip. He placed them in my brand new hen house. They were 5 weeks old. They are now 9 weeks old. They are going out into the chicken yard during the day and roosting in the hen house at night. My baby chicks are in their brooder but will be ready to be moved to the brooder inside the hen house in 2 weeks. Can my baby peafowl and baby chicks cohabitate? Will the peafowl pick on them? Is there a disease issue? The chicks will be protected from the peafowl by being inside the brooder. Will this give the peafowls time to get used to the chicks? I just want peace in the hen house; the peafowl need to stay if possible to keep peace in the human house also. I need help? Can they live in harmony together?

 

[Paganbird]

Quote:
First of all, let me say:
You must have a wonderful husband!
I really don't know the answer to the cohabitation issue, but I do believe that peafowl are succeptible to blackhead (that they can get from the chickens.)
Also, If your peafowl are outside, you'll need to worm them. There is a lot of info at http://www.peafowl.org/ that will help you out.
There are also a lot of people here that can better answer your questions, I'm sure.
Good Luck!

 

[juliawitt]

My chicks are on medicated crumbles.....and the hen house is in an area where there have never been any chickens etc before. So, at least for now, I don't believe that there would be a histoplasmosis issue. I think my main immediate worry is if the peafowl will peck my little chicks until they get used to each other?

The "ink" on you back is gorgeous!

 

[the Old Rebel]

I have a 5 and 1/2 week old peachick hatched by a muscovy duck who then tried to kill him. He is now living in our den. We have tried to put him with baby ducks, baby guineas, and even other baby peachicks. He picks at everything. Because they were all smaller than him (her), we didn't leave them together for long for fear Peabody would hurt or kill someone. I hope you have better luck than we've had, but I'd sure watch them closely for a day or two to be sure no one gets hurt or killed. Good luck!

 

[juliawitt]

Do you think it will help that the peafowl and the baby chicks will be segregated for at least 2 weeks before being placed together? The brooder is completely fenced in so the chicks and peafowl can see each other but not meet. My hope is that by the time I put the two together they will be used to each other.