Peafowl and Winter?

[Lil Zoo]

I am seriously thinking about getting swans next year, but have to make sure they get along with geese in a free range situation, i have several ponds one is very deep the other two are just big duck ponds wher the deepest part is 5 foot and a foot at the shallow part.
My geese never swim in the deep pond but are always by the big duck pond and the dry creek i keep a hose tricking in.

If Swans prefer a deep pond pretty much to them selves then i will be good to go i just don't need a pair of swans that try to pull ranks around here LOL

I know little about the temperment of Swans but I do know I have seen them on ponds and lakes together.

 

[autumnmfisher]

I heard they were cold friendly birds, i live in north east, pa just east of erie, we get some cold cold days also.
ours are in temporarly housing till fall. after that they'll be in with our chickens for winter, only going out on warmer days, then in spring they'll be completely free range.

here's the temporarly structure. just grape posts with chicken wire with a horse trailor to go into that we close up at night. netting on top.


Here's our chicken coop - we keep a heat lamp in there for when its really cold, over the water so it doesn't freeze. keeps it warm enough - best pict i could find. we had lots of snow 2 years ago. about 30 years ago it was the pig pen, concrete floor, electric, insulated roof. two windows and a 4 inch thick door. its a good sturdy building.

we hope they'll learn to go in and roost at night with the chickens. our biggest trees are by the road and it worries me. if they don't like the coop i hope they go in the barn.

 

[Mmmatt13]

I'm still building mine, but here's the progress on it so far.

The pen is 30'x40'.



The "coop" is 8'x16'.



You can click any of the pictures to enlarge.

 

[Lil Zoo]

Mmmaddie that's looking really good. Mines still in progress to. I want to plant flowers in front but has been so dry I have enough to water with veggies. Love the way u incorporated trees for lumber, great idea.

 

[Mmmatt13]

Mmmaddie that's looking really good. Mines still in progress to. I want to plant flowers in front but has been so dry I have enough to water with veggies. Love the way u incorporated trees for lumber, great idea.

Thanks! It looks a lot less permanent and "sterile" I guess you could say, with the logs instead of cut and treated 4x4s. We're just using lumber that we have lying around, or that we can get for cheap. The progress on the pea pen has slowed down because my parents took a 2-week trip to Norway for their anniversary, but they're back now so HOPEFULLY we can get the coop finished before the babies outgrow their little 2'x3' brooder box! They sure do grow quick!
I, too, would love to plant little shrubs and vines around the pen, but it is WAY too dry and hot for anything to thrive - except weeds... I'm just excited to get it done and see my babies grow up in there!

 

[Lil Zoo]

Here is a few pictures as mine progresses. The tarps have to go as shades. Worked good for two pens but as you can see Mr. White and crew decided that they would use it as a perch and have frazzled it. I have some old fencing or we will put up steel. DH put in 5 water hydrants the last few weekends. We moved the other old trailer where the baby chicks will be homed, it didn't survive the move very well. DH says it might not last long as it really twisted it and roof looks really bad, but a good temp set up at this point. They have 2 big picture windows to look out of. Want to add some old logs to the pens to give it a more natural habitat appearance for them along with flowers surrounding but it has been so unbearable dry and hot as I have said that I don't think the peas even care. Mr. Gorgeous is preening with his tail cut short. Yesterday he and Cam preened most of the day. Mr. White 3 pens away walks back and forth jealous as he molted his tail already. One of hens in Cam pen is quite excited to see Mr. Gorgeous preened. You can see the shredded tarp in Mr. White pen. They are just a blast to watch.










Click to make larger.

 

[Mmmatt13]

They're so cute! Looks great!

 

[zazouse]

I'm still building mine, but here's the progress on it so far.

The pen is 30'x40'.



The "coop" is 8'x16'.



You can click any of the pictures to enlarge.

Sweet pen and the first photo is beautiful with those storm clouds.

 

[Mmmatt13]

Sweet pen and the first photo is beautiful with those storm clouds.

That storm was absolutely insane. Rained HARD for a few hours. The whole front pasture was a puddle, and the driveway had little streams in it. Wish it would rain like that again, it was a very very very much needed downpour.

 

[zazouse]

I love the rain, around my place it looks like someting someone has had a serios pillow fight but the rain comes and all of them dissapear into the ground and everything smell soo good

Still can't get over how pretty that photo is, the second one is pretty also, like something from the old west, i love rustic looking stuff, so down to earth looking.