Peafowl hardiness?

[houndit]

How hardy are Peafowl? Chickens get sick and die every now and then. Ducks Geese and guineas practically never do. Would you say Peafowl were more like chickens, guineas, or turkeys in their survivability?

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

My cousin raises peafowl in a chicken house. He has about 60. They are pretty hardy birds & hens take care of the young VERY well!

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

That is asking for trouble one day there. You as a rule shouldnt put peafowl in mixed collections due to disease risk involved. They are no where near as tuff as chickens. They are not frail mind you, but are much harder to raise than chickens, otherwise they'd be a dime a dozen instead of $100 's of dollars. They are very similar in brooding to turkeys, need hi pro diet, clean brooder, hot heat lamp, clean water and vitamins. After they are feathered up, they are pretty tuff, but you still dont need to encourge mixing with other fowl.
Good luck
Aubrey

 

[houndit]

So you think they are about like Turkeys? Hard to get started but do better once they are grown?

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

Quote:
That's right,

they get disease easily from other fowl, so it's always best to keep peafowl and pheasants seperate from other birds, especially chickens and waterfowl. Once you have them over a month or so old, you're in good shape though, still dont mix them though if at all possible ata ny age, they can get a wide array of illnesses from other birds at any age. I'm not saying they are a fraile bird by any means, dont get scared off from them, but they do bare caring for in a proper manner.
Lots of people do mix them, and will tell you they do just fine. They are just lucky! And or just havent given it enough time. On all upland gamebird style species, it's best to keep them seperate, peafowl, pheasants, quail, turkeys, etc... That's all. It's a lot easier to prevent a problem, than to try to fix it...

 

[houndit]

Thanks!

 

[toejam]

My peafowl are mixed with the guineas and they are non dieased.

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

doesnt mean they will be, but you are adding extreme risk to them when you do mix them....

 

[Omani]

What about free ranging mixed species?

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

same deal, just not as bad becasue they are free to get away from each other and are not in constant contact, in each others waste, and such as that. Still risky, but a much lower risk due to the lack of constant on top of each other contact...