Peafowl hardiness?

[ruth]

My six peafowl are now a year and a half old. They were raised from day olds with the chickens. They began freeranging at 8 weeks old and have been doing so ever since. For the first year they returned to the coop each night and slept with their chicken and duck friends. For the past several months they have been sleeping in the highest branches of the tallest tree over the chicken coop. A couple of weeks ago the temps were between 10-30 degrees all week and the peafowl did fine. On the night it snowed really hard for a long time, they did fly down and go in the stables. None of our chicken, geese, ducks, guineas or peafowl are caged or penned in any way and all are extremely healthy because they get to roam the yard and the woods and eat all the natural foods they desire and need. I love my peafowl - three males, three females, each a different color.

 

[Praxxus]

I've raised chickens, peafowl, guineas and turkeys together free ranging and cooped together during the long winters. I have never once had a diseased bird. I personally don't go with the practice of separation. They enjoy being together too.

 

[deerman]

People do run them together, but asking for trouble. Sooner or later it will happen, some do it for years. Then it hits them, start losing chicks first then older birds start getting sick.

For one thing chicken can be carriers of blackhead with no harm to them, but deadly to peafowl anf turkey.

I have people tell me they raise them together without trouble, then after talking with those same people find they lose alot of peachicks or turkey poults.

I myself dont take the risk, guess what i lose very few peachicks.

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

That's exactly the point I was trying to make too Deerman!

 

[Praxxus]

Well it's been 15 years and not a single instance of blackhead or any other disease. I don't order new birds yearly, so that is probably a huge factor in my flock's sustained health. My flock is has been reproducing itself for 15 years. I definitely do not suggest others take any risk they are not comfortable with. All I am saying is I do not believe blackhead is always "inevitable". I prefer to keep a more positive outlook on it.

Best of luck with your flocks!

 

[TV]

Good point. I suspect most disease arrives with new birds as opposed to just running with chickens. I went 5 yrs with no disease in a flock of Peafowl, Turkeys, Geese, Muscovies, Golden Pheasants, Gambel Quail, Guineas, and chickens until I purchased some Midget white turkey poults last spring. Fowl pox broke out in them and spread to the Muscovies. It took most of the summer for it to run it's course. Luckily, other than some unsightliness and about a day or two of each bird being sluggish, it had no lasting affect. All of my birds are free range except the Pheasant and Quail.

 

[deerman]

Yes if you keep a close flock, and not adding new birds the risk is low, also some area dont have blackhead.

If you add new chicken you cant tell by looking if they are carriers.......Main reason I dont mixed chickens with peafowl.

 

[TV]

Blackhead is an ugly disese and can move really fast. I had a friend whose turkeys were wiped out by it and yes, it come from chickens. You can't be too careful when introducing new birds to your flock.