Peafowl or Turkeys?

[fat brown hen]

I don't have any immediate plans, but I've been thinking about adding a new species and have some questions.

Peafowl vs Turkeys
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Which one is more willing to come home to roost?
Which one will wander farther?
Which one is more fragile as a baby?
Ability to imprint on chickens and see them as their "flock"?
Minimum flock size (ie, can I keep just one male+female pair)?
What to do if I have too many males? (I already know the answer for turkeys)

There are wild turkeys, and also feral (?) peafowl in my neighborhood, so I'm not worried about blackhead disease (although I do have access to an excellent avian vet if it comes up).

 

[sourland]

I don't have experience with either turkeys or peafowl, but do know that both can be lured into joining feral flocks. When a friend purchased his home several years ago there was a mixed flock of wild turkeys and feral peafowl. Hopefully someone with more experience can give you better advice.

 

[Gigachad poultry]

Honestly turkey's seem better unless you want some "noisy giant face painted over grown jungle chicken" because turkey's will stay and even roost with the flock and don't wander that far from water and food. Peacocks only stay if enclosed by fencing and males will only stay if there is a female around. Peafowl can fly very hight and far unlike domestic turkey's. And they are both very delicate as chicks also sorry for giving peacocks the description of "noisy giant face painted jungle chickens"

 

[fat brown hen]

Honestly turkey's seem better unless you want some "noisy giant face painted over grown jungle chicken" because turkey's will stay and even roost with the flock and don't wander that far from water and food. Peacocks only stay if enclosed by fencing and males will only stay if there is a female around. Peafowl can fly very hight and far unlike domestic turkey's. And they are both very delicate as chicks also sorry for giving peacocks the description of "noisy giant face painted jungle chickens"

Ha, I guess that answers the first and third question. Peacocks look way more fabulous than jungle chickens

 

[KsKingBee]

Everyone is going to have a different perspective, we have a few hundred in breeding and flight pens and another 20 or so that freerange. Ours do not wander off and usually stay right near the pens and roost on top of the pens at night.

 

[fat brown hen]

Everyone is going to have a different perspective, we have a few hundred in breeding and flight pens and another 20 or so that freerange. Ours do not wander off and usually stay right near the pens and roost on top of the pens at night.

Gorgeous guy...
I've heard that as long as the majority of peafowl are penned, the freerange ones will return. If my peachicks are raised with chickens, will they believe that the chickens are "penned peafowl" and come back to them each night?

 

[KsKingBee]

Gorgeous guy...
I've heard that as long as the majority of peafowl are penned, the freerange ones will return. If my peachicks are raised with chickens, will they believe that the chickens are "penned peafowl" and come back to them each night?

Peas are very social animals, they may look like they are ignoring the chickens and other fowl but they still like to be around them.

 

[Midnightman14]

If you want a practical animal that's not a money pit turkeys are a better option. I keep dozens of peafowl and love every minute of it but if you're used to domestic poultry stepping into peafowl has a very steep learning curve and very little of what applies to domestics applies to peas. This isn't trying to be discouraging just pragmatism despite my bias for peafowl being the more rewarding option.

 

[fat brown hen]

If you want a practical animal that's not a money pit turkeys are a better option. I keep dozens of peafowl and love every minute of it but if you're used to domestic poultry stepping into peafowl has a very steep learning curve and very little of what applies to domestics applies to peas. This isn't trying to be discouraging just pragmatism despite my bias for peafowl being the more rewarding option.

Well, none of my animals are very practical

Is the learning curve about the same for peas vs turkeys, or are peas much harder? Would turkeys make a good "gateway drug" to keeping peafowl?

 

[Tonyroo]

Well, none of my animals are very practical

Is the learning curve about the same for peas vs turkeys, or are peas much harder? Would turkeys make a good "gateway drug" to keeping peafowl?

You only learn to care for them by having them.