Peas for Dummies. . . Questions

[tay_boe]

Ok so this highly addictive thread has me itching for a pair of peas. We are having someone come out to build a breeder setup for our chickens so I figured while he was out here he might as well build a pea pen! Right? So since I have never owned any peafowl (heck I bought my first chick only a year ago. . And now we have about 75 tehe) I would really appreciate any advice. I read to feed a 20% feed but what about oyster shell and grit? And how big of a pen for 2 peas? Housing? Also is it easier buying an adult or chick? Please any help would be very much appreciated!

 

[MinxFox]

There are pros and cons when it comes to getting an adult or a chick...

If you get peachicks then they will bond with you better and you will get to watch them grow up. On the downside peachicks are more fragile and could die suddenly. Also you will have to wait a few years for them to reach their full beauty. For peahens you only have to wait a year for them to get color and look like an adult but peacocks get their first real train with the eye feathers at three. I didn't want to wait three years for that so I got an adult.

Adults are hardy, fully grown, and beautiful! They won't be so used to you though since you didn't raise them, but you can still tame them down and get them eating out of your hands. Also as adults they can breed and give you peachicks (if you want that). Also when the peacock sheds his train you get 100 or more big feathers that you can sell and use for art projects.

Or you can go with yearlings. Yearlings are cheaper than adults, they are past the fragile stage, you can still sorta watch them grow up, and you can tame them better than adults. Still you will have to wait for them to get beautiful of course.

It is all a time thing...How long do you want to wait?

Good luck

 

[6littlechickies]

Size of pen is variable. If you can go 14 or 15 x 20 or so then you will be looking good for two and maybe a couple more. Bigger if you can, peas are addictive

. We started with 4 chicks and now have 40+ breeders split into nine pens.

Feed you mentioned is good. Can offer some alternatives and a little oyster can't hurt. P.S. peas love cat food but feed only as treats.

Minxfox
Good answer on the pros/cons of chicks vs yearling vs breeder.... Could also hatch too and get the excitement of hatch day and what you get. But you wouldn't be able to choose sex of birds.

 

[tay_boe]

Aahh I see hmm well I think I might have to go with an adult. I can't wait a year or more lol! And I'm pretty sure I can swing a 15x20 pen! DH doesn't have to know till it's too late. Thanks for all of the help. Keep em com in if you think of anything else please! I really wanted to have some knowledge before I get one unlike I did with my chicks.

 

[MinxFox]

You should check out the peafowl sticky and check out the United Peafowl Association website:

http://www.peafowl.org/

 

[wannabchick]

Quote:
Your so right..tell him only when he must know..lol, u sound like me...love it..
Infact I just incubate my first chicks in December..became in incubating fool, and viola ordered a pair a few weeks ago only got the peahen yearling, now today crossing my fingers I get the boy..but lol, decided to get two more breeding age, so I could experience the beauty too..and well, chicks can come from those so I then can decide to raise one or not..this year.

Yep caught the bird fever bad. I should have known it would eventually happen I always wanted a farm. I don't live on a farm, but iam going to have my peafowl and chickens..hehehehe

Good luck to ya
Xoxox

 

[Barrdwing]

When designing your pen, don't forget some kind of wire mesh or netting for the roof! Those little devils fly like helicopters: straight up, and away!

 

[shchinchillas]

As a fairly "new" peafowl owner (year in 2ish months) I can give you a bit of an idea as to why I did things the way I did them:


I didn't want to deal with the hassle of raising chicks, and I kept hearing how they are more fragile to raise then chicken or ducks as chicks so I went the yearling route with my first pair. They weren't very social but I also was not looking for an animal to cuddle and pet anyway, so I honestly didn't mind. I wanted something that had already gotten through a PA winter, and was strong enough to go right outside instead of being in the house in a brooder.


My next purchase was an already adult breeding quad. Again, I wasn't looking for a "pet" or something to cuddle and pet so I didn't care if they wouldn't come to me. I did luck out and the male is fairly friendly. He won't eat out of my hands, however does come pretty close and you can touch his train. I was happy with getting the adults as again I knew they were healthy, I knew they made it through PA winters without any issues, and they were also proven.

Our pen right now is 25 x 25 ft and houses 6 peacocks and 8 ducks. I was figuring on roughly 75sq feet per pea, and 25 sq feet per duck for an outside pen. They have an attached shed to go into that is 10 x 10. At night the ducks sleep in the shed and the peas are outside roosting, during the day the ducks tend to be outside in the pool and the peas are running in and out of the shed. We are planning on expanding the pen just slightly to give them more room.

My biggest suggestion is to go larger then what you have planned. Chances are you'll be adding more. We were dead set on keeping only the yearling pair, maybe adding a 2nd female....We are at 6 and I have my eyes set on getting a bronze pair or trio yet too.

 

[tay_boe]

Thanks for all of this advice it's so helpful! I had no idea peafowl would get along with other poultry. I would love a little exotic duck/peafowl pen with a pool and palm tree. I think I will have to go with an adult just because they are so flashy and as I become a bit more experienced I can possibly incubate a few eggs to have a tame chick.

 

[tay_boe]

Oh does anyone know a nice breeder in south GA or north FL? And how rare are Java?