Peas losing feathers and other questions :)

[CrazyFowlFreak]

I have three 3.5-4 month old(?) peas, supposedly one male and two females. They are losing maybe a feather a day. Normal?
The male is the smallest of the three, is that normal? I will post pics as soon as I get my camera from our old house. (we've moved)
They are about the size of a small cat now, about 12in long from beak to tail. I was never told their age when I bought them. (eggbid) Now two of them have feathers on the back of their necks that are turning bluish/green, if that helps age guesses.

Two of them have grey legs and one has more greyish-pink. They are supposed to be India Blues.
When can I put them in a tractor for the day to get outside some. Right now they're in a giant dog crate and I set the crate out in the sun for them now and then. DH wants to build them a tractor because he doesn't think they're old enough for their big run yet. What do you think?
Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!

 

[jhm47]

Putting them in a tractor would be better for them. Peafowl love the outdoors. They likely would do OK in their bigger run also. Just be sure that there is a secure top on it. Peafowl can fly very well. Losing feathers at that age is normal. My big males are losing their tails now, and the lawn is littered with long feathers.

Sounds like you might have to India Blues and one Black shoulder. Hard to tell without pics. Good luck!

 

[CrazyFowlFreak]

Great! Thank you Any other advice, please?

 

[the Old Rebel]

I have a week-old baby India blue. His legs are pink.

I'm on the learning curve, too, so I don't want to tell you anything wrong. But my baby spends the day outside in the sunshine in a pen and seems to love it. He sleeps in the house at night on a heating pad. We had him under a heat lamp and he "lost called" all night long. Since we changed him to the heating pad, he sleeps when we do. He has done fine on his own outside in the day though.

My daddy peacock is also losing his feathers right now. From the sounds of it, your babies loss is normal.

Good luck with yours. Peacocks are AWESOME, are they not??!!

Hope you have a GREAT DAY!
the Old Rebel

 

[ruth]

By all means build a pen and get them outside. I'm assuming the weather is nice and warm there. They'll love it and will do better than being kept in a dog crate.

My peachicks were in a raised, wire-bottom pen outside, with some Marans chicks, from day olds, with a light initially but since it was July in the south, I soon eliminated the light except at night. Then I started letting them free range at 10 weeks old. They've been totally free ever since. They sleep in the tallest tree around. We have six and they just made a year old. They were raised with the chickens, who also free range. I initially hand fed them so they are still pretty tame - not sit on your lap and cuddle tame but tame enough.

It's only the first 10-12 weeks that they need special attention like teaching them to eat and drink and keeping them off the ground on wire (due to parasites).