Taming Peachicks

[ZoeChiro]

Is there a good way to gradually tame youngsters? We have two 4 weeks old chicks recently acquired. Ideally we'd like them to be tame enough to hand feed at some stage but being new to peafowl unsure if we should be handling daily straight away or give them time to settle in and back off for a little while? Where they came from said they weren't bothered about heat but to me they felt cold - legs etc so have heat available to them still (they're indoors.) Thanks in advance.

 

[KsKingBee]

Just spend time with them and do lots of hand feeding, but be aware that if you 'imprint' a cock he may turn aggressive on you once he is mature. Hens on the other hand will just be bee itches to all other birds. They will have no fear of you, so the cocks will try to run you off from their territory and the hens will teach her chicks to come to you and be friendlier than normal chicks. The difference between imprinted and tame is that imprinted birds will not fear you and a tame bird will have fear of you and not let you touch it but will eat from your hand.

 

[ZoeChiro]

Just spend time with them and do lots of hand feeding, but be aware that if you 'imprint' a cock he may turn aggressive on you once he is mature. Hens on the other hand will just be bee itches to all other birds. They will have no fear of you, so the cocks will try to run you off from their territory and the hens will teach her chicks to come to you and be friendlier than normal chicks. The difference between imprinted and tame is that imprinted birds will not fear you and a tame bird will have fear of you and not let you touch it but will eat from your hand.
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Thanks for this. They're 4 weeks currently. Am just wondering whether we should be trying to "handle" them or just feeding and offering hand feeding...

 

[KsKingBee]

Thanks for this. They're 4 weeks currently. Am just wondering whether we should be trying to "handle" them or just feeding and offering hand feeding...

If you know the sex then you could handle the hen and just hand feed the cock.

 

[ZoeChiro]

If you know the sex then you could handle the hen and just hand feed the cock.

I know I have a hen - the Indian blue is a hen. The white. I have no clue but the white is less friendly / more highly strung / bigger but same age / taller.

 

[KsKingBee]

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