Ways to keep peafowl cool?

[featherhead]

I put out wading pans around noon. About 3pm, I'll pull a watermelon out of the refirgerator and cut thick slices for them. Because they have good shade, these seem to do the trick. It's going to be brutal here this week...

 

[Kedreeva]

Quote:
Are yours as ravenous about watermelon as mine? Even my newest girl stops walking away from me to come get some of it like she will never get another chance! I didn't think about chilling it beforehand- bet other stuff would be good chilled too!

 

[deerman]

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Are yours as ravenous about watermelon as mine? Even my newest girl stops walking away from me to come get some of it like she will never get another chance! I didn't think about chilling it beforehand- bet other stuff would be good chilled too!

The chill watermelon is a GREAT IDEA they do love it, and it is mostly water, which they need alot. Think alot of good ideas on keeping them cool. Been post here. I don't have trouble with heat hurting peafowl, but YOU know they would rather be cooler.

 

[Kedreeva]

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A lot of good ideas indeed!

And we may know they are tropical birds and that the heat won't really hurt them... but we are softies and when we see them panting we want to fix it. I'm sure as vain as they are they don't mind being spoiled

 

[MinxFox]

I too use a metal pan filled with water for them. Of course having a plant in the pen for shade is good or just a covered section in the pen. My clumping bamboo is starting to create some good shade for them and the peahens love jumping in the water. I have to scrub the pan once a week to get all the algae off the bottom and sides but that doesn't take long. I use a toilet scrubber. I think some people don't like the idea of the peafowl getting in their own water tracking sand or dirt into their water but I don't see it as much of a problem, especially since they love jumping in there and drinking it. Just don't spray peafowl with the hose, they are curious about water but they don't like being sprayed with it...

 

[zazouse]

Mine like to wade in the ponds and stand on the wet block in the water container.

 

[MinxFox]

zazouse, I love your pictures! Your yard must be amazing with the beautiful woods and the ponds I can see why your peas explore so much.

 

[C&Rman]

I have some soft wild grass growing in my peacocks pen that is curly, I spray the grass down every hour or so. And anywhere that the sun is shining I put plywood up against the cage and that shades the parts of the pen that isnt all ready. I also have a sray thing I can hook up to the hose that has mist on it, I mist the birds often.

 

[Choctaw Valley Farm]

A friend of mine uses a misting system around all his pens, it can be 106 outside and walk in the pen it fills about 75 or 80 inside the pen.

 

[featherhead]

Sorry it took me a while to answer. Yes, Kedreeva, our birds attack the watermelon. I also buy them cantaloupe and grapes. You can freeze the grapes in a bag, and by the time you get them out to the pens, they are halfway thawed. The peas go nuts. This reminds me to put watermelon on my grocery list. Oh, now that the corn is coming in, you can refrigerate that for them as well. The thick core stays cool for a while and they eat more of the core when it's chilled.