Which Male?

[Shepicca]

I have been searching for a white male to use on my 3 white yearlings for next year. I decided that a pied male would work (seeing as white males are not available) and give me 50/50 so I could add another colour pen, if I wanted.
I have found 2 pied males now and not sure which would be the better option.
1: 4 year old male, $220, 5 hours drive each way
2: yearling male (09 hatch) $150, 3 hours drive each way

Would the (now) yearling male know what to do next spring when the girls are ready to lay? Or would it take him awhile to work things out and I would end up with a bunch of infertile eggs? Making the older male who has been bred before a better option even though it will be a longer drive to get him and he is more expensive to start with?
Does each male throw his own pied pattern or is it totally random?
Thanks

Irene

 

[NateinFL]

Irene-

I think it would be better for you to go with the yearling male. He should be ready to breed next season. Mine bred his second year. He won't necessarily adapt easier than the older male and won't be as pretty but look at the money and time you're saving. Good luck!

 

[Shepicca]

But will he know what he is supposed to be doing in the breeding department at the beginning of next years breeding season or will I end up with a bunch of infertile eggs at the start? I have 3 yearliing white peahens I was hoping to put with the pied male.

irene

 

[deerman]

yes either peacock will breed the hens next year. not sure of the price ,little high to me. If they are just blue pied....you should be able to get pairs for that price.

pied in other colors pieds maybe sell for about that.

Myself keep lookin you have till spring to find one.

Pied or silver pied will give you both pied and whites.

 

[Shepicca]

I live in Canada and there aren't the amazing array of colours here that you have in the US and the prices are higher. I have spent the whole year looking for a white male! Recently I widened my search to include the pied because I can't find a white. As I mentioned in a different post if I got the pied I could then do a breeding program to introduce it into my BS peafowl.
So bottom line is that the young male should know what to do when the season starts up next year and I won't be crying by the incubator while throwing out loads of infertile eggs
Will each male produce the same pied pattern as himself or is it totally random? Will he produce the same quanity of white? Just wondering if I should go by markings as well as age, price and distance?

Irene

 

[little blue]

we live in ct an are in the same spot the all people do around here are ib or bs i found a silver an cost right around what i can get a pair for in other states.me an my dad may take a road trip to ohio or pa this fall to get a nice purple or camo pair it is about 7-8 hours one way but then i will have colors that no one else has in my state.it will be well worth the trip.

 

[deerman]

Yes each pied is different , thats what I like about pieds , silver pied have more white than pieds.

Most white here are from pieds to pieds ,and yes just as nice as whites to whites.

Depends when the yearling was hatched, if summer, his first set may not be fertile.

The older peacock will have a full train next spring, other one will not.

Myself I would pick the one with the most white if pied. Look to see which one you like the best . Most all 2 yr old produce fertile eggs. heck you may still get nonfertile eggs , if hens start laying before either peacock start breeding.

I don't breed white to white, because i get enought from the pieds.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Shepicca - To bad you aren't closer, I'd make you a deal on a white peacock. We have one to many for our needs right now. It's hard to find females around here and we just ordered two 3 year olds from Brad Legg. He shipped them yesterday and they are waiting at the post office and I can't leave work for about an hour to go get them. Any bets on me wearing out a pair of shoes pacing back and forth till then?

Steve

 

[Shepicca]

Steve, I'd take the deal as I have 3 white females and no male!
Too bad you can't leave work now to get your new girls. I have a feeling a bit of speeding might be involved from work to the post office

Irene

 

[deerman]

Wow Steve white are about as common as the blues here in the States. For sure they do sell good.

Sure you will be happy with Brads birds..........


Most of my whites are masking other colors, white(peach), White(bs), now i hatched 2 white(charcoal)