Jeff,

Not only are silkies good for hatching peafowl, but so are muscovy ducks.
The ducks are capable of covering more eggs.

The reason for raising peafowl off the ground is mainly because of a disease
called blackhead (worms). If the birds are on the ground,the chance of worms
is greater because the worms live in the soil. As far as raising chickens
with peafowl,(in the same pen on the ground),the chickens are not as
selective with the food they peck at, and so they increase the chances of
worms in the pen from their waste. It is not practical for us right now to
keep all of our birds off the ground, but we mainly concern ourselves with
the new chicks at least until the winter. These are just precautions that we
like to take, but it is certainly a matter of choice and everyone knows
their own situation best. We just try and learn as much as we can as we go
along by talking to as many people as possible who've been doing this
successfully.

The wormers that we've used are Tramisol,Ivomec, and Piperazine. We worm our
birds twice a year or as needed. Keeping our pens as clean as possible is
also something we do as a preventative.

Don't feel bad about the low hatching percentage rate, because we have
hatched quite a few different types of birds with ease, but we find the
peafowl to be our biggest challenge and are still not totally satisfied with
our results.

Good Luck and don't give up!

Rod
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jeffrey Hering [mailto:azuras@...]
> Sent: Monday, June 07, 1999 11:51 AM
> To: peafowl@onelist.com
> Subject: Re: [peafowl] new member
>
>
> From: azuras@... (Jeffrey Hering)
>
> Rod,
>   How are you doing?  I have some questions for you.  The people that
> originally started me out with peafowl had 100s of birds and they annually
> hatched thousands of chicks  and they shipped around the world.  One
> thing they never told me about was keeping them off the ground for a
> year - what is the purpose of doing this?  I have heard of people doing
> this but never questioned why.  For my friends with so many birds it
> would have been impractical.  I remember when I would go pick birds they
> would take me to smaller outdoor runs and pick from bunches of babies.
> I have about 20 birds - blue - white - black shoulder - pied and
> spalding and so far have about 120 eggs in the incubator.  So far this
> year I have hatched about 20.  Iam having about a 40 % hatch rate.  Iam
> thinking about using some type of chicken for setting some of my eggs
> next year.  My freinds increased thier hatch rate dramatically by using
> Silkies.  Whitch brings up another question  - why do you say not to
> raise chickens with peafowl?  Most people I know that raise peafowl
> (successfully) also raise chickens and a few other birds.
>   I worm about twice a year maybe 3 and I use  ivermectin in the water
> and I hear both good and bad about that.  One reason is because it is
> not water soluble?  What is your method?  I also raise pygmy goats and I
> do realize that everybody has thier own way of doing stuff.  Its hard
> for me to even decide what feed to use with the pygmies begins everyone
> thinks something different.  Its like the more you learn the more
> confusing it gets!
>          Thanks
>           Jeff
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ONElist:  where the world talks!
> http://www.onelist.com
> Join a new list today.
>
>

Rod,
   How are you doing?  I have some questions for you.  The people that
originaly started me out with peafowl had 100s of birds and they anually
hatched thousands of chicks  and they shipped around the world.  One
thing they never told me about was keeping them off the ground for a
year - what is the purpose of doing this?  I have heard of people doing
this but never questioned why.  For my freinds with so many birds it
would have been inpractical.  I remember when I would go pick birds they
would take me to smaller outdoor runs and pick from bunches of babies.
I have about 20 birds - blue - white - black shoulder - pied and
spalding and so far have about 120 eggs in the incubator.  So far this
year I have hatched about 20.  Iam having about a 40 % hatch rate.  Iam
thinking about using some type of chicken for setting some of my eggs
next year.  My freinds increased thier hatch rate dramatically by using
Silkies.  Whitch brings up another question  - why do you say not to
raise chickens with peafowl?  Most people I know that raise peafowl
(successfully) also raise chickens and a few other birds.
   I worm about twice a year maybe 3 and I use  ivermectin in the water
and I hear both good and bad about that.  One reason is because it is
not water soluble?  What is your method?  I also raise pygmy goats and I
do realize that everybody has thier own way of doing stuff.  Its hard
for me to even decide what feed to use with the pygmies begins everyone
thinks something different.  Its like the more you learn the more
confusing it gets!
          Thanks
           Jeff

Donna,

When the peachicks are born, we have never had to teach them how to eat.
After 2 or three hours, we put them in a warmed up brooder, and supply them
with a crushed hard-boiled egg, some fresh water and some medicated turkey
starter feed. That's about it. Each day we give them fresh water and some
more egg (for the first week), making sure their is always the starter feed
available to them.

It is a good idea to keep them off the ground for the first year and we
provide dry, wind free shelter for them during the winter. An 8'x8' area is
OK for 4 of them their first year. We don't like to see  4 birds crowded
into anything smaller. We use wood chips on the floor to help keep the room
dry. A roost must be provided. We use either a good size tree trunk or a
2"x6" board for that. It's good for them to have something nice and flat to
roost on so they can protect their toes. We feed them turkey grower pellets
because the protein is a little higher  than that of the turkey feed
pellets.

Try to keep your floors as clean as possible and try to worm your birds at
least twice a year as peafowl seem to be more susceptible to worms than
chickens are.

One more thing; it is strongly recommended that you do not raise peafowl
with chickens. It doesn't hurt to raise them with pheasants as they are  a
member of the pheasant family.

Good Luck!

Rod
   -----Original Message-----
   From: Douglas Blair [mailto:blair@...]
   Sent: Thursday, June 03, 1999 7:17 PM
   To: peafowl@onelist.com
   Subject: [peafowl] new member


   Hi all,
       I am a new member. My name is Donna and live in Virginia. I am
thinking of venturing into peafowl. I've read some of the old digests I
think they are called and am wondering what advice you all can give. I've
got some friends who have peafowl and am trying to work it out to get some
eggs if they have any. One friend has 4 blues and another has a blue male
and a green hen. Don't matter what the babies are cuz I'll love them no
matter what. We currently have chickens, ducks, guineas, geese, turkeys, and
pheasants. Not to mention the pets. So there is alot of action around the
homestead. Always something going on.
       I read on an old post that peafowl need to be kept off of the ground
for the first year. But my questions are (1) Can young peafowl be kept
outside during winter?
   The winters here aren't bitter cold like in the plains but has gotten
below freezing some. Rarely gets below zero. We want to build them a covered
building but need to find out how big to build a temporary pen till they get
full grown and it will be covered and sheltered from winds. Be don't know
ANYTHING about peafowl and any and all help would be appreciated as we know
we have much to learn.
   (2) What size building would be ok for say about 4 young birds for their
first year?
   (3) What kind of feed do they need? (4) Is there any truth to the saying
you need to have baby chicks (chickens) to teach them to eat? (5) Are they
more susceptible to disease more so than chickens? (6) If so what diseases
are they and what do we need to watch for? (7) Do they require medicated
feed? (8) Any other info we need but are too naive to ask cuz we don't know
enough to ask. Thanks a bunch and hope to be able to e-mail and tell
everyone I'm a new mom. Nope no more kids got 3 of them already but baby
peafowl. See ya soon. Donna

Congrats on your new arrival. Yes it is exciting when
a new one is born. Now get ready. Peachicks are born
stupid. Can't eat or drink.
Wait 24 hours for them to dry off.
Take the chicks and dip the beaks into some water.
When they take two drinks happily, you are in
business.
Feeding is another matter. They don't know how to eat,
so for your first meal give them a yolk off a
hard-boiled egg. They'll love it, once they get the
idea. If the egg doesn't work, get yourself a cottage
cheese container lid. Fill it with water and sprinkle
any kind of food on top. Just enough so it floats and
moves around.
The floating food grabs their attention and they peck
at it. They get some food and water by default.

If you can get them to eat and drink, then 25% of your
job is done.
Next, you must get them to one year old. val


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Hi all,
     I am a new member. My name is Donna and live in Virginia. I am thinking of
venturing into peafowl. I've read some of the old digests I think they are
called and am wondering what advice you all can give. I've got some friends who
have peafowl and am trying to work it out to get some eggs if they have any. One
friend has 4 blues and another has a blue male and a green hen. Don't matter
what the babies are cuz I'll love them no matter what. We currently have
chickens, ducks, guineas, geese, turkeys, and pheasants. Not to mention the
pets. So there is alot of action around the homestead. Always something going
on.
     I read on an old post that peafowl need to be kept off of the ground for the
first year. But my questions are (1) Can young peafowl be kept outside during
winter?
The winters here aren't bitter cold like in the plains but has gotten below
freezing some. Rarely gets below zero. We want to build them a covered building
but need to find out how big to build a temporary pen till they get full grown
and it will be covered and sheltered from winds. Be don't know ANYTHING about
peafowl and any and all help would be appreciated as we know we have much to
learn.
(2) What size building would be ok for say about 4 young birds for their first
year?
(3) What kind of feed do they need? (4) Is there any truth to the saying you
need to have baby chicks (chickens) to teach them to eat? (5) Are they more
susceptible to disease more so than chickens? (6) If so what diseases are they
and what do we need to watch for? (7) Do they require medicated feed? (8) Any
other info we need but are too naive to ask cuz we don't know enough to ask.
Thanks a bunch and hope to be able to e-mail and tell everyone I'm a new mom.
Nope no more kids got 3 of them already but baby peafowl. See ya soon. Donna

Ann,
     Congrats on your hatching. Almost worth sending out birth announcements
for. hahaha Hopefully pretty soon we might be able to try our hand at some
peafowl too. Got some friends that have some and trying to see about getting
some eggs or chicks. Don't know yet. Again congrats. and a job well done.
Keep them with baby chicks if you have any as I've heard that they don't
always remember how to eat and the chicken chicks keep reminding them how.
Donna
-----Original Message-----
From: hooperck@... <hooperck@...>
To: peafowl@onelist.com <peafowl@onelist.com>
Date: Thursday, June 03, 1999 12:47 PM
Subject: [peafowl] Exciting news


>From: hooperck@...
>
>We have to share with you that this AM our first ever peacock egg
>hatched.  So exciting.  We have never tried this before.  We have
>chickens, and ducks, but we've never tried to incubate the eggs.  Some
>friends have peacocks, and brought us these eggs.  The hen had pushed
>them out of her nest, and while they were still warm, they brought them
>to us and put them in the incubator.  We really didn't think they'd
>hatch.  We can hear peeping in another egg, so by tomorrow we should
>have another.
>There are six more eggs that won't be ready until mid month, as well as
>some of our hens eggs.  You should have seen my kids faces.  They
>discovered the baby, and they were so amazed.  Well, so was I!!!
>Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Unschooling at it's finest.  Isn't it great!
>Ann
>
>
>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>How has ONElist changed your life?
>http://www.onelist.com
>Share your story with us at http://www.onelist.com

We have to share with you that this AM our first ever peacock egg
hatched.  So exciting.  We have never tried this before.  We have
chickens, and ducks, but we've never tried to incubate the eggs.  Some
friends have peacocks, and brought us these eggs.  The hen had pushed
them out of her nest, and while they were still warm, they brought them
to us and put them in the incubator.  We really didn't think they'd
hatch.  We can hear peeping in another egg, so by tomorrow we should
have another.
There are six more eggs that won't be ready until mid month, as well as
some of our hens eggs.  You should have seen my kids faces.  They
discovered the baby, and they were so amazed.  Well, so was I!!!
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Unschooling at it's finest.  Isn't it great!
Ann

Don't waste your effort trying to make a nesting area.

They lay them anywhere they feel like. I've tried
everything, and nothing works, so save your energy:)
They do seem to lay in the same vicinity, though.
And, mine always lay between 4 and 5 in the afternoon,
which makes it easy to go searching.
val

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Valerie,

We've been lucky enough to catch our male displaying his tail feathers!
He's a
little shy about it.  His tail feathers measure 54", so it's quite a display.
He was definitely showing off for Josephine.
I'll let you all know if we hatch any chicks.

And, of course, I thought of another question!  Do I need to make any special
provisions for a place for her to nest?  There's plenty of straw in the barn
with them, so I'm guessing that she'll take care of that herself, but will she
mind nesting in the same pen with the male?



At 06:30 AM 5/29/99 -0700, you wrote:
>From: valerie farris <bluepeahen@...>
>
>Lynn,
>No need to sneak up on them. When you show up your
>male will be more than happy to strut his stuff for
>you. And for dogs, and cats, and robins. They are very
>conceited.
>I usually don't give my peafowl oyster shell on a
>regular basis. Their eggs are rock hard. I give my
>hens some at the beginning of breeding season, and at
>the end, but that's more to make me feel better.
>I have males together, and they get along just fine.
>But, you gotta have a huge pen...really huge.
>I'm sure you'll have little ones this spring.
>Happy Hatching,
>val
>
>_________________________________________________________
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>Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com
>
>
>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>What do lizards and rock music have in common?
>http://www.onelist.com
>They both have communities at ONElist.  Find yours today!
>
Lynn Grisard

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The Collective Soul WWW Page
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lynn@...
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"Hangin' on every word
  My social butterfly
  Everyone wants to be loved
  Loved in their own way"
-- Ross Childress

Didn't mean to scare ya. In the droppings you may
actually see the larger worm types, like round worms,
which by the way aren't round.
I have accidently killed 2 of my peafowl while
worming. I'm not exactly sure what happened, but, I'm
pretty sure I gave the 2 a double dose while bypassing
2 others. Guarantee THAT won't happen again.
I'm one of those that worms prior to breeding season
and again in the fall. The reason I do it that way is
because I am a CHEAPSKATE, no other reason. But, it
seems to work fine for me. I live in Nebraska so it's
cold most of the year. I would guess folks in Florida
or other warm states would have to worm more often.
But, that's just a guess.
Happy Hatching,
val

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Like, what am I watching for with the droppings?  I am a total amateur here!
Did I seriously overworm her?

Mary


-----Original Message-----
From: valerie farris <bluepeahen@...>
To: peafowl@onelist.com <peafowl@onelist.com>
Date: Saturday, May 29, 1999 9:38 PM
Subject: Re: [peafowl] wobbly legs


>From: valerie farris <bluepeahen@...>
>
>Watch your birds for about 10 days. Carefully.
>Check the droppings, too.
>Peafowl are really touchy about worm medication, so I
>would be very careful before giving another treatment.
>val
>
>_________________________________________________________
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>

Mary,

Most wormers on the market today should be given for three to five
consecutive days. This is to ensure that all the worms and their eggs are
gone. There are breeders that worm their flock monthly until the breeding
season. We worm our birds in March, and again ten days later. We repeat this
process again in September.

If your hens do have worms, they will have lost weight. They will continue
to eat, but the worms would be eating their food.


Rod
   -----Original Message-----
   From: Chuck & Mary Bittner [mailto:deercrk@...]
   Sent: Saturday, May 29, 1999 11:43 AM
   To: peafowl@onelist.com
   Subject: [peafowl] wobbly legs


   Could someone give me a tip on why two of our blue hens suddenly developed
wobbly legs?  We called an experienced peacock friend who suggested it might
be worms causing it, so we gave them ivomec by mouth that day and piperzine
the next day in the water.  They seem to be better, just wondered if it was
the wormer that helped, or if it was just an illness they are getting over
on their own.  Thank you for any ideas.

   Mary

Watch your birds for about 10 days. Carefully.
Check the droppings, too.
Peafowl are really touchy about worm medication, so I
would be very careful before giving another treatment.
val

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Could someone give me a tip on why two of our blue hens suddenly developed
wobbly legs?  We called an experienced peacock friend who suggested it might be
worms causing it, so we gave them ivomec by mouth that day and piperzine the
next day in the water.  They seem to be better, just wondered if it was the
wormer that helped, or if it was just an illness they are getting over on their
own.  Thank you for any ideas.

Mary

Lynn,

When we start out with chicks, they can stay together until they reach their
first breeding season (usually when they are 2). After that, we separate the
birds into groups of one male per three or four hens for the breeding season
because the males will fight if put together. After the males lose their
tails and the breeding season is over, we mix our birds together in order to
give them shelter for the winter, and we don't have any problems.
It depends on the personality of the males that you have together during the
breeding season. Usually there is a dominant one.

Yes we do give the birds oyster shells during the breeding season.

Say hello to Napoleon and Josephine for us!

Rod
   -----Original Message-----
   From: Lynn Grisard [mailto:lynn@...]
   Sent: Friday, May 28, 1999 9:05 AM
   To: peafowl@onelist.com
   Subject: Re: [peafowl] Questions from a new member


   Valerie & Rod,


   Thanks for your advice.  It sounds like I need to sneak up on my peafowl
when he's out there making all that noise to see the show!  If the noise is
an indication of their breeding activity, I should definitely have some
little ones this year.


   I'm going to take your advice and not let them out of their pen for a very
long time.  I don't like keeping animals penned, but I think they've got
enough room and will have everything they need.  Maybe once they have
hatched out some young ones they'll feel more at home.  I guess I would be
better off selling or trading their little ones and getting another
unrelated pair.


   That leads me to more questions!  Can you keep males together or will they
fight?  Would I be better off with one male and several hens or do they pair
up for life like some birds?


   Many years ago I had a pet chicken and I remember that we fed her crushed
oyster shells to provide grit for digestion.  Is it necessary to provide
something like that to peafowl?  Since they are penned they can't forage for
that sort of thing.


   I really do appreciate your help and patience.  I'm sure Napoleon and
Josephine (my peafowl!) appreciate it too since their care will be greatly
improved by your advice!!


   Lynn Grisard

   ----------------------------------------------
   The Collective Soul WWW Page
   http://www.csoul.com
   lynn@...
   ----------------------------------------------

   "Hangin' on every word
   My social butterfly
   Everyone wants to be loved
   Loved in their own way"
   -- Ross Childress

Lynn,
No need to sneak up on them. When you show up your
male will be more than happy to strut his stuff for
you. And for dogs, and cats, and robins. They are very
conceited.
I usually don't give my peafowl oyster shell on a
regular basis. Their eggs are rock hard. I give my
hens some at the beginning of breeding season, and at
the end, but that's more to make me feel better.
I have males together, and they get along just fine.
But, you gotta have a huge pen...really huge.
I'm sure you'll have little ones this spring.
Happy Hatching,
val

_________________________________________________________
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Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com

Valerie & Rod,

Thanks for your advice.  It sounds like I need to sneak up on my peafowl when
he's out there making all that noise to see the show!  If the noise is an
indication of their breeding activity, I should definitely have some little
ones this year.

I'm going to take your advice and not let them out of their pen for a very
long
time.  I don't like keeping animals penned, but I think they've got enough
room
and will have everything they need.  Maybe once they have hatched out some
young ones they'll feel more at home.  I guess I would be better off
selling or
trading their little ones and getting another unrelated pair.

That leads me to more questions!  Can you keep males together or will they
fight?  Would I be better off with one male and several hens or do they
pair up
for life like some birds?

Many years ago I had a pet chicken and I remember that we fed her crushed
oyster shells to provide grit for digestion.  Is it necessary to provide
something like that to peafowl?  Since they are penned they can't forage for
that sort of thing.

I really do appreciate your help and patience.  I'm sure Napoleon and
Josephine
(my peafowl!) appreciate it too since their care will be greatly improved by
your advice!!


Lynn Grisard

----------------------------------------------
The Collective Soul WWW Page
<http://www.csoul.com>http://www.csoul.com
lynn@...
----------------------------------------------

"Hangin' on every word
  My social butterfly
  Everyone wants to be loved
  Loved in their own way"
-- Ross Childress

-----Original Message-----
From: Rod Groce [mailto:rgroce@...]
Sent: Wednesday, May 26, 1999 11:00 PM
To: peafowl@onelist.com
Subject: RE: [peafowl] Questions from a new member


Lynn,

As far as peafowl staying around without being in a pen, there are NO
guarantees. We do know some people who have done this by keeping them penned
together with other peafowl for a while and then letting some out. The birds
that are left out are in danger because of owls, hawks, dogs, foxes, etc..
They may stay around but their chance of survival decreases considerably.

We feed our birds turkey grower pellets all year. A high protein layer
pellet may be used during the breeding season. We find that they waste a lot
with the mash. As a treat, we also feed them some greens, such as cabbage
and we give them some shelled corn. The pellets are good for their protein
nutrition.

In northeast PA, our birds start laying around May 1st or as soon as the
weather warms up and they continue, with breaks in between, until around the
middle of August.When the cocks start to lose their tails, the breeding
season will soon be coming to a close.

If the pair of peafowl that you have, have been together for a while, then
they may lay and set just as usual.However, sometimes when moving peafowl
into a new home, it does take a while to get back to their normal routine so
you'll just have to play it by ear. If they do set, it will take 28 days to
hatch the eggs.

Good Luck!

Rod
-----Original Message-----
From: Lynn Grisard [mailto:lynn@...]
Sent: Wednesday, May 26, 1999 9:08 AM
To: peafowl@onelist.com
Subject: [peafowl] Questions from a new member


Hi!  I am new to this list and new to peafowl.  I hope some of you will be
able to help me with some questions.  A couple of weeks ago I bought a
beautiful pair of three-year-old peafowl.  We have them in our barn for now
and they are doing fine.  Here's my questions:


1.  Many people have told me that if I did not raise them they will fly off
when I let them out.  The man I bought them from said to keep them up for a
while before turning them loose and they should be fine.  How long should I
keep them up and what other advice do any of you have to keep them from
leaving?


2.  They were being fed some kind of mash to keep egg production high.  I
was told I could just feed them shelled corn, which is what I have been
feeding them.  Is this all they need?  I'm not that concerned with egg
production at this point.


3.  I understand that peafowl lay and hatch their eggs sometime in June or
July.  Is this correct and should I expect to hatch any peafowl this year
since they've just been moved?

I'm sorry to have to show my ignorance about peafowl, but I figure this is
the place to do it!  Thanks.
Lynn Grisard

----------------------------------------------
The Collective Soul WWW Page
http://www.csoul.com
lynn@...
----------------------------------------------

"Hangin' on every word
My social butterfly
Everyone wants to be loved
Loved in their own way"
-- Ross Childress

-----Original Message-----
From: Rod Groce [mailto:rgroce@...]
Sent: Thursday, May 27, 1999 9:47 PM
To: peafowl@onelist.com
Subject: Re: [peafowl] Questions from a new member


Lynn,

I don't know for sure if the hawk would set it's sites on a mature peacock.
We do know of someone around here that had a hawk hanging around watching
his peafowl but they were penned up. If you haven't had any trouble in the
past with the ducks, then maybe you wouldn't have to worry.

  As far as the greens that they like, any kind of leafy vegetables.

Even though your pair was not together, they still should  breed. We always
like to have unrelated pairs.You might try trading with someone you know
later on to get unrelated pairs.

The yelling you hear is coming from the male. It is done during the breeding
season more, but it is also done when the birds are alarmed by someone or
something. Sometimes when one male starts yelling, they all go off. You
won't hear much during the winter months.

Rod




-----Original Message-----
From: Lynn Grisard [mailto:lynn@...]
Sent: Thursday, May 27, 1999 8:54 AM
To: peafowl@onelist.com
Subject: Re: [peafowl] Questions from a new member


Rod,


Thanks for your response and advice.  I'm a little disappointed that I may
not be able to allow my peafowl to run loose around the yard.  When I bought
them, the peacock was loose, but the man raised him and he also had several
peafowl in pens.  That may explain why he was staying around.  I guess I'll
just have to decide whether it's worth taking the chance of having them fly
away.


Are hawks a problem with grown peafowl?  We shouldn't have too much trouble
with dogs, foxes or anything like that because our donkeys seem to be
keeping them away.  We've been able to successfully raise ducklings this
spring without losing them to predators, so maybe that wouldn't be a big
problem for us in our area.


I'll be checking with our local co-op for the turkey grower pellets and
layer pellets you mentioned.  Are there other common greens that they will
eat besides cabbage?


I don't think our pair were kept together, but I hope they'll breed this
year anyway.  I would like to keep a few more peafowl, but I would be
worried about in-breeding if I keep their offspring.  Is this a big problem?
I'm kind of a hobbyist, so I'm probably not as worried about breeding lines
as someone who may be breeding more seriously.  However, I don't want to
have unhealthy birds.


Sorry to load the list down with so many beginner's questions, but I have
one more.  My peafowl are more vocal at some times than others, but I've
never been in the barn to see which one is calling.  Do they both call or
just the male or female?  Can all their vocalization be a sign that they are
courting or is that something they just do like a dog barking?


Thanks again for your help!


Lynn Grisard

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lynn@...
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"Hangin' on every word
My social butterfly
Everyone wants to be loved
Loved in their own way"
-- Ross Childress

More than likely the noisy one is the male. They let
out a scream that sounds like a woman hollering,
"help"
It's a mating call and you will hear this from now
until about August.
The male should be out there, strutting his stuff,
fanning out and 'shaking his booty'. This is a sure
sign that 'he' is interested. She will pretend to
ignore him. But, she's no dummy, she knows exactly
what's going on.

I have purchased adult pairs in the past, and just to
be safe I keep them penned for a long time, sometimes
1 year before I let them run. When I do let them out,
I do it in spring, only one at a time. They won't want
to take off if their mate is penned up.

Happy Hatching,
val


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Hi!  I am new to this list and new to peafowl.  I hope some of you will be
able
to help me with some questions.  A couple of weeks ago I bought a beautiful
pair of three-year-old peafowl.  We have them in our barn for now and they are
doing fine.  Here's my questions:

1.  Many people have told me that if I did not raise them they will fly off
when I let them out.  The man I bought them from said to keep them up for a
while before turning them loose and they should be fine.  How long should I
keep them up and what other advice do any of you have to keep them from
leaving?

2.  They were being fed some kind of mash to keep egg production high.  I was
told I could just feed them shelled corn, which is what I have been feeding
them.  Is this all they need?  I'm not that concerned with egg production at
this point.

3.  I understand that peafowl lay and hatch their eggs sometime in June or
July.  Is this correct and should I expect to hatch any peafowl this year
since
they've just been moved?

I'm sorry to have to show my ignorance about peafowl, but I figure this is the
place to do it!  Thanks.
Lynn Grisard

----------------------------------------------
The Collective Soul WWW Page
<http://www.csoul.com>http://www.csoul.com
lynn@...
----------------------------------------------

"Hangin' on every word
  My social butterfly
  Everyone wants to be loved
  Loved in their own way"
-- Ross Childress

Brian and Michelle,

When we hatch our eggs in the incubator, it takes 26 to 27 days depending
how accurate your thermometer is. Once the chicks dry off in the hatcher, we
move them into the brooder (which we clean and warm up in advance). We then
supply the chicks with fresh water in a quart jar waterer, some fresh
hard-boiled egg that is crushed up, and a small feeder with medicated turkey
starter feed. The egg should go in glass or plastic to prevent it from
rusting a metal feeder. We add some fresh egg once a day to the brooder for
the first week or so. Peachicks will peck at it immediately.

We normally keep them in the brooder with the heat for about three to four
weeks. We then start cutting the heat back during the day(unless it is
cold). We sometimes put them in a pen outside in a sunny spot for a couple
hours a day. During the course of the next month, we move them outside in a
pen that we built. It has a closed in area that we have a heat lamp in and
it also has an outside run that is made of wire. The pen is built off the
ground. We only use the heat if it is cold. The pen is 3'x 8'x 3' high.

As far as feeding them, we start them on medicated grower pellets when they
reach about half of their full size, and always fresh water. They do need
some space. They grow rapidly and it would be best to give them a descent
size pen. We move ours into a closed building for the winter that is 8'x 12'
x 8' high. We supply them with a roost that is made of a 2"x6" board or some
of our pens have small tree trunks as roosts. We make them as long as space
permits so that the birds will roost at night. They will know enough to do
so on their own if the roost is provided.

That's about it. Good Luck!

Rod


Original Message-----
> From: Brian gallagher [mailto:gigsphon@...]
> Sent: Sunday, May 09, 1999 9:28 PM
> To: peafowl@onelist.com
> Subject: Re: [peafowl] A New Member
>
>
> From: "brian gallagher" <gigsphon@...>
>
> Hello I am new to peafowl and have gotten our first egg.  Can you tell me
> alittle about raising young peafowl that we may hatch?
> Thanks
> Brian and Michelle
> gigsphon@...
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: rgroce@... <rgroce@...>
> To: peafowl@onelist.com <peafowl@onelist.com>
> Date: Wednesday, April 21, 1999 10:48 PM
> Subject: [peafowl] A New Member
>
>
> >From: rgroce@...
> >
> >Hello,
> >
> >My name is Rod and I just joined this group. I began raising peafowl 4
> years ago. My first purchase was a pair of Blue India breeders.
> >
> >While talking to many people and visiting many places throughout
> the last 4
> years, I found out that there is a lot to know on this subject.
> >
> >My wife and I now have about sixty birds which include 11
> different colors.
> There are many different colors-at least 30 that are recognized by the
> United Peafowl Association.
> >
> >The chicks grow to about full size by the end of their first year. After
> that, they may get a little heavier but thats about it. As far as their
> tails go, only the males grow a train.Each year,they shed their
> tail and for
> the first 3 or 4 years, it grows in longer each time. They lose
> it after the
> mating season in late summer. It comes in a little at a time
> starting in the
> fall,
> >and by mid to late winter, it is in fully.
> >
> >A male peacock is generally fertile at the age of 2, and more
> than likely,
> a peahen is as well. We have hatched several chicks from 2 year olds.
> >
> >Enough for now, and good luck to everyone in the upcoming season.
> >
> >Rod
> >
> >------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >Have you visited the new ONElist home page lately?
> >http://www.ONElist.com
> >ONElist: The Leading e-mail list and community service on the Internet!
> >
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> To unsubscribe from this mailing list, or to change your subscription
> to digest, go to the ONElist web site, at http://www.onelist.com and
> select the Member Center link from the menu bar on the left.
>

Welcome to the list and congratulations...your first
egg.
Peafowl chicks are not difficult to raise, but they
are a bit tougher than chicken chicks.
They seem to like it a bit warmer in the brooder.
Also, when they are first born, they will probably not
know how to eat. I give mine hardboiled eggs when they
are 2 days old. Try to hand feed them, but if that
doesn't work, put some shiny things in the food. They
will try to play with the toys, and end up grabbing
ahold of some food in the process. They quickly get
the idea.
Then you can feed them turkey starter. If you can't
find turkey, then chick starter will work.
Give them good fresh water with electrolyte and
vitamins. You can get a small package for around 4
bucks. I give them that for about 1 month, then just
plain water.
Keep them in the brooder for as long as you can. When
you finally put them outside, they need to be in a
cage up off the ground. I have a 4x4x4 cage that hangs
from the ceiling. My chicks stay there for 1 year.
It keeps them safe from predators, and frees them from
worms and blackhead disease.
I probably forgot something here, but, this will get
you started.
Happy Hatching,
val
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Mary

Many of our pens are about 8'x 12'x 8 or 9' high. This seems to work well
with a trio of peafowl.

We supply a roosting area about 5 feet off the ground that is 6" to 8" wide
and long enough for the birds to fit on.

We also have runs outside of the closed buildings for the peacocks to go
outside into a fenced in area. They love the sun!

These are just suggestions on size but it's always a good idea to give them
as much room as you can.

Rod

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Chuck & Mary Bittner [mailto:deercrk@...]
> Sent: Tuesday, May 04, 1999 11:00 PM
> To: peafowl@onelist.com
> Subject: Re: [peafowl] A New Member
>
>
> From: "Chuck & Mary Bittner" <deercrk@...>
>
> My husband and I are new to the list.  We live in Texas and our
> peahens have
> not begun to lay yet.  I don't know exactly how old they are, but
> they were
> sold to us as two year olds, and they are big hens.  They are in
> a temporary
> enclosure and I'm concerned that the square footage may not be
> large enough
> that they will mate and lay.  Is there a rough estimate of square feet
> needed per bird?  There is the male and two hens in the pen.
> Mary
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Rod Groce <rgroce@...>
> To: peafowl@onelist.com <peafowl@onelist.com>
> Date: Tuesday, May 04, 1999 9:47 PM
> Subject: Re: [peafowl] A New Member
>
>
> >From: "Rod Groce" <rgroce@...>
> >
> >We are in NE PA and the peafowl have been mating for a few weeks now. We
> >have started to get eggs but they are not in full swing yet. Anytime now!
> If
> >your male is 2 years old, you may or may not have fertile eggs for the
> first
> >part of the season.
> >
> >Rod
> >
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: brian gallagher [mailto:gigsphon@...]
> >> Sent: Tuesday, May 04, 1999 10:24 PM
> >> To: peafowl@onelist.com
> >> Subject: Re: [peafowl] A New Member
> >>
> >>
> >> From: "brian gallagher" <gigsphon@...>
> >>
> >> when should my peafowl start mating ?
> >> i am in sw pa.
> >> thank you in advance
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: rgroce@... <rgroce@...>
> >> To: peafowl@onelist.com <peafowl@onelist.com>
> >> Date: Wednesday, April 21, 1999 10:48 PM
> >> Subject: [peafowl] A New Member
> >>
> >>
> >> >From: rgroce@...
> >> >
> >> >Hello,
> >> >
> >> >My name is Rod and I just joined this group. I began raising peafowl 4
> >> years ago. My first purchase was a pair of Blue India breeders.
> >> >
> >> >While talking to many people and visiting many places throughout
> >> the last 4
> >> years, I found out that there is a lot to know on this subject.
> >> >
> >> >My wife and I now have about sixty birds which include 11
> >> different colors.
> >> There are many different colors-at least 30 that are recognized by the
> >> United Peafowl Association.
> >> >
> >> >The chicks grow to about full size by the end of their first
> year. After
> >> that, they may get a little heavier but thats about it. As far as their
> >> tails go, only the males grow a train.Each year,they shed their
> >> tail and for
> >> the first 3 or 4 years, it grows in longer each time. They lose
> >> it after the
> >> mating season in late summer. It comes in a little at a time
> >> starting in the
> >> fall,
> >> >and by mid to late winter, it is in fully.
> >> >
> >> >A male peacock is generally fertile at the age of 2, and more
> >> than likely,
> >> a peahen is as well. We have hatched several chicks from 2 year olds.
> >> >
> >> >Enough for now, and good luck to everyone in the upcoming season.
> >> >
> >> >Rod
> >> >
> >>
> >------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >> >Have you visited the new ONElist home page lately?
> >> >http://www.ONElist.com
> >> >ONElist: The Leading e-mail list and community service on the
> Internet!
> >> >
> >>
> >>
> >>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
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> >> http://www.onelist.com
> >> Join today!
> >>
> >
> >
> >------------------------------------------------------------------------
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We are in NE PA and the peafowl have been mating for a few weeks now. We
have started to get eggs but they are not in full swing yet. Anytime now! If
your male is 2 years old, you may or may not have fertile eggs for the first
part of the season.

Rod

> -----Original Message-----
> From: brian gallagher [mailto:gigsphon@...]
> Sent: Tuesday, May 04, 1999 10:24 PM
> To: peafowl@onelist.com
> Subject: Re: [peafowl] A New Member
>
>
> From: "brian gallagher" <gigsphon@...>
>
> when should my peafowl start mating ?
> i am in sw pa.
> thank you in advance
> -----Original Message-----
> From: rgroce@... <rgroce@...>
> To: peafowl@onelist.com <peafowl@onelist.com>
> Date: Wednesday, April 21, 1999 10:48 PM
> Subject: [peafowl] A New Member
>
>
> >From: rgroce@...
> >
> >Hello,
> >
> >My name is Rod and I just joined this group. I began raising peafowl 4
> years ago. My first purchase was a pair of Blue India breeders.
> >
> >While talking to many people and visiting many places throughout
> the last 4
> years, I found out that there is a lot to know on this subject.
> >
> >My wife and I now have about sixty birds which include 11
> different colors.
> There are many different colors-at least 30 that are recognized by the
> United Peafowl Association.
> >
> >The chicks grow to about full size by the end of their first year. After
> that, they may get a little heavier but thats about it. As far as their
> tails go, only the males grow a train.Each year,they shed their
> tail and for
> the first 3 or 4 years, it grows in longer each time. They lose
> it after the
> mating season in late summer. It comes in a little at a time
> starting in the
> fall,
> >and by mid to late winter, it is in fully.
> >
> >A male peacock is generally fertile at the age of 2, and more
> than likely,
> a peahen is as well. We have hatched several chicks from 2 year olds.
> >
> >Enough for now, and good luck to everyone in the upcoming season.
> >
> >Rod
> >
> >------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >Have you visited the new ONElist home page lately?
> >http://www.ONElist.com
> >ONElist: The Leading e-mail list and community service on the Internet!
> >
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ONElist:  where real people with real interests get connected.
> http://www.onelist.com
> Join today!
>

when should my peafowl start mating ?
i am in sw pa.
thank you in advance
-----Original Message-----
From: rgroce@... <rgroce@...>
To: peafowl@onelist.com <peafowl@onelist.com>
Date: Wednesday, April 21, 1999 10:48 PM
Subject: [peafowl] A New Member


>From: rgroce@...
>
>Hello,
>
>My name is Rod and I just joined this group. I began raising peafowl 4
years ago. My first purchase was a pair of Blue India breeders.
>
>While talking to many people and visiting many places throughout the last 4
years, I found out that there is a lot to know on this subject.
>
>My wife and I now have about sixty birds which include 11 different colors.
There are many different colors-at least 30 that are recognized by the
United Peafowl Association.
>
>The chicks grow to about full size by the end of their first year. After
that, they may get a little heavier but thats about it. As far as their
tails go, only the males grow a train.Each year,they shed their tail and for
the first 3 or 4 years, it grows in longer each time. They lose it after the
mating season in late summer. It comes in a little at a time starting in the
fall,
>and by mid to late winter, it is in fully.
>
>A male peacock is generally fertile at the age of 2, and more than likely,
a peahen is as well. We have hatched several chicks from 2 year olds.
>
>Enough for now, and good luck to everyone in the upcoming season.
>
>Rod
>
>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Have you visited the new ONElist home page lately?
>http://www.ONElist.com
>ONElist: The Leading e-mail list and community service on the Internet!
>

We don't mix our chicks with the breeders usually until they are one year
old. You could try in late fall, but keep a close eye on them as the
breeders may or may not peck at or possibly kill the chicks.

As far as sexing the young, (Blues),the hens will have a sort of checkering
that is spread further apart than the checkering that a  male has.If you
look at the pattern on an older hen you may see what I mean.

								 Rod

> -----Original Message-----
> From: gloriach@... [mailto:gloriach@...]
> Sent: Tuesday, April 27, 1999 10:21 AM
> To: peafowl@onelist.com
> Subject: [peafowl] Introducing babies to parents
>
>
> From: gloriach@...
>
> This spring will be my first experience hatching incubated peahen
> eggs. I am expecting several to hatch by the first of May. How
> old do the babies need to be before introducing them to the
> parents? And are they easy to sex even though they don't have the
> distinquishing plummage early? Any advice will be appreciated. Gloria
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Show mom you love her.  Check out our great Mother's Day Gifts!
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>

When your chicks hatch they will not know how to eat,
so you will need to show them. If you have any chicken
chicks around, they can do it.
Start out, on the 2nd day by giving them mashed hard
boiled eggs. Peafowl chicks love them. Also, turkey
chick starter.
Second, you are their mother (congratulations).
Keep them in the brooder until outside temps are warm
enough at night, like around 65.
Peafowl chicks will need to be raised in a cage, up
off the floor until they are 1 year old.
I built a cage 4X4X4 and it is suspended from the
ceiling, about 4 ft off the ground. That is big enough
to house 4 birds until next spring.
And last but not least peafowl chicks cannot be sexed
by any method. You're just gonna have to be in
suspense. Now, THAT is the hard part.
Happy hatching,
val


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This spring will be my first experience hatching incubated peahen eggs. I am
expecting several to hatch by the first of May. How old do the babies need to be
before introducing them to the parents? And are they easy to sex even though
they don't have the distinquishing plummage early? Any advice will be
appreciated. Gloria

Hello I am new to this list.  I have recently acquired alot of peafowl, but
unfortunately I got them from a lady whose husband had passed and can not
identify all of them as I am new to this and do not know all the types.  Two
have speckly blue green and white necks and have alot of white on their backs
and wings.  Also, I have a bird that has a predominantly white head with some
brownish markings.  Can anyone help me?  Also if anyone has any ideas on how to
sex them or get them to lay as a few are mature birds.  In the blues some have
speckly backs and wings and some have gray are these male and female or immature
birds?
Thanks for all the help
Michelle in PA