Breeding Season.

snowbald · **Posted:** Thu Jul 14, 2005 8:57 pm

Hi everyone,

Whats happening in the peacock pens :?:

.

My males are still regrowing their trains but are starting to display and rattle their tails to the females - who at this time have headache's and are not interested. I'm building their diet up at the moment.

Does anyone leave their birds to self incubate or do you rob all eggs. :?:

If you let your birds incubate their own what sort of nest,nesting material, cover or whatever to you find best.

Looking forward to feedback, good breeding to all,
Snowball.

Peacocks Australia · **Joined:** Wed Jan 02, 2002 9:14 am **Posts:** 310755

Our Peacocks are at the same stage, "all show but no punch"

We do have 106 Pekin Bantam eggs in Incutation and should hatch 30th July? all going well.

Thanks
Peacocks Australia :lol:

R_M · **Posted:** Wed Aug 17, 2005 5:07 pm

Snowball, In regard to nesting material, I used straw in the pen last year but the hens raked it all out until they hit dirt and laid them there. (two hens in the one nest)
They initially refused to sit so I kept taking the eggs and incubated them.
Toward the end of the season, i decided to leave some "dud" eggs (some that didn't hatch in the incubator) in the nest and finally one of the hens sat and raised 5 beautiful babies.
Another young hen laid 5 eggs in the garden under some steps, in full view of everybody, (once again the nest was just a scrape in the dirt) and hatched 3 youngsters.
Another (not so bright) hen laid and sat on top of an outside dunny, just on the tin.
The eggs (2) didn't hatch.
She was only just over a year old.
Does that help?

snowbald · **Posted:** Wed Aug 17, 2005 8:00 pm

Hi Buggsy,
Last year my peacocks did the same they threw out all the staw I had put in the nesting cage till they got down onto bare earth, then they scooped out some of that and laid. I took all the eggs and set in the incubator. The year before they threw some straw out but laid in straw :!:

. See what will happen this year -- still nothing serious happening in the pens.
Regards,
Snowball. :D :D :D

R_M · **Posted:** Thu Aug 18, 2005 9:57 am

Nothing happening with me either as yet. My cocks aren't even calling yet, but I have noticed that my free range cock is starting to bully the other uncoloured cock (his son) that I still have roaming around.
Hopefully things will start to stir up soon.
Have any of you had serious issues with the dominant cock driving away other cock birds?
Should I get rid of the younger one or can he still hang around in the group?

Peacocks Australia · **Joined:** Wed Jan 02, 2002 9:14 am **Posts:** 310755

Hi Buggsy, it is very common for a Dominant Peacock to drive away his rivals even young Peacocks, especially if there is a limtied number of Peafowl, so it would pay for you to keep a close eye on both birds or lock one of them up. Many years ago we lost a adult Peacocks under these circumstances, on our other property in Brisbane "west" this is over 100 acres and the Dominant Peacock was seen chasing the other one over 2 kms away from the Homestead (he's probebly still runing) we now lock up any "old" Peacocks on that property and Peace now rains!

Thanks
Peacocks Australia :lol:

R_M · **Posted:** Thu Aug 18, 2005 12:51 pm

So therefore I assume that I can't have any more than one cock (maturish) free roaming at a time?
I s'pose I could lock up the youngest one until the breeding season is over.
Would that help?

snowbald · **Posted:** Thu Aug 18, 2005 6:36 pm

Hi all,
I have had males roaming free and pened together with no problems during the non breeding season but come breeding season it's a different story. I always keep them apart then. Like PA I also lost a younger male when the dominant male chased him off and he's never been seen since even though I put adds in the local paper and on the radio--as he was rung. :evil:

Regards,
Snowball :lol:

Peacocks Australia · **Joined:** Wed Jan 02, 2002 9:14 am **Posts:** 310755

Hi Buggsy Yes if you lock up the youngster problem solved, it should be noted that not all Adult Peacocks are "Dominant" it is common as I said but not a rule. If anyone wants a few Peacocks roaming around keep a CLOSE eye on them in the breeding season. The following story might reinforce this.

We have a Member of our local Poulty club, she's had Peacocks & Peafowl for donkeys years. Helen is on 5 acres 10km south of Sarina (30km south of Mackay) she has roughly 25 Peacocks & 10 Peafowl to cut a long story short, We spoke at the last meeting a week ago and as a coincident she was very unhappy, all hell broke loose at home.(with the Peacocks) For the last several years not problems at all, but this season a very different story one Peacock want's ALL the peafowl and at last count she can only find 12 Peacocks. She has already locked-up the Offending bird but the rest are terrified. We are going down on the weekend to TRY to find the rest?????

This shows that you never know??????

Thanks
Peacocks Australia :lol:

R_M · **Posted:** Fri Aug 19, 2005 9:08 am

Thanks for that info boys and girls..
I'm locking him up....
I have noticed that the free range cock is hanging around the other adult male in the aviary this morning so I think the testosterone is starting to course thru his veins.

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