AUSTRALIAN POULTRY FORUM™

Buying Peacocks for Free Roaming

If your in the market for Peacocks/Peahens to roam your property then we have a few tips that might help keep them happy and at home.

(1)WHEN SHOULD I BUY PEACOCKS?
Try to buy your Peacocks at the start of the Breeding season, as you will “Lock them up” for a Minimum of 3 Months (Young) or 6 Months (Adult) this will ensure when you do release them it won’t be the breeding season.

(2)WHAT SHOULD I BUY?
You should always try to buy a TRIO that is a Peacock & Two Peahens that are of the same or similar age.

(3)WHY BUY A TRIO?
If you were to buy two Peacocks and One Peahen then you may have problems come breeding season one male may chase off the other or one may simply leave in search of his own mate or both may leave for the same reason taking the Peahen in the process.

(4) WHAT IF A BUY JUST PEACOCKS (MALES)?
This is a risky move and almost certainly will end with them leaving in search of a mate. (Refer to 6 for Options)

(5) I’VE BEEN TOLD IF I BUY PEACOCKS YOUNG THEY WILL STAY?
Buying Peacocks (Males) young will increase your odds of success but when the birds reach breeding age and there are no Peahens, their breeding urges will outweigh any loyalty in their mind they MUST breed.

(6) WHAT IF I DON’T WANT PEAHENS (FEMALES) OR TO BREED THEM?
It is Possible to just have Peacocks (Males) with no Peahens (Females) and have them Roaming around. If you purchase young Peacocks then for the first 18 Months you shouldn’t have many issues it’s after the age of 2 than the birds mature. This option applies to Peacocks 2 years or over and should help keep your Peacocks at Home. As the breeding season approaches, you will know this by the Peacocks developing their TRAIN (Tail) once the Train reaches half growth (approx 0.7 Meters) you will have to “LOCK THEM UP” you can do this with little fuss by offering food in the pen, once they enter, close the door. Keep them “Locked Up” for the entire breeding season you will know when it’s over as the Peacocks will shed their Train, when they have completely shed their Train you can then open the pen door and let them out.

(7) WHAT IF A DON’T WANT TO “LOCK THEM UP” FOR THE BREEDING SEASON
Refer to 4 for the likely outcome.

I ALREADY HAVE A PEACOCK AND NO PEAHENS?
Follow option 6

Peacocks Australia

? One boy has a half long train and the other, although from the same clutch has only two "eye feathers". We mostly lock up the young ones at night, as they usually come in. Also next year when the boys are even more mature do you reckon they will stay around even tho the girls will not be quite ready. We are going to keep our eyes peeled for some older girls. We are finding your info very helpful and really appreciate that you take the time to put it up. Cheers, Pam

Hi Pam, Thanks for your post and the complements, It's good to know poeple appreciate our efforts. Can I ask a few questions first before giving some advise?

How old are the Boys?

How many Girls do you have now?

How old are the Girls?

Thanks
Peacocks Australia

P.s Do you have any Photos of your birds we could add to our Gallery?

Sorry. Half the message didn't go up. Don't know why! The boys are 18months and seem pretty attached to here. The girls, 1 blue, 2 pied and there are two white that we don't know the sex of yet, are about 8 months old, so not ready to breed. The younger ones, if we are there at the right moment come into their pen at night to be fed,and we lock them up, but the boys are a bit more wary and head for the trees. If we are not there they all go up to the trees. We have about 6 really tall trees and they go high up. Our idea is to lock them up for the mating season when they are of age but we figure that is a few years yet. We will have a lot more big cages built by then. And what do they do for a nest. Do we supply stuff like straw or do they just find a place??? Thanks, Pam. PS Why has one18month old boy got half a train and the other only a few eye feathers when they are out of the same clutch??

Hi Pam, Locking them up for the breeding season is a smart move, but don't wait a "Few Years" If the Boys are 18 months then the NEXT season they will be Mature and looking for some Loven It's not unusual for some young Peacocks prior to Maturity to have "Semi Trains" these are not a true train but premature feathers and nothing to worry about. This can happen to one or more from a clutch of young. you can offer Straw or Hay in the Shelter area but in many cases they just dig a hole and lay (usually where you don't want them to)

Hope this helps

Thanks
Peacocks Australia

Thanks for that. We usually can get the young ones in but the Blues Brothers are a lot more wary, head off quickly when they see us coming. We had to band them and they have long memories. At present I am working on feeding them each day by calling them. Any hints on how to sex the two white ones: they are 8 months old too. Pam

Hi Pam, We sex them by the head size and shape the Peacock has a larger and more pointed head than the Peafowl. This has proven to be very accurate way of sexing young whites (NOTE: We only guarantee sex at or after 12 months) Once you've bred a few you lean to sex them quite easily.


Thanks
Peacocks Australia

I reckon ours are the same sex as I just can't see any difference in anything. Occasionally I think one is male. The other question I thought of is do they all have the spur or only the boys ( remember our boys are the only older ones so they have them )? Also in your pens do you have floors of any kind or just dirt and if so do you put anything on the ground for them? I have looked at your photos with plants and all, in the pen but can't see if they are growing or just brought in. Cheers, Pam

Hi Pam, Some may suggest White Peafowl don't have "Spurs" in our experience they DO. We have Cane and Hay mixed in the shelter area and Loam(sand) everywhere else, Yes the plants are growing, we use friut trees (Lemon & Orange) & Banana Plants they don't eat these.

P.s If you can't see any difference then it's a fair bet they are the same sex? the head shape difference is quite noticeable.

Thanks
Peacocks Australia

Hi PA and Pam,
Just confirming what PA has stated -- all my White Peacocks have spurs, however I have a normal hen who has no spurs!!.

Regards,
Snowball :D :D :D