Lone peahen

debbieo4914 · **Posted:** Mon Dec 22, 2008 9:22 am

Hi everyone,

I lost my peacock, Heathcliff, to a respiratory disease last week and his peahen is recovering (I hope) from the same disease.

They have been penned since we bought them at the beginning of the year, as we live on 2 acres with normal fencing and didn't want them to wander to the neighbours. Now that the peahen is on her own, I would like to be able to let her out with the other poultry every now and then and was wondering if it was likely that she would stay with the flock or go looking for a mate? She has been calling a bit today.

At the moment she is still penned, and has a trio of pekin bantams and a belgian cockerel for company. They have been with her for about a month, and I hoped that she might have bonded to them (and her pen with food and water) enough not to wander too far.

I don't want to get another peacock at the moment, especially while this respiratory bug is hanging around, and would prefer to wait a couple of years until we might be able to move to more acres where they can free-range. Will she be okay without a mate, with chickens, turkeys & ducks for company, or will she be lonely?

Any suggestions?

Thanks.

Deb

Mandy · **Posted:** Mon Dec 22, 2008 2:55 pm

Hi Deb,

So sorry to hear of Heathcliff's passing and of course your lone peahen. I do hope that she makes a full recovery Deb, and wish you well. Sorry, but we've never had a lone peafowl apart from our resident Pretty Boy who has been a sole daily resident visitor for around 5 years. He wanders in very early morning when I'm feeding the wallabies, lorikeets and abundant wildlife and then remains until dusk... then off he goes into the bush only to return again the next morning...
He was most happy with his own company but recently we introduced our new peahen and now he is over the moon... the girls do try to avoid him though and none thus far have followed him home to the bush of an evening.
Only two of our girls are free roaming daily at present as the other three are younger and tend to enjoy the safety of their pen of an evening. We only release them of a weekend whilst we are there to keep a close eye out for predators. It would be wonderful if your Sweetheart could be as happy wandering around with her other friends as Pretty Boy was ... at least she has new friends whilst Pretty Boy was quite alone for years, fending off the lorikeets, wallabies and bird life from his food stash with his beautiful dance and extended tail feathers!
Good luck Deb and if we don't speak again before Christmas, do have a happy, safe and merry Christmas...

Cheers,
Mandy

debbieo4914 · **Posted:** Mon Dec 22, 2008 4:09 pm

Thank you, Mandy, for your beautiful post!

I'm not going to let her out until I'm sure she's well, so I've got a bit of time to observe her and make up my mind, I guess.

You have a wonderful Christmas too!

Deb :-D

bunyanuternie · **Joined:** Wed Jul 11, 2007 10:31 pm **Posts:** 2903

Sorry Deb

I hope your peahen isn't fretting to much , I have a mate who has a lone peahen and she doesn't wander at all , but she is still young , His was a case of the male got the wanders and the hen stayed at home . Let us know when your ready for a male I'm sure their will be a nice healthy QLDer that can take care of her , if we can work out how to get him their . I hope your peahen recovers ,Have a good christmas , Ian and Family

debbieo4914 · **Posted:** Tue Dec 23, 2008 6:27 am

Hi Ian - long time no hear! Thanks for your response. My hen is also young - a bit over 12 months old - so hopefully she'll stick around when I do let her out.

She finished her 2nd course of antibiotics last night and is looking okay but still opening her beak like she's trying to cough. I am tempted to give her a bit longer on them to make sure she is really over it.

I will keep you in mind when we are looking for a boy again - maybe a split or pied as she is a split.

I hope you and your beautiful family have a great Christmas too!

Deb :-D

Pam Jackass · **Joined:** Sat Jun 18, 2005 7:21 pm **Posts:** 284

Oh, how sad Deb. Most often it is the other way around and people lose the hen. I think you are so right that 2 acres is too small and as she is exposed to the chooks will pick up anything from them. I know it would be heartbreaking for you to sell her but I think I would and start again when you are on a larger place. Having said that I do think that if you keep her and let her out what you are going to have to watch for is that she will lay and you may not be able to find where she is and consequently run the risk of losing her too. Your other alternative is to try and pick up a mature male but of course there you are back to square one with space limits etc. You could try building a really big aviary and keeping her in there and getting a new boy but having them on fresh ground. I assume you are feeding lots of protein, not just chook layers etc, to keep her healthy. It is so awful when things like that happen. Yours, Pam

debbieo4914 · **Posted:** Sun Dec 28, 2008 8:21 pm

Thanks for your advice, Pam. She seems to be recovering well now. She's been off antibiotics for about 4-5 days now and seems to be healthy.

I did think of selling her, but couldn't pass this horrible disease on to anyone else - she may be a carrier for quite some time. I don't think I'll buy a new boy in, either, as he would probably not have been exposed to this bug elsewhere and would just get hit by it when he arrives. I couldn't bear to see another beautiful bird die from it.

So I think I'm stuck with her, and she with us.

I will keep her protein up and try to keep her healthy from now on.

Deb

LOOLOO · **Posted:** Sat Jan 03, 2009 11:58 am

very sad to read about Heathcliff

so sorry Deb

Pam Jackass · **Joined:** Sat Jun 18, 2005 7:21 pm **Posts:** 284

I wish I could help as we have boys that have been brought up with chooks and our chooks have had every disease known to man I think but you are a bit far away!!! I was talking to a guy that only has one acre and he breeds and everything but all the neighbours with the exception of one love them so they free range over a big area. Yours, Pam

debbieo4914 · **Posted:** Sat Jan 03, 2009 3:14 pm

Thanks Loo Loo & Pam,

She is looking really good now, and I'm glad I still have her. It is a shame, but I am a bit far from you, Pam. It would be a long trip for a bird.

Do you think she might befriend my two young turkey toms, or is that not a good idea?

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