Peafowl - Peacocks
I LOVE PEAFOWL! Deron and I had Peacocks in Marthasville, MO several years ago. I am sure we will have them again, we did enjoy them. They are such beautiful creatures and the males tails are a site to behold! There are different colors that Peafowl come in and some are pure white.
If you want to own Peafowl you need room and you need room away from neighbors. Peacocks are very loud. They have a "call" that is very loud and sound (to me) like "Carrrroooool, Carrrooooool!" Once you know what it is, you won't forget it. I love the sound. It has however been mistaken for a woman in distress and or someone calling for help.
Fencing for Peafowl can be costly. You will need poultry wire to keep babies in and predators out. Your fencing needs to be really set tight and correct and a minimum of 8' tall or your birds will fly right out. Most peafowl keepers add a wire or at least one half wire roof, with the other half being some sort of weather and sun protector. Cocks need room to open their tails and the birds need room so that their area does not become so soiled that the feathers of the male bird are frayed and dirty. Keep in mind that your Peacocks will need room to turn around in your Peafowl caging so your pen needs to be both wide and long. Peacocks also need large thick perches and a house large enough for the entire bird with tail down or up and be able to turn around in the house easily. So your shelter needs to be wide and high. And of course, as with any animals, your shelter needs to be draft free and dry.
Many people have fed their peacocks a chicken food with extra corn and more wheat added. Adding a bit of wild bird from time to time to the Peafowls seed can be fun for the birds too. Peacocks do need about 20% protein. They also need some sort of grit so that their food can be digested properly. I have seen photos of how people hang their peafowl feed and water dishes from chains to keep them up and cleaner without the birds stepping in their own food or water, and keeping the food and water cleaner.....and peafowl do become large tall birds. And of course, and I can not even believe that some folks need to be told this, have clean water available to your peafowl at all times.
Peafowl are not hard to keep, but must be cared for properly to be healthy and thrive.
The feathers, especially, but not only, the long tail feathers can be sold or used by the owners for crafts and displays. Many people make their feed bills selling feather, eggs, and crafts they have handcrafted themselves from the birds they keep.
|