Time with My Peafowl
Whenever guests are here at the farm, they always take time to visit with the animals - my dogs, kittens, horses, donkeys, chickens, geese, and my peafowl.
Peafowl are very curious and social birds - they usually travel in groups, enjoy foraging, and often play together. They live in a very safe and comfortable pen near my stable, where they get lots of attention. Occasionally, I let them out of their enclosure for a short while to roam the area and explore. Fortunately, they are also very loyal and tend to stay close to where they are well-fed and well-protected from predators.
Enjoy these recent photos.
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- I keep all my birds in large, protected enclosures because of the predators that sometime wander through the property, such as coyotes. The birds feel safe in these spaces, but can view all the activities at the farm.
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- Peafowl are smart, docile and adaptable birds. They are also quite clever. It is not unusual for peafowl to come running when the food appears.
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- In all I have 16 peafowl – juveniles and adults. I also have three peachicks. Within a year, peacocks are almost completely mature. Two year olds resemble adult males, but their tails are still short and need time to develop. They become sexually active around the age of three. Peahens develop faster than peacocks and can mate as early as one.
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- And although they are large and quite heavy for birds, peacocks can fly, but not for very long periods of time or for long distances.
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- Peafowl are ground feeders. They do most of their foraging in the early morning and evening. As omnivores, they eat insects, plants, grains, and small creatures.
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- I give all the birds fresh produce every day. This peacock is snacking on a newly opened pumpkin.
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- I also give my peafowl a special game bird food mix fortified with vitamins and other nutrients.
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- Peafowl are members of the pheasant family. There are two Asiatic species – the blue or Indian peafowl native to India and Sri Lanka, and the green peafowl originally from Java and Burma, and one African species, the Congo peafowl from African rain forests. Here is one of my blue peacocks – it is no longer breeding season, so his tail is short. It will grow full feathers again next spring when mating season starts.
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- Both male and female peafowl have a fan-shaped crest on their heads called a corona. It may take up to one year for a corona to reach full size.
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- White peacocks are the result of leucism or albinism. While leucistic white peacocks are far more common than albino peacocks, both types are rare.
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- Peacocks and peahens are alert and curious animals – can’t sneak up on any of them.
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- Because most of these birds have been raised here at the farm, they’re accustomed to the various noises.
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- Peafowl are pretty tolerant of cooler weather also. Their feathering and ability to regulate body temperatures help them to stay warm. They do have a heated coop, where they can take shelter during unpleasant conditions.
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- Peafowl will look at you in the eye; however, if you stare at them or seem aggressive in your body movements, these birds will feel threatened. Talking softly and keeping eyes averted tells them you are not a predator.
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- Peafowl have acute hearing, but can be poor at discerning from what direction certain sounds originate.
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- Like many birds, peafowl enjoy roosting at higher levels. In the wild, this keeps them safe from predators at night.
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- And look closely at its feet. A peafowl’s legs are very strong. They have three toes on each foot facing forward, and one facing backwards. They also have sharp, powerful metatarsal spurs that are used for defense. Also, as they develop, males will tend to have longer legs than females.
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- As beautiful as peafowl are, they don’t make very melodious sounds. Peafowl have 11 different calls, with most of the vocalizing made by the peacocks. And, with their sharp eyesight, peafowl are quick to see predators and call out alarms. Oftentimes, I can hear them from across the farm.
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- They are put indoors every night – to keep them extra safe.
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- I try to visit them at least once a day to check on their general health and well-being. They are all very content here at the farm.
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- I always call out to them whenever I drive by… and oftentimes, they answer. And remember, only the males are peacocks. The females are peahens, and both are called peafowl. Babies are peachicks. A family of peafowl is called a bevy. And a group is called an “ostentation” or a “muster.”
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