Moving the Peafowl

August 20, 2016

It's moving day for my beautiful peafowl.

Yesterday, the weather was very pleasant - quite calm, and not too warm. It was the perfect day to introduce the peacocks, peahens and peachicks to their new homes. These birds are housed in three different locations at the farm - the peafowl pen, the corn crib, and in a coop within the chicken yard designated as the "nursery" for new birds.

One by one, we moved the adult peafowl to their new structure near my allee of lindens. It will take a few weeks for them to acclimate to their new surroundings, but in time, I am sure they will love it. Here are some photos from the move. Enjoy and have a wonderful weekend!

: This is my old corn crib, where my Black Shoulder Pied peahen and Black Shoulder Silver Pied peacock reside.

: We moved each of the adult peafowl to their new home – a very short drive or walk to the other side of the farm.

: Dawa is currently in charge of all the farm birds, including the chickens, geese, peafowl, and turkeys. All of them know Dawa and are comfortable with him.

: Here is my Black Shoulder Silver Pied peacock. Because the males are very territorial, the white peacock and peahen will be on one side of the new house, and the blue peacock and his harem will stay on the other.

: We quickly returned to the corn crib to get the peahen, so the pair wouldn’t feel too lonely for too long.

: The Silver Pied is a white bird with about 10 to 20-percent color on it, including the bright iridescent blue. He also has white-eyed feathers in his train.

: Here is my Black Shoulder Pied peahen now in her new and safe shelter.

: Next, Dawa and Pete went to the old peafowl pen to get the three other adult birds.

: Here is the Black Shoulder Pied peacock. When moving peafowl, both legs should be gently pushed up to its stomach, so it feels secure. The wings should also be held down with an arm, which will keep it from trying to escape or defend itself.

: I just love its beautiful train. Peacocks lose all their feathers once a year after mating season and then grown them all back.

: The old peafowl pen is actually on the other side of the new coop, so for this peahen, it was just a short walk.

: Peafowl are beautiful birds, but do not underestimate their power – they are extremely strong with very sharp spurs.

: Peafowl are flocking ground birds that tend to stay where they are happy. They will need to be kept inside this new house for a couple of weeks until they are completely acclimated to the new surroundings.

: Because they have grown up here at the farm, these peahens are used to the various sounds made by the outdoor grounds crew. They quickly found the tree and perched on its branches.

: 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.

: The last stop was the peachick coop. The last coop in the chicken yard is used as the “nursery” for new chicks and poults.

: These peachicks were hatched right in my kitchen, in an incubator made specially for eggs. Their eggs were kept at 99-100 degrees Fahrenheit for 28 to 30 days and turned three to five times each 24-hours.

: Both male and female peafowl have a fan-shaped crest on their heads called a corona. If you look closely at the top of this baby bird’s head, you can see the crest just sprouting. It may take up to one year for a corona to reach full size.

: Peafowl have acute hearing, but can be poor at discerning from what direction certain sounds originate.

: Peafowl are pretty social and curious animals. Chicks like to play, pester each other and explore if allowed. Peafowl are also very smart, docile and adaptable birds.

: Dawa gathered all the chicks and placed them in a carrier for the short walk to their new home. The tiniest chick on the right is actually a young turkey – it will stay with its friends until it’s old enough to roam around with the more mature turkeys in the chicken yard.

: These babies will love their new coop – it is larger and much quieter than the chicken coop. After some time, they will also be allowed to roam their outdoor space during the day.

: Dawa set them down on the floor of the new house. As peachicks get to be yearlings, their individual personalities become more evident. Some will be more tame and more friendly than others. So far, these chicks are nothing short of adorable.

: And as soon as they were released, they explored the enclosed environment. Full grown, peafowl can weigh up to 13-pounds, and peacocks with their majestic trains can reach body lengths of more than five feet. I’m so pleased these babies are healthy and happy at the farm.