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How To Raise Peafowl? What Do You Need To Raise Peachicks
Raising birds can be a rewarding homesteading activity that offers many advantages, including chicken, ducks, and guinea fowl. This review by elliotthomestead.com will help you fall in love with peafowl. This article explains how to raise birds on your farm.
It is also possible to walk through essentials that will make your life easier. Before we go any further, let us first define peafowl. While peafowl is often used to describe majestic, feathery birds, it also includes many other characteristics.
What is Peafowl?
Although you may have heard the term peafowl used many times before, it is often an oversimplification. Peacock, or peafowl, is the male bird species. Peachicks and peahens are the offspring and female species. Peafowl, unlike hens, is temperamental.
It’s best to seek professional advice about how to raise them. Peafowls come in a variety of colors, including blue, emerald, and white. Indian Blue is the most popular.
These birds, according to experts, can live up to 40 years in zoos, farms, or other breeding areas. Peafowl lives a mere 20-year lifespan in the wild.
These fun facts will help you get started with peafowl raising:
- Peacocks were famous among royalty many years ago as a sign of wealth and opulence.
- Another name for a peacock’s tail is the train.
- Females have shorter tails than male peacocks.
- Pride is an ostentation name used to denote a group of peafowl.
- These birds come in three main types: the Congo peafowl and Indian peafowl.
- Peacocks are large and colorful. However, they have very short feathers and aren’t very colorful.
The Benefits of Raising a Peafowl:
You now know that the peafowl is one of the most intricate and decorated birds on Earth. But you want to ask questions like: Why should I keep them in mine?
People who raise peafowl do so for the following reasons:
- These birds will rid your home of pets and rodents.
- They make for great entertainment, especially in breeding season when they wag their trains to draw peahens. It is worth noting their decorative appearance in this instance.
- Peafowls are decorative birds, so some people keep them for their beauty.
- Peahen eggs can generate a lot of income, especially if they are sold to people interested in raising peafowl.
- Peacock raising can be done as a hobby or pastime.
- Peafowl feathers can be sold to artisans and women as they make exceptional decorations.
- These birds are rare and expensive because they take time to mature and mate.
- They are also expensive. These birds are expensive to buy and raise.
Raising Peafowl at Home: Homesteader’s Products Starter Kit Recommendations
Choosing the right products for your money can be difficult if you start out with peacocks or peahens. We did all the research and compiled the best products on the market.
You can buy a brooder or a coop from your local hatchery, farm, or shop at a local store.
Lastly, please don’t settle for substandard products when we offer the best but affordable items. Have a look at these:
The Best Choice Products: 80-inch Wooden Chicken Coop Nest box, Hen House Poultry Cage Hubch with Locking Doors, and Ramp
Every homesteader who wishes to raise birds is going to need a coop. Wooden structures are the most popular and preferred by poultry farmers. We recommend the 80-inch Poultry Hutch/House from Best Choice Products.
We would be happy to tell you why this is our top recommendation. You will also find amazing features to make your bird happy, such as:
- It is long-lasting/durable, thanks to a strong and resistant wood (fir) construction.
- Hardwoods are resistant to extreme weather and do not catch fire easily, as you probably know.
- The wire mesh ventilation ensures that your birds have fresh cool air all day.
- This birdhouse has a sliding tray that can be removed to make it easy for you to clean your peafowl poop every day.
- This nesting box is accessible through two doors with metal lock systems.
- It’s the best option if you want your birds to be safe from predators.
- Best Choice ensured that your bird coop was spacious. You get the best value for your money.
- It’s a sturdy construction that weighs 50 pounds.
- It is not only one of the most popular peafowl pen/coops, but it also provides excellent conformity to nesting birds.
Cozy Products CL-Safe Chicken Coop Heater 200 Watts Safer Than Brooder Lamp – One Size
Heating bulbs for bird coops are expensive. You don’t want to spend money that could endanger the lives and health of your birds.
We compared the top coop heaters on the market to make sure this doesn’t happen. We chose Cozy products CL safe chicken coop heater because:
- It is safe to install in bird coops.
- This is the ideal choice for small coops.
- There is no danger of overheating at 200 watts if the unit is installed at the correct height.
- It is made of plastic and weighs only 4.85 lbs.
- A one-size brooder lamp called Cozy Brooder Lamp is a heater for chickens.
- It does not raise the ambient temperature but radiates enough heat to keep birds warm in colder weather.
Grandpa’s Automatic Chicken Feeder-40 Pounds Feed capacity
Grandpa chicken feeders are a top-selling product on the market. This is because they offer greater quality to customers. They are highly sought after, and an Automatic Chicken Feeder with a 40-pound feed capacity was found to be the best.
You will be amazed at the amazing features it offers, such as:
- It’s an automatic feeder. It all comes down to the cantilever lid that is above the trough. The lid opens when birds place their feet on the platform attachment. It closes when they take their hands off.
- It is impervious to rats, wild birds, mice, and other animals that might try to steal the peafowl feed.
- A feed capacity of 18 kg is sufficient to provide enough food for 12 birds for 10 days.
- It is made of galvanized steel and aluminum for durability.
- It measures 16/5 x 21.5×16 inches.
Setup of two-gallon chicken waterer-Horizontal Nipple
Your peafowl will stay hydrated throughout the day with a good waterer. After looking at all the options, RentACoop industries’ 2-Gallon horizontal nipple setup caught our eye.
These are the reasons why it caught our attention:
- The lid is removable and easy to fill. It also comes with clear instructions.
- You don’t need to assemble it.
- You are supporting sustainable environmental conservation by purchasing this product. It is made of 100 percent recycled plastic.
- A 2-gallon container will keep four chicks for up to five days.
- Peafowl bedding is kept dry by the horizontal nipple arrangement.
- It has a no-roostcap, so peacocks or peahens can’t roost inside the waterer.
- RentACoop Industries 2-Gallon with horizontal Nipple Setup is an excellent product at a very affordable price of 1.6 pounds.
- The large dimensions of 8.9×8.9×9 inches allow for enough water to be stored for birds.
Backyard farm, Hatchmate egg incubator Automatic turner, 9-12 eggs chicken, quail, and turkey
Homesteaders need the best egg incubator to raise strong, healthy peachicks. With this in mind, we set out on a journey to find the best Backyard farm egg incubator.
The automatic turner in Hatchmate’s egg incubator makes it easy to candling eggs every day at the farm.
You can also store up to 12 eggs in this tabletop incubator, making it the most expensive product ever.
The following are just a few of the reasons we think it is the best:
- Clear see-through colors make candling on the move easy.
- This incubator measures 9 x 13x 7 inches and can hold either 9 or 12 quail eggs.
- This product features a minimalist design that is perfect for countertop use.
- This incubator is lightweight at 3.5 pounds and can be taken anywhere.
- The manual is easy to follow and includes troubleshooting tips, illustrations, and helpful incubation tips. This means that you’ll always be up-to-date.
- The incubator has a thermometer calibration that allows you to adjust the candling heat of an LED lighting source. It also features a fan that distributes heat evenly inside.
- Hatchmate incubators offer exceptional customer service, a 12-month product warranty, and a money-back guarantee.
- Here’s the best part. Even with all these fantastic features, you still get a great product that makes raising peafowl an enjoyable experience.
PICKY NEB 100% Dry Meal Worms (non-GMO), High-protein treats for birds, turtles, and hedgehogs.
It is not always easy to find the best mealworm food for birds. We did all the research for you so that this wouldn’t be a problem for peafowl farmers.
We settled on PICKY NEB dried mealworms because they are GMO-Free and can be used as a multipurpose feed for fish, hedgehogs, and hamsters.
It is also rich in essential nutrients, which we found to help boost birds’ immune systems during winter. It is an excellent feed for any bird, with these additional benefits:
- PICKY NEB Dry mealworm is safe for birds. It is GMO-free and does not contain any harmful additives or preservatives. It is also free of dust. The feed is high-energy, nutritious, and all-natural for peacocks and peahens.
- We recommend PICKY NEB Meatworms if you want to increase your peahens’ egg-laying ability. It is high in protein.
- It includes reusable bags that are easy to use and does not require refrigeration.
- Customers who have spent their hard-earned money on this product rarely ask for refunds. Because they have top-quality mealworm food, they can be loyal and provide top-quality food for their birds.
- PICKY NEB was founded on the love of birds and nature. It boasts many years of customer loyalty as well as the best bird treats available.
How and When To Raise Peafowl?
Winter or summer are the best times to start raising peafowl. Peachicks are an excellent choice to start.
Winter is the best time to keep your birds warm with a brooder.
They are not difficult to raise, so be careful when you have them in colder seasons.
Let’s now look at the basics. You will first need to know about incubation, brooding, and breeding, as well as feed, housing, worming, and bedding.
Breeding
Peafowl breeding is often done in March and August. This is not true for hens, who can lay eggs in a short time without having to go through a breeding period. It is recommended that you have breeding pens in which you can pair the birds.
You will notice that the peafowl can be heard up to 5 miles away. Once bred, a peahen will not produce eggs for the first year. However, once they begin to lay eggs, only one egg every two or three days. [1]
Incubation
Peahen eggs can take as long as 27 days to hatch or up to 30 days. However, it is essential to start candling them within ten days.
It would help if you also kept the temperature between 95 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit during this period. If you have peahens, another option is to allow them to sit on the eggs immediately after they are laid. You can sometimes hatch eggs using ducks or hens.
Peahens often have between 4-12 eggs in a clutch, but the average is 6. Peachicks can fly within one week of hatching fully feathered. Peahens can also brood twice per year, so they are not often available for purchase in restaurants.
Brooding
Brooding requires that the temperature be reduced by 5 degrees F each week, from 95 degrees F. You can also get a DIY brooder if you don’t have the money for one.
Peacocks and chickens often poop, so you will need to install a wire mesh under their brooder floor through which their droppings can fall. You should also ensure that the mesh is not too large to cause injury to your birds.
Peafowl is the first to grow, so you’ll need to move them into larger brooders or the coop sooner than you think.
Feeding Peafowl
Peacocks can be very picky about what they eat. Peacocks are an omnivore, so they eat all food, including grass, rat, and pasta. However, it would help if you didn’t give them leftovers or table scraps.
Farmers who raise these birds must have a plan for feeding them.
Importantly, ensure that their food contains sufficient protein. Usually, this is between 20 and 24 percent.
Mix game-bird meals and medicated feeds are best for peachicks. Amprolium is a preventative for Coccidiosis in starter feeds. Remember that peafowl needs clean water at all times.
Housing for Peafowl
Peafowl has different housing requirements depending on:
A pen will be needed to reduce the amount of noise that these birds make every year, which is at least three to four months. Some say that a peafowl’s sound is similar to a crying baby or a woman calling out for help. Before you decide to raise these birds, make sure you check with your neighbors.
You should make a pen that is easy for them to clean, as they can poop often.
These birds require a lot of space. This is particularly important for male species with long trains. They also have less flight risk the more space they have. It is not a good idea to raise peafowl for the sole purpose of allowing them to fly wild and never return.
Another factor that can influence the size of the pen you build is your age. A peafowl has a long tail and needs to exercise and fan its feathers. This makes 7 feet by 10 feet the ideal size for a starting point.
The number of birds will also affect the house’s length. Adult males will fight in cramped spaces, so each bird should have at least 100 square feet of free space.
Bedding for Peafowl
Peacocks and peahens don’t need fancy platforms to sleep on, but they must be protected from frostbite in winter. Pine shavings and straw make excellent bedding materials. They provide much-needed insulation from cold weather. They are also very absorbent, dry and comfortable.
Worming
Peafowls are free-range birds, so it is important to worm them every 3 to 5 months. The best dewormer for peacocks is piperazine, which most peahen farmers also use. It comes in liquid or pill form. However, the liquid version is more effective as it dissolves in water much faster than the tablet.
You will need to place a pill wormer in the throat of a peafowl if you want to use it. You can also use the following dewormers:
- Panacur (Fenbendazole) is an effective treatment for worms in capillaries
- Ivermectin is a dewormer for cattle that can be laced with bread
Conclusion
If you don’t have the right knowledge, it will be challenging to raise peafowl. This is especially true if you are just starting out as a homesteader. However, having read this review https://elliotthomestead.com, it is in our interest that you get started as a pro and make it a success.
We trust you will have a wonderful experience with this most beautiful bird, thanks to the advice and tips in this review. This is not to mention that you can ask questions and share your views in the comments section.
We love to hear from you about our reviews and how you have put everything into practice.
This post should be shared on social media to help your friends learn how to raise peachicks as peahens or peacocks. This would be a welcome relief to anyone who has been searching for the best peafowl wormer.
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This is a super-useful post. I have always been a top admirer of these birds bit i’m just confused about how to raise them in my garden too. I’m glad you put this up here. You have just won another medal with me. Lol
We had a wild peacock (male) fly into our ranch, three months ago. We feed him, but he seems to only like cracked sunflower seeds. He does eat a little cracked corn also, which we were told to get for him. He does not seem to like the chicken scratch that we were told to give to him.
Now that colder weather is starting, we don’t know “how” to help him keep warm. We are near Tyler Texas. This bird is fairly wild…we can only get within three or four feet of him. He does, however, come around morning & evening when we call him, as he knows that we are going to feed him.
Can you provide some advise for us, as winter is coming. ( he is sleeping high up in the trees at night) We are concerned about harsh winds,rain and near freezing/freezing temperatures.
My husband says that even if he builds him a “house,” he probably won’t use it.
Any advise would be much appreciated…Thanks…Betty
Hello Betty,
Peafowls have a habit of spending the night up in trees because they find it safer there.
So it may not be easy to stop your peacock from sleeping outside.
However, my advise is that you put up a perch nearer the place where he spends most time. I’m worried that winter is gathering momentum and it will be hash for your feathery friend to spend the night in the cold. But don’t worry.
He will come around just make sure to keep giving him the food he likes so he will continue to feel wanted and cared for. Watch his movements to learn how he interacts with the surrounding, maybe they will give a clue about where to put up a perch and where to build a shelter.
A peafowl is often temperamental, agreed! This species of birds can be reared for a whole lot of things especially those that have been pointed out here. When I was still living in the countryside, I had pride in it. People were always ready to pay for the eggs and the feathers were also selling fast. They are also very good at helping you keep rodents far away from your home.