Guest Author - Denise Lacazette

Peafowl are commonly referred to as Peacocks. Peacocks are actually the male of the species and peahen is the female. Young peafowl are referred to as peachicks. Many people all over the world raise peafowl and peafowl have become increasingly common as “lawn ornaments” for landowners. Peafowl are a hardy bird species that can live upwards of fifty years. Peafowl are resistant to many diseases and require little in the way of preventative care. It is recommended that they be wormed twice a year because they are susceptible to some internal parasites, but little else is required in the way of veterinarian care.

Young peafowl can be fed mash made from feed. Breeding peafowl should be fed layer feed. In addition to the feed, peafowl may have access to greens (grass, lettuce – not iceburg), insects (crickets, worms, grasshoppers), and edible flowers. Many people supplement the peafowl diet with dry dog or cat food to increase their protein intake. Other supplements include cracked corn, sunflower seeds, trout chow, and raw vegetables. If you use a quality game feed, additional supplements are not necessary. Raw vegetables can occasionally be given as a treat.

Suburban dwellers may need to think twice before considering peafowl as pets. Peafowl emit a high screech that sounds like a woman screaming. Your neighbors, deed restrictions, or city ordinances may prohibit the keeping of these lovely creatures. If you can keep peafowl there are a few things you will need to protect them from (and vice versa). Dogs, raccoons and some owls will prey on peafowl. When nesting, the hens are in danger from other predators like fox, opossum, and rats. Peafowl like roosting high and cars make nice high roosting spots. Peafowl are wonderful flyers so if you intend to cage them the roof will need to cover the entire enclosure. This also holds true for young chicks so ensure brooders are adequately secure. You should also provide perches made of 2x4 untreated wood for adults. Peafowl typically begin mating at age two although some have been known to mate sooner. Like Muscovy ducks, one male can service up to five females successfully. Clutch size for parent raised offspring ranges from 7-10 eggs.

Peafowl come in a wide variety of colors. They are beautiful animals with a hardy constitution and long life span. Some suburban areas have wild flocks of peafowl because people have let their pets go or let their flock size get out of control. Be a responsible pet owner which includes caring for your pet and making sure you exercise control over flock size and (permitted) roaming area if they are uncaged.

I have always considered peacocks some of the most spectacular birds around. ~ Denise