AUSTRALIAN POULTRY FORUM™

FREE ROAMING PEACOCKS – GETTING IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME

Unfortunately many people who buy Peacocks for the first time will through either bad advice or Impatience make the mistake of letting them out too soon and with no Preparation. This Article is hoped to help people from having to go through the heart ace and the cost of replacing them over and over.

This Article is for FREE ROAMING PEACOCKS


BRINGING HOME YOUR NEW PEACOCKS: Before you go out and buy your peacocks please make sure you have the RIGHT pen to house them. What is the right pen? We recommend a pen no smaller than 8 x 4 x 3 Meters but NO larger than 10 x 4 x3 Meters WHY? It is VERY important that your new Peacocks GET TO KNOW YOU and in smaller pens this will happen must faster. The pen MUST be roofed or your new birds will go on a ONE way holiday, you also need to have High perches in the shelter area and low perches out of the shelter. You can house them with other birds, i.e.. Chooks, Turkey’s ECT.. BUT check with the person you have brought them off FIRST as some Peafowl can be VERY aggressive, WHAT NEXT? Your pen is ready? (With Roof) Food and Water bowls Ready?

Your in the car and on your way home with your new Peacocks, WHATS THE TIME? NEVER release ANY birds in the late afternoon you should release them at FIRST light WHY? This gives them the whole day to formularise themselves with the new pen and to find their roost and will help limit stress. WHAT IF GET HOME AT 3 or 4 PM Leave them in the box or cage overnight and release them at first light.

WHAT TO FEED THEM: Peacocks should be fed a Gain mix, you can mix you own or buy a pre mix from Pet shops Or Produce Stores ( Course Grain Mix) this should be offered at ALL times in a large bowl. They will also need Greens i.e.. Lettuce, Silverbeet, Cabbage, ECT.. Also Shell Grit should be offered, Bread and Cat Biscuits.

WHEN DO I FEED THEM? You should spend as much time as possible with them or around them and food is a good way of helping the bonding process, Greens, Bread & Cat Biscuits should be fed daily

DO I JUST THROW IT IN A LEAVE, NO go in the pen and sit on something low then, starting with Bread, brake of small pieces and throw it about 15 feet in front of you, keep doing this until all the food is on the ground stay seated as long as possible, and when you do get up do this slowly and move away (opposite direction) from the birds and the food do this EVERY day.

HOW LONG DO THEY HAVE TO STAY “LOCKED UP”
This will depend on the AGE of the Peacocks, if they are under 12 Months then a MINIMUM of 3 MONTHS if they are over 12 Months then a MINIMUM of 6 MONTHS remember the longer you pen them the greater the odds for success.


PREPARATION FOR RELEASE:
3 WEEKS Prior the “BIG DAY” (the day of release) you will need the clip ONE wing of ALL the Peacocks you are going to release, clip only the Primary flight feathers and ONLY ONE WING. Also while you have each bird it is a good idea to ring them using Plastic Turkey leg rings make sure the ring is ABOVE the Spur? WHY CLIP THERE WING AND WHY 3 WEEKS BEFORE? Clipping their wing will stop them from flying but still allowing them some lift for roosting at night. Clipping their wing 3 weeks prior to release allows the birds to resettle and to forgive you for doing it.

TIME TO RELEASE THEM “THE BIG DAY”
We recommend a Saturday and a weekend were you plan to be there the whole time WHY? If you own other animals in particular a Dog you will need to keep a close eye on he or she even if they showed no interest when the Peacocks were penned, it’s a different story when there out walking around. Other birds can be a problem like Roosters, Turkey’s ECT.. So just watch from a distance.

HOW SHOULD I GET THEM OUT OF THE PEN Simply open the pen door making sure it stays open and WALK OFF you should NOT under any circumstances chase the birds out of the pen, if they don’t want to come out that ok. Once the Peacocks are out, leave them alone, give them plenty of breathing space, let them explore. You may find as they leave the pen for the first time they brake into a Sprint and run to trees or bush area this is quite normal just keep an eye on them from a distance. Leave the pen door open at all times and continue to feed them in the pen this is VERY IMPORTANT as this is what they are used to, and rely on, keep doing this for as long as possible or until you are successfully feeding them elsewhare. Initially they may return to their pen at night to roost you can close the door if Predators are an Issue and reopen in the Morning, usually this only happen for the first night or two then they find that BIG tree to roost.

TIPS: FOR LONG TERM SUCCESS

Never chase the birds or allow Children or Dogs to
Go about your business as usual i.ae.. Mow lawns ECAD…
Never corner the birds
Keep the Food & Water up, you should feed them the same as when they were penned.


WHICH PEACOCKS CAN FREE ROAM?

Any Indian Blue including White which is an Indian Blue Mutation.

WHICH PEACOCKS CANNOT FREE ROAM?

Java Green or Java Green Mutations.

The above Article is a Guide with the intention to help increase your odds for success but by no means a Guarantee

Good Luck

Peacocks Australia

Hi all, With a large number of Emails, concerning "Locking them up" particularly from those who get a little impatient and let them out to soon, we feel it is prudent to emphasize the need to PLEASE "Lock them up" for as long as possible or at least the time we recommend. We have received a few emails in as many days from those who have let them out to soon and watched with frustration and upset as their Peafowl disappear. Regardless whether you live on 5 acres or 500 acres you still MUST lock them up or risk the up-set of loosing them.

P.s Please follow the Care Instructions supplied with ALL birds from Peacocks Australia QLD, this will help keep your Peafowl happy and at home.

Thanks
Peacocks Australia

Hi all, we thought we would share the following email we received a few days ago. It's only part of the email as it was very long.

Hello mr peacock australia, we bought a pair of peacocks about 2 years ago and the person we got them off told us to let them go when we got home. To cut a long story short we did and they flew away. My huband said no more after that but 9 months ago I talked him into another pair, but this time I followed your advise from the storie on your web site. They are still here and its been about 3 months now, just wanted to thank you & ask

Good to know we can help from time to time.

Thanks
Peacocks Australia

I have read on a few different messages about being unable to have Java Green peafowl free roaming. Is there a particular reason? Are they just not 'homely' by nature?
Thanks

Hi Jagada, Java's are by nature a nervous & shy species and it's rare to have a "Tame" one per say. We have many Java's with only a few that can be approached at very close range, most will avoid close human contact and move away as we approach the pens. We are aware of attempts by 3 different people to have them free roaming, but all have failed with the birds never seen again. The same results have been reported in the U.S.A with many learning the hard way!


Thanks
Peacocks Australia

If the peafowl are free roamed, what do you do at breeding time? Will the females nest back in the shelter or are they like guineafowl and make it hard to find somewhere out in the bush? I lose most of my GF females through foxes taking them off the nest somewhere out in the bush.

Ginny

Hi Ginny,
From my experience if you let them breed freerange you will be hard put to find the nest---- In the past I have tried following a hen back to her nest, but she was to good for me and would not go to her nest till she knew I had given up. However she brought some lovely chicks home.

I think if you want to breed a specific colour you will need to pen them,but if you only want peacocks as such let them do their own thing.Keep feeding the hen where ever you do and she will bring the chicks to that place.

This is only my opinion,hope it helps,regards,
Snowball

Thank you Snowball. I will keep that in mind when I finally get my birds. I am waiting for a covered in yard first as I have nowhere to pen them at present and I want to do it right first time

I do like seeing my birds wandering around outside the pens although foxes and dogs are a big problem so I will have to think hard on what will be best for the birds. My guinea fowl nest in the bush and as you say they wont go there if they think I'm following.

Ginny

BTW When is breeding season for peafowl and how long?

Ginny, Our breeding season up here in the tropics normally starts Sept through to Dec.

Regards,
Snowball

Hi Snowball, We are up in the tropics as well, Innisfail way. Our peahen has just bought 3 peachicks home. Any advice on how to make sure mum and peachicks stay safe and happy? No peacocks left due to wild dogs, that are on the extermination list.

Thanks

Neats