PEAFOWL ARTICLE FREE ROAMING PEACOCKS

Unfortunately many people who buy Peafowl for the first time will through either bad advice or Impatience make the mistake of letting them out to soon and with no Preparation. This Article is hoped to help people from having to go through the heartache and the cost of replacing them. This Article is for FREE ROAMING PEAFOWL

BRINGING HOME YOUR NEW PEAFOWL: Before you go out and buy your Peafowl 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 temporarily house them with other birds, i.e.. Chooks, 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 Peafowl, WHAT'S 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? Peafowl 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. Also Shell Grit should be offered at all times, They will also need Greens i.e.. Lettuce, Silverbeet, Cabbage, Sprouts ECT.. Fruit should be given in season such as Rock Mellon and Water Mellon, 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, Fruit, Bread & Cat Biscuits should be fed every second day

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 Peafowl, 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 Peafowl 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 there wing will stop them from flying but still allowing them some lift for roosting at night. Clipping there wing 3 weeks prior to release allows the birds to re settle 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 Peafowl were penned, it�s a different story when their 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's ok. Once the Peafowl 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 else ware. 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 happens 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 too Go about your business as usual i.e.. Mow lawns ECT Never corner the birds Keep the Food & Water up, you should feed them the same as when they were penned.

WHICH PEAFOWL CAN FREE ROAM? Any Indian Blue including White which is an Indian Blue Mutation.

WHICH PEAFOWL CANNOT FREE ROAM? Green Peafowl or Green Peafowl 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

ARTICLE WRITTEN: JUNE 2005