[OhLaLa]

If i can source some fertile eggs I'd like to incubate some Peafowl eggs.

Couple of questions (maybe womble or landroverroy might answer as I read here they have them):

Mine would range during the day, away at night - best housing?

When 'in' their pen (if I'm out for example), best size and fence height etc?

Are they very noisy? Other half says they are.

How are they with other animals, strangers etc etc

Anything else I should be aware of?

Thanks for any info.

[Womble]

>If i can source some fertile eggs I'd like to incubate some Peafowl eggs.

I may be able to help you with that soon. Ours haven't started laying yet, but when they do....

>Mine would range during the day, away at night - best housing?

Up a tree!  Must you house them? If so, you may be able to get them into an aviary at night, in which case provide a high 'branch' for them to roost on, and cover that part of the aviary with a simple roof.

> When 'in' their pen (if I'm out for example), best size and fence height etc?


As large as possible, with fences at least 40ft high. Two of ours roost on the roof of our house, which they fly up to no bother at all.


Seriously, why do you want to pen them?  Do you have a garden you care about for instance?

>Are they very noisy? Other half says they are.

Yes, they eeeeuuuuaarrrrghh!  Check out videos on youtube. However, it's really only the males in the breeding season that make a lot of noise. Our two males roost in trees at opposite ends of the farm and report all night on passing traffic: A car!  A car?   A car!  Oh, a Car! why didn't you say so?

> How are they with other animals, strangers etc etc

They don't like strange dogs. Apart from that, they're pretty well natured IME. They're very curious of anything new (e.g. new lambs), and will always wander over to have a look, whilst making interested 'clicking' noises.

> Anything else I should be aware of?

They're incredibly clever birds. I've known one go AWOL from its new home after 3 weeks, and turn up back at the farm it was born 30 miles away, three days later. I could tell lots of other stories, but basically they're like Mensa turkeys.

They will also eat the heads off new flowers, brussel sprouts etc. Doesn't bother us, but it would drive some people insane.

If you want to know anything else, just ask. Or even if you fancy a chat on the phone, just pm me your number  .


Cheers,

Womble.

[landroverroy]

I basically agree with what Womble says. 

They don't need housing, apart from when they're young, when they are vulnerable to cold wet weather. My peahen hatches a clutch each year (always in a neighbour's garden) and I have lost 2 lots of youngsters when we've had a cold wet spell. So this year, when she had her 2nd brood in October, I decided to keep them under cover till Spring.  Their house is about 12ft x 10ft with a covered run the same size. The perch about 4ft off the ground. Mother and 3 offspring had plenty of room, although if one of the males, with a long tail had been inside as well, he probably would have needed a bit more space.

I let the family out last week and they immediately took to roosting in the trees. I could get them back inside at night by putting feed in the run, but they're happy outside and roost high enough to be safe.

Are they noisy? Well the first peacock I had was very noisy. He used to roost next to the chimney and sound off whenever anyone went past at night. In a way he was like a ghostly burglar alarm. His sons are much quieter - I think because they roost in trees further from the road.

The height of fences is fairly irrelevent as they will fly over them anyway. After a while your neighbours will learn to accept that the odd flower (or 10) will get pecked off, but others will grow in their place. The odd treasured plant will get flattened by large feet but with a bit of luck it will sprout out again, and if it doesn't - well it probably wouldn't have survived the winter anyway.

You might get the odd complaint, but as Womble says, they are very intelligent birds. They soon seek out the people that love to see them and feed them accordingly, and will parade in front of patio doors until rewarded with treats. 

As for dogs, they are wary of those they don't know, but one of my collies spends hours circling them and trying to herd them up, and when they've had enough, they just take off.

So - hope you manage to source some eggs. They are wonderful birds and will give you endless pleasure.

[OhLaLa]

Cheers for that info guys (ta womble for the offer, v kind), just what I needed to know.
Only considering a pen as someone I know had a Peacock that roamed and fox got it.
Plenty of land here, loads of trees.
But the usual foxes too.
And Deer, the odd boar, pinemartins...


(No pretty garden here)