Description

The peacock’s colored feathers are the same as those of the India Blue peacock. The peahen is white and gray. The peachicks are white, often with a dark spot or two on the head or neck.

Only the peacock has a train, which consists of long tail coverts displayed during courting. The peacock’s train is mostly white, with a few feathers of normal India Blue color. The centers of the eyes, or ocelli, of an India Blue Silver Pied train are white.

Housing Peafowl

Fully enclose the aviary for a pair of India Blue Silver Pied peafowl, to keep them from flying out and to keep predators from getting in. It should have these minimal amenities

• 10 x 20 feet per pair
• 7 feet tall
• Lots of shrubbery cover
• Shady areas
• 2 x 4 foot roosts, 4+ feet off the ground
• Nesting material on the ground

Feeding Peafowl

Peafowl are omnivorous. Feed your India Blue Silver Pied peafowl pair a gamebird maintenance ration during most of the year. During breeding season, use a gamebird layer ration or, if it’s not available, turkey layer ration.

Don’t hang the waterer, but place it on the ground where flying birds won’t tangle in it. Offer an oyster shell supplement free choice to ensure strong egg shells. Occasional treats may include mealworms, sunflower seeds, and leafy greens.

Peafowl Behavior

Peafowl start the day by foraging around on the ground for insects and other tasty tidbits. During a midday they take a break to preen and rest. In the evening they forage some more before roosting for the night.

During breeding season, the peacock will perform elaborate courtship displays. He’ll fan out his tail for his interested mate, shaking the tail feathers to create a rustling sound.

Peafowl Size

Breeding Peafowl

An India Blue Silver Pied peafowl pair reaches sexual maturity at 2 to 3 years of age. The peahen will lay between 3 and 8 light green or tan eggs before incubating them for 28 to 30 days.

The Silver Pied trait is recessive. When you breed Silver Pied to Silver Pied, only those peachicks that inherit two copies of the pattern will be Silver Pied. The mix will be approximately as follows:

• 50% Silver Pied
• 25% White
• 25% Dark Pied White -Eyed

“Dark Pied” means the peachick carries two copies of the Pied gene, one from each parent. A regular Pied peachick, by contrast, carries one Pied gene and one White gene. The White-Eyed pattern simply means the eyes, or ocelli, of the peacock’s train are white. The Silver Pied pattern results from a combination of Pied and White-Eyed genes.

Peafowl Health

Peafowl are generally quite healthy. But if they free range, controlling internal parasites may become an issue. In that case, deworm every three months.

The most common dewormer is Piperazine, although Ivermectin or Fenbendazole are also used to deworm peafowl. A well cared for India Blue Silver Pied peafowl pair should live 20 years or more.

Peafowl Permits

Whether or not you need a permit varies by state, county, and city. Local ordinances often dictate what exotic birds and how many you can keep, the type of enclosure you can have, setback distances, and noise considerations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are peafowl noisy?

They can be. Mature peacocks have a loud shrill call that travels for miles, and they may sound it at any time during the day or night. Peahens, however, have a variety of pleasant, chatty sounds.

Can peafowl fly?

Yes, but they fly only for short distances, mainly to escape predators or to roost up off the ground.

What is the natural enemy of peafowl?

Peafowl are nearly defenseless, except for flying, which makes them vulnerable to a variety predators.

How many separate patterns of peafowl are there?

Five distinct peafowl patterns have been identified. They are Barred Wing (India blue), Black Shoulder (aka solid wing), Pied, Silver Pied, and White-Eyed (white oscelli).

For More Information

Raising Peafowl — 6 Pros and 6 Cons

Raising Peafowl — 6 Tips

Keeping Peafowl, Do’s and Don’ts

Let’s Get Started Raising Peafowl

If you prefer peachicks, assorted peafowl chicks are also available from Cackle Hatchery®.