Keeping Peafowl – Do’s & Dont’s

Do

1) Keep chicks heated in a brooder for the first month or they will freeze.

2) Feed chicks a 28%- 30% game bird starter for the first month and much clean water.

3) Worm your flock regularly. Use Tramisol (1/4 teaspoon per gallon of water) or Ivomec & Panacur. Ivomec is given at a dosage per adult bird of ¹ cc per bird. Panacur is dosed at 1/10 cc per 2 pounds or approximately ¸ cc per bird.

4) Make sure all your birds but especially the chicks have access to green material Brooders full of chicks will thrive on heads of cabbage and it will sometimes prevent feather picking.

5) Consult a vet if you have persistent illness problems you can’t diagnose.

6) Keep a radio on near the birds at night if you are having predator problems. No wild predator will come near human voices.

7) Get to know other peafowl breeders and form a network. This helps immensely in all respects.

Don’t

1) Feed the chicks any chemicals or poisons. Don’t overcrowd brooders or mix chicks with greater than a 2 week age difference if possible.

2) Allow your birds to roam free if they aren’t accustomed to the location. Believe it or not, they will readily turn semi-wild and take to the woods -that is if your neighbor doesn’t shoot them first for perching on his house or eating his flowers. Very close to where I live, two peafowl were recently seen running with a flock of wild turkeys. Allow the birds to be penned for several months if they are new to your place.

3) Overdose on wormer or any other medications. They will easily overdose on Tramisol. It is also very easy to overdose them on cornbiotics such as LA-200 which is a very effective medication for respiratory problems if given properly.

4) Overcrowd peafowl in pens with each other or with other types of poultry. This is courting disaster, as many a breeder will tell if honest. Once a severe avian illness begins to roll through your flock, all you can do is call the vet and pray!