An Introduction to Peacock Keeping

live in groups. Many people keep trios of one male and two peahens. While others prefer the prettier combination of two pairs. Preferably of differing colours. If space and budget allow, then a larger group of a combination of breeds will form an attractive addition to any garden.” Some considerations must be made once winter arrives, to protect the peafowl from harsh weather. These birds prefer a dry environment and so it is important to encourage all birds to go inside at night during the winter. Additional heating lamps may be necessary for Java green peafowl.

Although not everyone will have access to a garden large enough to house a group of peafowl, their straightforward care requirements mean that space limitations is the only major husbandry obstacle that most people will face. However, in some rural communities, peacocks can be a nuisance. They are loud birds that are unlikely to receive a warm welcome in densely populated neighbourhoods. However, this only lasts for a short period during the breeding season which usually lasts from March to July. There are also methods of quelling the peacock’s loud calls by adjusting their daylight cycles. Peacocks will typically call

Breeding Peacocks

Although peacocks can breed readily on their own given the right conditions, a few dedicated breeders are producing birds for the growing demand. By spending some time perfecting the formula for more obscure species and maintaining a personal log to produce healthy colour mutations, there is likely to be a much more diverse selection of peacock breeds available in the UK in the coming years. Sussanne added: “The Java as a breed is more flighty and easier to upset, they also take longer to settle into breeding groups. To ensure a successful breeding season we like to get the Java pen set up in November / December time. This gives the birds longer to get used to their breeding group and to settle in.”

“Java peafowl are early layers, and we consequently increase the protein in their diet earlier than the other peafowl breeds. In January, the birds go onto

Game Breeder feed with added protein from cat biscuits. The birds are also wormed earlier than the rest of the flock. It is so important to get the Java peafowl into peak physical condition before the breeding season. The healthier the peafowl is, the healthier the chicks will be.”

Peacocks UK sells many peafowl eggs for hobbyists to raise the chicks right from the egg. Peafowl hatch rates are poor compared to chicken hatch rates, but can be greatly improved by incubating them under a broody hen. By selling eggs to customers with hens, there is a much higher rate of successful incubation. This also allows Peacocks UK to ensure a steady supply of eggs throughout the breeding season, which generally lasts from April until August. The chicks that are hatched are reared for at least 6 weeks before being moved onto their new homes. Until then, the chicks are extremely vulnerable to cold temperatures and require powerful artificial heating. This artificial heat is needed for the first few months of a peachick's life until the chicks develop their downy feathers to keep them warm. This is significantly longer than a chicken or a duck, which only requires artificial heat for around 4-6 weeks. Peachicks must also be transported in heated vehicles as any cold draft could seriously impact the birds’ health.

Peacock popularity

Peacock keeping has seen a rise in popularity in recent years. “During the pandemic, at Peacocks UK we saw an increased number of peacocks moving to new homes” added Sussanne. “This was possibly because people were spending more time at home in their gardens. Also, new potential owners had time to prepare the infrastructure required for peacocks to be kept safely in their new homes. Anyone in the UK can choose to keep peacocks, there are no licences required by the UK government for keeping or moving peacocks.”

Although peacocks are likely to remain on the fringe of exotics keeping due to their large space requirements,