Earlier this spring, one of our farm team members spotted something unusual wandering the property: a large, unfamiliar bird! It quickly became clear what had happened: someone had dropped her off at the farm.
Unfortunately, this is a familiar story for us. Over the years, we've taken in countless roosters, a cat who became our resident mouser, and the occasional parakeet, all "dropped off" the same way. This time, though, was a first: our team had found a peahen, the female counterpart to a peacock.
Usually, when animals arrive like this, we try to rehome them with an animal sanctuary or return them to their owner, if we think they've escaped. We simply can't take in every animal that comes our way. When no one came looking for her, we decided to give her a home.
A cousin of a bird we already knew
We'd never cared for a peahen before, but we weren't starting from zero. We've kept guinea fowl before (the spotted chick pictured above), and it turns out the two birds are related. Peafowl and guinea fowl both belong to the Galliformes order, the broad group of ground-dwelling fowl that also includes chickens and turkeys, so a lot of what we'd learned from our guinea fowl carried over.
Like guinea fowl, peafowl are loud, alert birds that are excellent at pest control, roaming their space in search of ticks, insects, and even snakes and mice. Peacocks (the males) are known for a shrill call that can carry for miles, especially during mating season, while peahens tend to be quieter.
Building a new home
Our new arrival was a lot bigger than we expected. So we spent the afternoon researching what a peahen actually needs: how she nests, what she eats, and what kind of space she prefers. Jeff got to work designing a new setup to match: a high perch, plenty of room to roam, warmth and sunshine, and companionship, since peafowl are social birds that don't like to be alone. After sketching out blueprints, we realized the simplest and best solution was already in front of us: she could move in with our existing chicken flock. So we introduced her to the chickens.
Settling in
Before introducing her to the flock, we medicated the chickens as a precaution against disease and eased her in gradually. When the peahen and chickens finally met, there was plenty of curiosity on both sides, but no conflict. They simply went about their business, pecking around and hunting for grubs in the soil. Whew!
The Farm Camp kids quickly took a liking to her. She even made an appearance (well, one of her feathers did) in Farm Camp Olympics! Campers had to run quickly with the peahen feather in an egg-collection basket, which is no easy task!
We don't have plans to bring in a peacock anytime soon. Jeff was already developing a Cochin chicken breeding program, which doubles as a hands-on genetics lesson for our programs and his high school classes, and that flock is kept separate from the peahen and the rest of the chickens. For now, she's happy enjoying the sunshine alongside the other mixed hens and roosters.
Looking ahead
Since we don't know her exact age, we're learning her habits and preferences as we go. Fall and winter may bring new challenges, since she prefers warmth, and we're already planning ahead for the colder months. We're hopeful we can make her feel right at home.
Next time you visit the farm, keep an eye out for our newest and largest feathered resident!
