AUSTRALIAN POULTRY FORUM™

Today I went and picked up my 5 peafowl.

I ended up in tears because of the stress they were in, they kept trying to jump in their travel cage, I am surprised they didn't knock themselves out.
The trip was longer back then the shorter way, but that was the highway with trucks and doing 100 klms ph, I drove 40 klms ph through the bush the back way.

By the time I got them back here they were very stressed espesially the young male.

Somehow I managed to park beside the pen, untie the ropes holding the crate, open the pen, lift the 5 off them off the back of a high hilux single cab into the pen and open the crate in 5 minute flat. It is amazing how much strength you can find when needed. Not sure how I did that as my strength levels suffered due to the stroke last year. But it happened.

I then took the hilux away and left them to quieten down, the mature cocks train feathers had gone very bronze. I went down to check an hour later, they still appeared stressed but signs of exploring were there.

This afternoon I took them some bread and sat talking to them quietly, most of it my new tommy boy the turkey got but they did eat some which I was please about. I fed them their grain about the same time they are use to. I did try sultanas earlier but they didn't want to know about them at that time.

I am hoping tomorrow will be a little more easier for them. I know as soon as my other half gets home from work he will want to grab the torch and go look, so I took my camera down and took a few pics as I felt that might spook them and they could injure themselves so I hope he understands this. The pics aren't the greatest but will be enough to show him.
I hope I handled all of this ok, apart from the tears of course.

Take Care all
Deb

Well done deb , Be strong , and keep it up with the sultana's once they get a taste for them they'll be your best freinds, and make sure you keep them locked up until they are ready , Well done , Ian

well done on your new peafow some pictures would be great

Day 2 and all is well, I wore the same clothes as yesterday so they would have recognition and not get scared when I went in the pen, the mature peacock's tail is slowly losing the bronze now which is a good sign to me.

I give them treats, bread, sultanas and whiskettes which they have been eating readily.

I am going to town tomorrow so will go down early with the same clothes on, give them fresh food and water, then wash my clothes as they are getting grubby. I will keep this up with the same clothes on my visits to the pen for as long as possible.

My little sausage dog finally found where I was sneeking off to without her and a young peahen started honking at her. They really do notice anything different.

I let the little OEG's out for a scratch this afternoon and they are having a ball, that gave me a chance to get into their pen and sort it a bit better, I put a tree branch in for them so they can get up high and see the world.

Take Care
Deb

Hi Deb. It is always stressful moving them. We use cardboard cartons and only put one in each and have the box only a bit bigger than the bird but you probably need the better air supply where you are as it is hotter. We just sold 5 today including a full tail male. Ours have that bronzing in the tail when they are young and the pieds tend to have a lot of it. Sounds like you did well. Our aviary is right outside the back door so they adapt to our comings and goings, dog barking and us playing the drums and the bagpipes. I had a stroke 8 years ago at 50 also so I can relate!! Good luck with them. Pam

Hi Pam,
Thanks for the reply, I was told the bronzing in the train is due to stress, a few others there before my eyes went bronze also and they were older birds about 8 years of age I think he said.

I sure wish I had read PA's article page just before I picked them up, I had read it a few weeks ago, but that is one thing about stroke I have found, the memory was effected, I can remember like years ago, but a week ago forget it, I couldn't even tell you what I did. I do take a lot of photos to help me, also this forum for me is a bit like a diary as well.

By today I had a lot happy peas, I went down with some treats and they were squabbling over them and chasing Thomas turkey and wee ebony away from their breat and sultanas

By the way My grandmother was born in Glasgow so I adore the bagpipes, I wish I could learn to play them, I would play them to all my beloved animals hehe.

Take Care
Deb

My hubby is a Scot, born in Inverness but brought up in Glasgow. I have only been learning for three years but I am not very good and never will be but we do play in a Highland Band. Tash has picked up birds from us today and had all those questions about cages etc, if you follow her thread. She did such a terrific job making a cage to carry a bird for another girl whom she was kindly helping and I had to tell her that as beautiful as the cage was it was too high. I sent her the thread from Broken Bird to show her what I meant. I suggested if she couldn't lower the cage that they solve the problem by putting blankets over the cage, which they did and so far all has gone well. I know it seems awful confining them but in the dark they settle right down. Same as chooks really. PA may of course disagree and have more experience in transport than we will ever have! Cheers, Pam

Thanks Pam, The cage I used was not very high and they only just fit, thank god they are fine, I just wish I had taken a dark blanket to cover them so they were less stressed.

I read those articles but after I moved them, I also read the one on white peahen, how devastating and heartbreaking would that have been, those people had little respect for that pea, I hate to say this but if I was there I may have rung their necks.

I think my peas are slowly forgiving me, I am noticing they all come to the front of the pen when I am on my way there but then have a second thought and disappear into the corners until the bread appears

Oh I bet you pleay the pipes great, better then me anyway cause I have no idea how

Take Care
Deb

Hi Deb, they will settle down in time give them at least 2 weeks to adjust to their new environment. One important point is not to push them to accept you just let time do its work they will in time accept you. Using food is by far the best option and sitting while feeding is less threatening than standing. This link should help, it's an Article we wrote some time ago: http://www.peacocksaustralia.com/PEACOC ... AMING.HTML



Transporting Peafowl: This Article should help http://www.peacocksaustralia.com/TRANSP ... AFOWL.HTML

Thanks
P.A

Thanks PA, They are certainly getting use to me being around now, I was worried about the turkey tom picking on them, its kinda the opposite especially when mum has treats, they chase him away from them. I have a bundle off hay I sit on when I feed them, my little black hen know if she is to get a treat she has to sit on the hay next to mum so I sneak her and thomas some.
They really love the multigrain bread and the cat buscuits the most at the moment. I do spend as much time with them as I can. But I do wear the same clothes everyday when I go down there, so they know who I am.

I don't think I would have got this far without your advice and other advice from the forum members, so Thanks everyone.

Take Care
Deb and Peas