Our peahen now has 5 eggs scattered haphazardly in one corner of her pen. I think she may lay a couple more before she starts incubating them. People ask me why I have peacocks and I have to admit they have no practical purpose as their production of eggs and value of meat is minimal. compared to chickens. They don’t scavenge as well or eat ticks and fleas or serve as alarms like the guinea fowl do. Well, they do respond with their loud cry once the guinea fowl have alerted the world that something is amiss. Always too late though…. like a back seat driver who, as your vehicle sputters to a stop on its last fumes, asks if you’ve checked the fuel gauge lately.
They are beautiful and know it. The males have the metalic blues and greens of the neck and shoulder that shimmer iridescently, the crest of plumes on top of the head, and of course the extravagant tail-feathers that they so proudly display. For peafowl, it’s all about pomp and appearance. They are the Kardashians of the poultry world.
The males don’t develop those trains (covert feathers, that cover the actual tail) until after two years old and it isn’t until the third year that they reach the 4-5 foot lengths. They lose those flamboyant feathers in the fall, (It’s the amount of daylight again), only to grow back through the longer winter days so by April mating season they again have the impressive impressive appearance. A peahen (female) apparently won’t even mate with a male peacock that doesn’t have the tail plumage, however willing he may be.
The birds have the reputation of being poor mothers and are prone to parasites. They are not known for their intelligence. Who needs brains when you have looks? Unlike chickens, who start scratching for seeds and chasing bugs immediately after hatching, newly hatched peafowl chicks are said to need an older bird to copy so they learn how and what to eat. Adult males have been known to attack newly washed parked cars or hub caps as they ward off intruders which in reality are their own reflections.
Peacocks have several vocal calls; each of them annoying. The piercing call of a male can be heard two miles away, and although I say it is endearing, (like a donkey’s bray), it is more often described as the sound of someone in high distress.
I’ve given the yearling birds the run of the farm, but they are not very curious or daring, and although they can fly for short distances (like a wild turkey), they rarely venture far from the barn. One of the young males became infamous in the neighborhood by flying high up in a tree this winter and refusing to come down. In a feat that might have impressed Shackleton himself, the bird sat exposed to the elements through a cold wet rain followed by a snowstorm, and then endured a couple more nights with temperatures hovering near 0 degree F. On the morning of the 5th day it finally left the tree, flew over the barn, and walked boldly into the indoor riding ring (At one point brazenly soaring through a group of students on horseback). It roosted on the peak of the living nativity portable stable that evening where I was able to catch it and return it to it’s siblings in the barn. Why it didn’t just come down from the tree and join them earlier, nobody knows. The episode did result in the apparent freezing and temporary loss of the fine crest ornaments. Being a young bird that did not yet have the colorful tail and bright colors colors of an adult male, this minor change in appearance caused it to be twice mistaken as a wayward Canada goose (easily understandable if you heard it “honk”).
So why do I have peacocks if they have no practical purpose? Well, they are “living art”; as like a beautiful painting, captivating music, or a well acted play; how can you say they have no good purpose if they provide joyful amusement that stirs your soul? I’ll plan on keeping a few around as long as they don’t roost on Ann’s car or cause other trouble. I hope you too find a way to hang on to an impractical thing or two in your life that sparks joy.
First photo: In all his splendor, a photo still doesn’t really capture the glamour.
Second photo: Always posing.
Third photo:
This year old male peacock has got the dance moves, but not the trappings. Note the crest ornaments; finally growing back after his winter escapade.
