Purple Peafowl are one of the newer mutations and due to the sex-linked reproduction they are rare within the UK. Purple Peafowl are a colour mutation and can be combined with pattern mutations. This can create Purple Pied Peafowl, Purple Black Shouldered Peafowl and Purple Spalding Peafowl. In Arizona in 1987 a Black Shouldered Peahen  hatched the first Purple Peafowl.  The peacock was sold to Roughwood Averies in Texas, USA,  who worked hard to develop the mutation.

Purple Peacocks are very like the Indian Blue colouration, however they have hues of Purple sheen on their neck and breast.  The train of the Purple peacock is darker in colour than an Indian Blue and there are shades of purple and green within the eyes of the tail. During the period when the peacock has a full tail, the colours fade to the point that when the peacocks moult much of the colour has been lost.

The Purple Peahen is darker than the Cameo Peahen, but lighter than the Indian Blue Peahen.  They have purple coloured feathers on the back of their necks instead of the Green colour of the Indian Blue Peahen or the rusty colour of the Black Shouldered Peahen. They are very pretty peahens. To see a video of the purple peacock click here

Breeding Purple Peafowl

Purple Peachicks are almost identical to Cameo Peachicks, a lighter brown than Indian Blue, almost a creamy brown in colour.  At hatching it is impossible to sex the peachicks. Sexing Purple Peachicks is only possible when the barring on the wings appears. Also the necks of the Purple Male Peachick starts to show the colour.

Do purple peafowl breed true?

Purple bred to Purple will produce 100% Purple peachicks.  The Purple Peafowl colouration is a sex-linked mutation. This makes purple peafowl slightly harder to produce.  Particularly if you are breeding peafowl that are split to Purple instead of a pair of Purple breeders.

A Purple male bred to any type of hen (besides Purple) will produce 100% Purple hens.

However all male peachicks with be split to Purple and the colour of the hen. This has caused there to many more hens than cocks available for sale in the UK. Purple peahens bred to anything other than a Purple peacock,will not produce any Purple offspring.  Any peachicks hatched will be purple split to the colour of the peacock.

Consequently there are a very limited number of Purple Peacocks available within the UK.  At Peacocks UK we have three breeding lines of purple peafowl. We have established a strong commercial breeding programme. YOung Purple peacocks are available for sale.

Back to Rare Peafowl Breeds