We have had so much rain recently that we have been struggling, keeping peafowl warm and their feet dry.  The weather has been terrible! Regular laying of straw has helped in the outdoor pens, but after days  of rain even that is getting wet.  We are lucky that all of our pens have inside space. This means the peacocks can move inside when the weather is wet or cold.  Peacocks hate the rain and will run to shelter to get out of the rain.  It is vitally important to provide shelter for your peacocks from the elements.

We have an automatic lighting system in our outdoor pens which encourages the peacocks to move inside during the winter months so that they are warm and dry during the night.  On cold frosty nights I go outside to herd any straggler peacocks sitting outside in the cold to get them into the warmth of the inside pens or sheds.

The Java peafowl really hate the cold

Java peafowl are particularly susceptible to cold and are a lot less hardy than Indian Blue Peafowl.  Keeping peafowl warm can be difficult. In colder climates many breeders will have heated indoor enclosures for Java Green Peacocks.  Some owners have heated perches, these can cause problems for the Java peafowl. If the heated perches are too hot the peacocks toes get too hot and burn and drop off.  If the peafowl’s feet get to cold, the peafowl can get frost bit on their feet. This can cause the peafowl to lose their toes as they drop off from frostbite.

Keeping peafowl warm

On freezing nights protect last season’s peachicks from the cold. The later hatched chicks may not have a full under covering of feathers to keep them warm.  We are lucky to have indoor pens for the younger peachicks to live in over the winter. In the spring the peachicks are moved to the outdoor pens.  One thing I know is that like the peafowl I am looking forward to getting some warmer dryer weather.