The peahens, Pania and Tui, are spending most of their time in the barn lately. Of course Kupa is up there with them. They are together much more than previously so I have high hopes of some eggs. They should start laying sometime in late March or early April. These are young hens so they should lay one clutch of 4 or 5 and then sit. I have read that they are good mothers. I do hope so. I hope to nick a few eggs, if I find them, and pop them under a broody chicken so I can raise a few peafowl for sale.
Yesterday we had a delivery in a large strong box with a lid. I took both pieces of the box up into the Gods, right into the top of the barn and hid them in two of the darkest corners, behind bales of straw and assorted barn junk. I filled them with straw, in the hopes that the Tui and Pania will use these for nesting boxes. I have read that you can do this with big tires or triangular wooden boxes in the corners of the loft.
Wild peahens usually create nests in the long grass but with the packs of wild domestic dogs and coyotes and raccoons and hunters I would rather they chose to nest in the barn. I don’t cage my big birds though so who knows what they will choose. Fingers crossed. Just imagine a whole gaggle of pea-chicks!
Tilly watching me watch her from up in the barn loft. Just in case a bottle should appear and fly straight down into her mouth.
Mia is still very quiet. I am sure she is not in pain anymore but she is so slow, so deliberate in her movements. 
Interestingly here is Mia exactly a year ago, recovering from her last miscarriage. A vastly different sheep. This time she has not recovered her vigor. I should never have let her breed again but this is such a tiny property and I wanted to give her another chance which turned out to be a cruel choice. Well, I will keep an eye on her. When it gets a little warmer I shall put all the sheep outside, it is much healthier OUT of the barn. And in a wee while all this snow on the ground will soak in and it will get warmer and the grass will start to grow and then the health and spirits of all the animals will take a leap upwards.
Good morning. Today we are doing another junkyard run to work on the recycled timbers for the trim and counters and shelves in The Coupe. I have a man who will work with me on this when The Kiwi Builder is ready. It is slowly all coming together.
Have a lovely day.
celi
c
The Kitchen's Garden 
47 responses to “Creating Nesting Boxes for Peahens – Hows that for Positive Thinking!”
Ah Mia, I wish I could give her a hug. I’ll have huggie thoughts for her instead.
We have a botanical garden near us that has wild peafowl. In the summer at dusk we can drive into their parking lot (very carefully!) and watch the peahens walking about with their chicks, picking through the bushes in the shade, while the peacocks stand guard. The chicks, if I remember correctly, are pretty cute.
Where did you get your extensive knowledge of animal husbandry? You seem to know all about your varied species and their wants, needs and cycles.
I’d be hopeless as a farmer. I’m worried just reading about all the problems. Hope Mia gets better quickly.
Your basket gave me a start…I used to use one every day (as a child) at the old swimming pool, Number 130 with a key with the same number…so I could attach the key to my suit and then show the lady at the counter my key therefore getting MY clothes back so I could go home.
Pretty neat!
Thanks, for the memory!
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com
It’s so interesting how we all just grieve right along with Mia. There’s any interesting empathic response I wouldn’t ordinarily experience, but you’ve given us such a reason to really care about the animals’ well-being. And yours, too, Celi. You’ve had a lot of additional stress recently. I hope breeding the peahens turns out to be a very good experience. If we were zoned appropriately I think that’s one endeavor I’d be tempted to try! 🙂
Good morning, c, and to all my farmie friends. Have a chat with Mia about adoption. Not all of us females are meant to populate the earth; some of us are meant to care for other females’ populants. 😉
It would be lovely to have some new little chicks…I’ve never seen young peacocks and hens.
I haven’t seen Mia in such a while. And I’m so sorry to hear she hasn’t recovered. I have hope for her though. I know she will be her amazing self soon
Poor Mia! I hope she recovers soon.
How is it having peahens? We’re still trying to decide what kind of fowl to raise.
Hopefully something will come of Kupa’s showing off and strutting and demonstrations of peacock manliness besides beautiful photos. He needs to be practical as well as decorative 🙂
Beautiful snow photographs Celi. I hope the week-end is good for you and all who dwell on the Farmy. Virginia
Tilly is very smart!
I hope the peahens get all thrilled and say, ‘Look at the ideal nest I have been brilliant enough to find. The silly humans would never think of looking for one here.’
I can imagine a hen with a permanently bemused expression raising peafowl, same as one I saw recently mothering a clutch of ducklings. Poor things are going to be a bit short on swimming lessons.
How exciting to think of little peafowl hatching out and running around. But first the eggs!
Poor Mia. I certainly know nothing of these things, only that she’s in the best of hands. I seriously doubt her chances for a full recovery would be better any place else on Earth.
I can just see you and The Matriarch, sipping wine while sitting on the coupe’s veranda, overlooking a front yard filled with peacocks strutting about. 🙂