Peafowl (Peacocks and Peahens) are beautiful poultry, and many people raise them for their beauty. They are native to southeast Asia, including India.  Peafowl have been bred for sale from the time of the Roman Empire.  Although not many in this country would consider raising them for meat, they were once considered a royal delicacy, and in ancient Rome, they were served to the Emperor.

There are two distinct species of peafowl, then Indian Peafowl (Pavo cristatus) and the Green Peafowl (Pavo muticus).  These two species can interbreed in captivity to produce the Spalding, or Spaulding, variety.  A third species of peafowl of a different genus also exists, the Congo Peafowl (Afropavo congensis).  Little is known about the Congo Peafowl.

There are many different color variations of peafowl and color patterns within those variations.

When raising Peafowl chicks, you should keep them in a brooder for the first month.  The temperature in the brooder should be kept at 95 deg. F for the first week, then reduced by 5 deg. F per week until supplemental heating is no longer necessary.  Peafowl begin to fly well even at a few weeks of age, so if you use a homemade brooder, a mesh lid is a good idea.

For the first 30 days, they need a game bird feed with 28-30% protein content. In addition to the feed, they should be given access to green material such as cabbage or chopped lettuce. They should also always have access to fresh water.