A peacock coop should give your peacock a safe, comfortable place to live with plenty of room for his huge tail feathers, known as the train. Since his train can extend up to 5 feet behind him or as much as 6 feet in the air when on display, his coop needs to take that into account. If you plan to add any girls, known as peahens, to the coop you’ll need to allow plenty of space for them as well, usually about 100 square feet for each bird.
Step 1
Select an area for the pen with plenty of space and some type of building that the peafowl can use as shelter. They can get by with a three-sided shelter in many climates, but if you have harsh winters a shed, barn, garage or other structure provides better protection.
Step 2
Mark the corners of the coop with dots of spray paint. The coop should be at least 10 feet by 10 feet to hold a single peacock. Allow more space if you plan to house more than one bird there. Use a corner as one side of the gate and mark where the other gatepost should go, allowing for the width of the gate and hinges.
Step 3
Dig post holes at every mark that are 2-feet deep, using the post hole digger or a shovel.
Step 4
Set a wooden post in each hole -- the posts must stick 6 feet out of the ground so that the pen is high enough for your peacock’s train. Fill in with dirt around each post.
Step 5
Dig a 1-foot deep trench all the way around the coop. Place a 7-foot high field fence into the trench and put the chicken wire over the bottom part of the field fence to make it hard for predators to squeeze through.
Step 6
Pull the fences tight with a fence stretcher, using fence staples to secure the field fence and chicken wire to the wooden posts. Fill in the trench to keep digging predators out of the coop.
Step 7
Screw the gate hinges to one side of the gate opening and hang the gate. Attach a latch by screwing it to the opposite gatepost.
Step 8
Cover the coop with chicken wire to keep flying predators out and to keep your peafowl in.
Step 9
Fasten one or more 2-by-4s, 3 to 5 feet above the ground as roosts for your peacock. Place the boards with the wide side up to make a more comfortable spot for your birds.
References
Tips
- Peafowl are social and thrive in the company of others of their kind. One male and three to five peahens can live together happily in a single large coop.
Warnings
- Peacocks and peahens can’t cover their feet with their bodies as many birds do. In cold climates use heat tape made to keep pipes from freezing to line the 2-by-4 roost to prevent frozen toes.
Photo Credits
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