As most of you know, a little over three weeks ago I found a newly hatched baby peacock outside, apparently abandoned. I knew that the peahens were nesting here and there but I hadn’t discovered any eggs or nests and two of the peahens seem to have disappeared. They are very good mothers usually but very unwise layers and I surmise they have laid in the paddocks and all of the eggs, chicks and maybe even these two mothers have been killed by foxes.
So I have been raising Gutsy9 myself and he and I are totally imprinted on each other now. He is a pied, so half white and half blue so it will be interesting to watch him grow up. At night he sleeps in a box in the veranda and during the day he sits on my shoulder. Every afternoon I take him out when I feed all of the others and he is less frightened of the adult peas than they are of him. They tend to peck at him a bit but they are slowly getting used to him.
But raising a lone chick of any sort does present a few challenges if you are a human so here are a few tips:
1. Do not take a baby peacock to a restaurant inside your shirt and continually stroke him because it will make you look like you have a breast fetish.
2. Do not allow a baby peacock to kiss you on the lips if he has just had a dinner of mealworms.
3. Do not take a baby peacock to an appointment with a counsellor.
4. Do not succumb to a baby peacock’s 5am crying, get him out of his box, go back to bed and let him sleep on your head because you might find something odd in your hair when you wake up.
5. Do not let a baby peacock sleep on your shoulder with his butt in your face; turn him around so his face is next to yours.
6. Do not put a mirror next to you so you can check what a baby peacock is doing on your shoulder because you will realize that you are developing a double chin.
I hope this has been helpful!
jmgoyder 
Hi,
I just love the tips, a good laugh for the first day of 2013. 😀
Thanks!
Hilarious.
(I do hope you really didn’t find chick poop on your hair in the morning).
A big fat lump of it!
At least you won’t have to worry about teething!
You never know!
He he he – only tips that could come from you!
I am learning the hard way ha!
That was a hoot!
The hair findings weren’t hooty!
To start my year with a good laugh… thank you… I love this blog…
I’m glad you are laughing – I am about to wash my hair again!
ha ha, very helpful 🙂
Glad to be of service ha!
hi Julie
Happy New Year – you have just made DH and I laugh. He said to me “do you think these are all things he has done?” How else would you know- experience . Its what life is all about. We have a bit of frosty SUN so are going out cycling. Take care
All true!
So funny Julie x
The hair thing was so gross!
Laughing! Sounds much like my experience with a puppy that came home a bit too early, though I must confess he was never smuggled into a restaurant in my shirt! ;-). Thanks for a wonderful laugh to start the New Year, Julie!
You’re welcome!
I see a great future for you, Julie, doing Pantene commercials. “It won’t happen overnight – but it WILL happen 😦 …use Pantene for all your Peacock poop problems!”
Thanks for a great laugh!
Not a bad idea!
Funny post. Love it.
Thx!
Thanks for the giggle – a great way to start 2013 🙂
Happy New Year! And I hope it is.
The heatwave went away but now it’s back – I can’t stand it!
I will keep all those in mind–particularly the one about the double chin!
I didn’t know I had one until now!
you don’t — it was an optical illusion or that is what I keep telling myself!
Actually it’s a triple!
when you look in the mirror just raise your chin–it works for me
Aha!
ha ha – getting older–you have to laugh or you cry
Too funny! Did the counsellor say anything or just hold her tongue?
It was a bit awkward!
HILARIOUS JULIA I HOPE YOU ARE ALL ENJOYING YOUR TIME WITH THOSE LOVELY BIRDS 🙂 REGARDS KATT
As you know i have peacocks and so i clicked on this hoping to find something useful you wild thing you! I am thrilled that this wee chick is growing though. At least you didn;t make a nest and sit on the poor thing!! I am hoping to entice my hens into laying in the barn!.. have a great day.. c
I wish you luck in the shed – much safer.
Julie, that is very sound advise, and I will heed it totally should I ever have to raise a baby peacock. Take care, Bill
You never know!
I hate double chins and the awful surprise of finding one on yourself due to the evils of gravity. The Gutsy-9 tips are hilarious, poor Jules with the poo on the hair. Perhaps the poo is like a tonic and your hair will be fortified like it never has been before. 🙂 Just looking for an upside to the occasional downside of having a pea chick on your head.
Comforting – ha!
Julie, Happy New Year! Last year my husband and I watched this wonderful program on TV called, “My Life as a Turkey.” I loved it so much I watched it again when it was rerun on TV months later. And since you began imprinting with the baby peacock and writing about it I kept thinking of this TV program. You can actually watch it online. Ming might find it fascinating too. It’s great story telling. Here’s the link: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/my-life-as-a-turkey/full-episode/7378/
I’ve tried to access link but won’t work – will try again when my other computer is fixed – sounds fascinating! Thx
haha thanks for the new year’s laugh Julie! I especially like the double chin reference…don’t get me going on aging hahaha thankfully I seem to have poor close-up vision, so the signs of aging I see are probably worse than they really are!
I am slowly accepting the double chin shock horror ha!
shhhh (looks around both ways) I have a bit of a waddle…don’t tell anyone…. (slips quietly out of the room)
Thanks for the advice …. but if it ever came to .. that I will end up with a peacock baby – I will you a call instead. This post is great, Julie .. and don’t forget my advice .. so you don’t have to sleep with an adult peacock. *smile
Yes this is going to be a worry!!!
Julie … here we go again … what did I say *laughing.
Sure you will find a way around it .. but it has to happen quickly.
The last one #6, so unexpected and funny as all get out.
That chin thing is tragic!
This was such a joy to read!
Thanks Susan!
Great Julie ~ baby peacock is lucky to have such a nurturing lovable care-giver guardian-angel as you! x
When he is a teen do you want him?
oh no!!! 🙂
What a sense of humor you have. I laughed at all of your hints!!!
Good tips from someone with ‘experience’…..Diane
p.s. …very funny and I remember when you did some of those things…Diane
Me too! Never again.
You live and learn don’t you so many things you shouldn’t do with a baby chick……….lol
Bahahaha…very funny!
lol
Too funny. “Surprises” on your pillow and in your hair – not good. Though I would think you would routinely get a few surprises down your shirt if he spends his days on your shoulder. That not so good either.
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I love it when I saw your blog come up in the suggestions. Trying to think of a way to get it to the top of the list.
peace
ps good hints
[…] of posts on Gutsy9, an abandoned baby peacock that was adopted by Julie. Start at this post: Tips on Raising a Baby Peacock and then pan forward to the photos and updates. I look forward with anticipation to […]
good post
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