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Building Pens for Peafowl
by Brad Legg
| Over the years we have
built a lot of pens for our birds. Through trial and error we
have come up with several things that work well for us. Most pens have either a shed or a tin shelter attached on one end of a pen. Most all the pens are built on 10ft. squares or 12ft. squares, 12x24 or 12x36. Some breeding pens are 10x20 for individual pairs of 2 years olds for the first year breeding. |
 Adult Breeding Pens |
 Two Year Old Breeding Pens |
Sheds and buildings face the south with the pen
out in front of it. Post for the pens are either 4x4 or
landscape timber. Around the top of the pens 2x4s are used
with the base of the pen having 1x6s used. All of the lumber
that is used is CCA treated to prevent rotting. The wire that is used is 2x4x6 galvanized after weld so rust is not a problem. |
| The top of each pen has
one of three things, 2x4 wire, 1-inch poultry netting or
2inch top-flight nylon netting. Gate entrance is on the front
of each pen approximately 3 ft. wide, made from 2x4 lumber
and 2x4 welded wire. The gates or doors are 3 ft. wide so
wheelbarrows can go in and out for cleaning. All of our pens have galvanized tin as a divider/site barrier for breeding season. The tin is set on top of the 1x6 bottom board so the tin will make the divider 30 inches tall. |
 Adult Breeding Pens |
 Chick Barn |
Our chick barn has an entrance into each
end of it, and then each bay has an entrance into the pen to
cut down on a gate possibly being left open.
Roosts are made from 2x4 lumber approximately 4ft. above the floor. Feed pans are 2-½ gallon but do not hang from the ceiling, so a wing doesnt get broke by a bird flying into the rope or wire. |
| For watering a 3-gallon bucket is used in
the pens. Another pen that we have built that works well are the flight pens for growing yearling birds into maturity. These pens are 25x100. Highline poles are used for the corner post and landscape timber is used for the sides. Either 2x4 welded wire or 6ft-chain link wire is used on the sides. |
 Chick Barn |
 Chick Barn |
The top of the pen has a #9 guide wire that goes from a center post that is 8ft. tall out to the corners. This gives extra height throughout the pen for more flying room. Then 2inch top-flight netting is used to cover the large pen. The building on the end of each flight pen is 16x24. On each shed the back is 6ft. tall with the front being 7 ½ ft. tall. Each flight pen holds 25 to 40 peafowl. These pens make excellent areas for exercising of the birds and they are able to be on grass. |
| The adult breeding pens usually have tree bark on the ground for easy cleaning. In the chick barn 2 inches of sand is used on the outside runs with wood shavings on the ground under the shed covering. The sand on the ground helps to keep the chicks clean after a rain, but also absorbs the waste for easy cleaning. |
 Flight Pens |
 View from the Hill |
A pair or trio of birds are
in pen that are 10x20. The pens that are 12x24 with an 8x10
shed are used for the breeding of a cock bird with 3 hens. Pen that are
12x36 have a tin shelter on one end are used for the breeding of a
cock bird with 6 hens. It doesnt take a very big pen to add up in dollars in building it. We hope this helps you to build a pen that will work for you & for your birds. |