Peafowl at Farmer in Odell

Mama Peahen in my Earthbox

 Last week when the children and I came home from town, this was what we saw.  Mama Peahen laying in my Earthbox.  Right next to the driveway near the house.  I was upset for 2 reasons.  One - I have carrots planted in that box and she dug half of them up or was crushing them.  Two - this is a pretty dumb place to have a nest.  Seriously.  Three years ago our original peahen was killed by a coyote when she had her nest hidden in a small area surrounded by weeds and trees.  Here out in the open, she's a sitting duck.  Or peahen, since that is what she is.  I practically had to pick her up to get her out.  There was a large depression in the middle of the box, indicating she had dug out a nice nest-like area, in her opinion.  (And all but 2 of the carrots.) And after I left the area to go inside, she hopped right back in.  Grrr!

I went in the house grumbling about her actions and my oldest son said she'd been there a couple of hours earlier when he came home from work and wouldn't move.  It seemed obvious to me that she was serious about this location, dumb as it was.  The children went out to play and I cooked dinner.

When I went out after dinner, she wasn't there.  And she hasn't been back since.  Apparently she IS smart enough to realize putting her nest in the middle of our daily activities was a poor choice.  Of course, now I don't know where she's nesting.  It's not that it would be hard to find on our little place.  I just haven't looked.  Normally, one day in mid-summer, we realize we haven't seen her in a few days or so.  Then about the time we figure she's been eaten, she appears with two little chicks.  With the unusually early spring this year, she seems to be getting an early start.  Hopefully, by August 18, we'll have 2 new peafowl babies following their mama around for all our farm crawl attendees to see.  Last year she hatched 2 and she did the same the year before.  Actually, the older "babies" may be mature enough to lay eggs, too.  If so, we could have 4.  That would be fun to see!

Cheryl Zacek
Farmer in Odell

Papa Peacock - or Caesar as my husband calls him.