Miss Peahen

Miss Peahen adopted us about 6 months ago...around 3 A.M. Her cry jolted me from sleep so quickly my head throbbed. Looking out onto the hillside I could see a rafter of turkeys and there she was in the middle, waddling along with them. I don't know where she came from, but it looked like she was trying to find companionship among the turkeys.

The turkeys have gone off to wherever they go this time of year, leaving Miss Peahen here with us, which is fine. She seems to find all she needs: left over food from the horses, water in the trough, and some shelter. And I think she enjoys the company of the horses. They don't mind her either.

Peafowl are omnivores, eating fruits, berries, grains, small mammals, reptiles, arthropods ( i.e., scorpions and centipedes)  and snakes, especially poisonous snakes. Since we live in Rattlesnake country, I like knowing that we have a working snake abatement program.

When I don't hear her, I wonder where she is. Is she OK?  There was a short time when I didn't hear her. Later we discovered she built a nest near our woodshop and laid 4 eggs. I was hopeful we'd have peachicks waddling about, but a few weeks later we found the eggs were kicked from the nest.

The turkeys should be returning soon. We'll see if they join up again or not.