Peahen trying to mother turkey poults?

[mar013q]

Our six year old peahen was recently introduced to our five-six week old turkey poults. They are separated with chicken wire. She stays near them, watching them closely, and when one was making a lot of noise she followed it around and opened her mouth very wide (as shown in photo).

Is she trying to mother them or is she angry they are there?

She hasn't had any peachicks with our peacock (he's very old) but has had peachicks at her previous home. She's laid eggs this season but hasn't sat on them and they weren't fertile.

Any information/advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Kedreeva]

She's probably very interested in them because they are new. Is she making any noise when she opens her mouth like that, even a very quiet noise you'd have to be close to hear? Has she ever done that (the gaping) prior to the poults arrival? Has she ever made noise at all?

We added two turkeys to our peafowl pen for a few hours, and all of the peafowl were instantly on guard and in the business of the turkeys. The establishment of who was boss was immediate. It may be bothering her that she can't establish this through the wire, or that the poults are ignoring her (because she is, after all, very beautiful and important *chuckle*).

Of course, I could be completely wrong, as I haven't seen this particular behavior before. Be interesting to see if anyone else has and weighs in.

 

[zazouse]

My peas took to the baby peas in the pen right off the bat, every day some of them would walk around the pen and make that burp- burp sound, I concluded that they were getting to know each other, when the day finely came to turn them loose at 4 months all the big peas gather them up and off all of them went togeather, never had a of trouble with the young trying to bully the younger babies.
So in my opion your girl is getting to know them.

you said your peacock is old but how old? i remember our "Dearman"RIP had posted that peas can be fertile into the teens.

I don't know about the open mouth and no sound .

 

[mar013q]

Our peacock is 15-20+ years old!! I was in elementary school was he was born and I am now 26.

Our peahen is normally very vocal but since the turkeys have been in there with her I haven't heard any noises. Our peacock is now laying near the fencing watching them and sleeps next to their area inside the coop. Both peacock and peahen are very interested but haven't showed any signs of aggression. Our peacock and peahen integrated with out any trouble when they met.

Should we keep them separate or put them together?

Thanks!

 

[zazouse]

are your peas free ranged?
if so are you going to free range the turkeys also? if so i would wait till the turkeys are bigger like the peas then open the gate and turn um loose at least that how i do things here.

 

[mar013q]

They are not free ranged. Our one little turkey flew over the fencing today. I was leaving for work and saw him in the corner and our peahen was pecking at him. So I quickly put him back in since I had to go to work. If I didn't have to work I would have watched for awhile to see what she would do. We ended up making the fencing a bit taller and will wait til they are bigger before we let them be together.