Effective Measures to Improve the Fertilization Rate in Blue Peafowl Breeding

(1) Select superior, robust individuals to retain as breeding stock. Once adult blue peafowl reach sexual maturity, they can be used as breeding blue peafowl for mating.

(2) The timing for grouping male and female blue peafowl together for breeding must be appropriate. If male and female blue peafowl are grouped together too early or too late, it will affect mating. The appropriate grouping time is: for experienced female blue peafowl flocks, in mid-April; for first-time laying female blue peafowl flocks, at the end of April, introduce the breeding male blue peafowl. Before formally grouping them for breeding, you may trial-release one or two male blue peafowl into the female flock to observe whether the female blue peafowl are willing to accept mating, so as to determine the grouping time.

(3) The ratio of male to female mates should be appropriate: the male-to-female mate ratio of blue peafowl has a great influence on the fertilization rate of breeding eggs. If the proportion of male blue peafowl is high, fighting over mates will be serious; conversely, if the proportion of male blue peafowl is low, females in estrus are likely to be missed for mating. Experiments have shown that a male-to-female blue peafowl mate ratio of 1:(4-6) is appropriate. During the breeding process, male blue peafowl that are injured or killed in fights or that have no mating ability should be picked out at any time and no longer replaced with breeding male blue peafowl.

(4) Artificial insemination.

(5) Others

① In dry and hot seasons, avoid direct sunlight and take cooling measures: from mid-June to the end of July, the weather is hot, and direct sunlight will affect the sexual activity of male blue peafowl, reduce the number of matings, and lower the fertilization rate of eggs. Therefore, if there are not enough shade trees around the net room, shade should be provided on the top wall and with covered mats, or water should be sprayed on the ground of the net room to lower the temperature, so that the blue peafowl are not affected by heat, thereby maintaining a relatively high mating frequency and fertilization rate.

② Check fertilization status: after each batch of breeding eggs is incubated, candle the embryos in time, and report the candling results promptly to the keepers. If a decline in the fertilization rate of breeding eggs is found, check and analyze various factors affecting the fertilization rate of breeding eggs, identify the causes in time, and take timely measures.