Charcoal
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Although it has been around for many years, an unfortunate trait which prevented the hens from laying has stunted the growth of this color and kept it from being officially recognized for many years. In the new listing of peafowl varieties approved by the UPA in 2005, charcoal and its variations were listed, but with the note "in consideration." At this point, the vast majority, if not all, charcoals do not seem to lay fertile eggs. |
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Type of mutation: Charcoal is one of the 10 color varieties of peafowl currently known. |
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Peacock Coloration: Males are a dull black in color. Like the cameos, they have a gene which prevents feather iradescence. The train is a dark grayish black color, with ocelli of varying dark shades. |
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Peahen Coloration: Hens are colored in the same pattern as India Blue hens, but are darker. They are a dark gray, with a darker charcoal neck. Like the males, they also have no iradescence on the neck. Their breast is an off white color. |
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Origin: This color was discovered in the 1980's at the Phoenix Zoo in Arizona, but has only recently been recognized as an official variety by the UPA (United Peafowl Association). Its varieties are under consideration. This color mutation has led to unfortunate reproductive mutations as well. Originally, Charcoal hens would not lay, and the only way for this color to be reproduced was by breeding charcoal males to hens split to charcoal. Although some charcoal hens now do lay, their eggs do not seem to be fertile. |
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Do they breed true?: If charcoal hens would lay eggs, then yes charcoal x charcoal would breed true. As is, the only way to get charcoal offspring is to breed a charcoal male to a hen split to charcoal. Approximately half of the offspring will be charcoal and the other half will be split to charcoal. |
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Mature Charcoal hens, photo courtesy of Sid @ Texaspeafowl.
Mature Charcoal cock, photo courtesy of Sid @ Texaspeafowl.
