MULTAN: People’s interest in rearing peacocks is on a rise especially in the culturally rich region of South Punjab.
Peacocks not only provide good recreation to visitors but are also a source of handsome earning for breeders. The bird also adds beauty to the surrounding.
This was stated by Wildlife District Officer Muhammad Hussain Gashkori while talking to APP. He said that trend of breeding fancy birds was on rise in the region.
Among different fancy birds, including talking parrots and pheasants, the beauty of peacocks was out of description, he said and added that people were taking interest in rearing peacocks at their farmhouses. The wildlife department issued a good number of licences to peacock breeders, he added.
Muhammad Nasir Sial, a landlord near Kacha Khoh area in Khanewal, who also claims to be one of biggest peacock breeder in the country, while talking to APP here on Sunday said that he had been rearing peacocks for 35 years. He was about 12-year-old when he bought a couple of peacocks for his farmhouse.
He said that he had hundreds of peacocks of almost all species at his two-acre farm. “I am found of rearing fancy birds and I never tried to earn money from my hobby,” Nasir observed.
About different types of peacocks, Nasir Sial said that there were many peafowl breeds available around the world. Some common peafowl breeds were Indian Blue, Black Shoulder, Bufford Bronze, Charcoal, Cameo, Green Peafowl (Java Green), Opal, Oaten, Spalding, Purple, White, Pied etc.
Another peacock breeder named Muhammad Bashir informed that he had 75 birds out of which 50 are female while 25 are male birds. He informed that he had been rearing peacocks for last eight years and added that it was a lucrative business.
Farmers should pay attention towards this business, he said. He informed that peacock feathers were also being sold in different markets as people purchase feathers for decorating their homes.
About the price of the peacocks, he said that it ranges from Rs15,000 to 300,000. However, some foreign species are too costly and are sold at Rs1.5 million per bird.
