Meet Edward

Edward is a peacock who came to Poplar Spring in March 2005 when he was only a few months old. He was rescued from a home in Maryland, where he was not being given any food, water or shelter. The owner’s pet sitter called the local animal control when she was told to leave Edward outside on a cold snowy night, and that he didn’t need water or food, he could just “eat the snow”. Edward was confiscated by the local animal control and brought to Poplar Spring.

Edward enjoys hanging out with the turkeys and chickens, scratching and pecking for bugs, sunbathing, and taking dust baths. Even though he doesn’t have a female (called a peahen) he has made friends with the other birds, and sometimes even displays to them. This means that he puts up his tail feathers and struts around, looking for a girlfriend, and trying to impress her. He eats chicken scratch (a corn and oat mix) every day, and loves treats like grapes and bread. At night he likes to perch on a board in the barn, with his long tail hanging down. Each year, his tail will get longer and longer, and once a year all his tail feathers will fall out and he will grow new ones. Edward can fly very well and he roams around the farm every day, but he always come into the barn at night, where it is safe.