Proud as a peacock

Sussanne Chambers runs one of the largest peafowl operations in the UK. Debbie Kingsley meets her and her colourful charges

- Debbie Kingsley

Peacocks have graced the grounds of smart homes for centuries, their strut declaring a sense of superiority and exoticism. Although not a regular feature of smallholdings, you can certainly sometimes encounter them on small farms.

The traditional Indian Blue is the most common, but none the less outstanding for that. That tiara is properly called a crest in peacock nomenclature and is a promise of what is to come further down the male bird. Sliding your eyes down their dazzling cobalt necks, their saddles turn from lapis lazuli to emerald and peridot — and these gleam and shimmer just like gemstones. Then comes the awe-inspiring shock of the train — those extraordinary long feathers, each complete with an eye of the same cobalt and emeralds, plus paler sapphire. The train drapes promisingly behind the peacock until it shoots out in full display in a massive arc that trembles and rustles, curving forwards as it vibrates.

The glory of the peacock explains why they present an interesting business opportunity and this idea wasn’t lost on breeder Sussanne Chambers and Nigel, her husband of 30 years. They run one of the largest peafowl breeding operations in the UK. It comes as no surprise that they admit to being crazy about peacocks and to keeping around 400 of the beautiful birds at their 26-acre Worcestershire smallholding. Sussanne is even accepting of their inevitable racket.