The Jacona Menagerie

There is no organic material in the dry desert soil of New Mexico. Any garden has to be built from scratch. If our animals have a purpose, beyond simply being themselves, fun to observe and interact with, it is their copious production of compostable material. All the gardens at Jacona are built on barn compost from goats, sheep. We have peafowl.

Pete the Peacock

We could go on and on and on about peafowl, how they nest, how they teach the chicks to eat. This is a self-sustaining flock that is over 20 years old. The odd colored ones (white) represent recessive genes popping out. They are not penned, not housed. They live wild here except that we feed them and provide several “refuge” places where they can nest fairly safely. In the spring of 2017, several babies were hatched and seem to be thriving. You will often see peacocks and peahens with their little ones up on roofs, in trees, in the area behind the pool which is fenced.