Green Pea Roosting Outside High in a Tree!!! :(

MinxFox · Sep 23, 2015

First of all, this is 100% my fault. I should have known after raising Peep that you don't take peachicks outside when it is getting late unless if you want to be stuck trying to get them to fly down from something. Well...I took Raptor, the Imperator and Flip Flop, the IB split to white outside later than normal because I felt bad that I hadn't been able to take them out yet today.

Raptor flew up onto the house and I was trying to get him down. I saw him eyeing the chimney and of course he flew up onto the chimney and from there he flew out maybe 10ft off of the ground and very fast. He sure did soar and it was beautiful but at the same time I was very worried about getting him back. I thought he would land in the big grassy backyard, but no he made a curve and landed high at the edge of an oak tree surrounded by scuppernong vines. I took the bag of mealworms and shook it trying to entice him down. Unfortunately he is not very food motivated compared to Flip Flop. Every now and then I got a little hopeful as he would shift up on the spindly little branch or I would hear him make a noise. Poor Flip Flop was crying for him back at the peachick pen. Unfortunately it got darker and darker until I decided to come back inside. Raptor is spending the night in the tree. I am going to get up before daylight to be there when he flies down. At least we have a strip of woods on either side of us which should help prevent him from going over to someone's house.

I am very worried. I have had this happen before with an adult peahen that flew way off and I didn't see where she landed to roost and she was back the next morning pacing to get into the aviary. Of course that was not a green peafowl though.

I don't want to take away his outdoor privileges all together. I truly believe it was my mistake of taking him out too late and I don't think I will have to worry about him doing something like that when it is not late in the day.

I was thinking about getting up at 5:00 AM. I even considered sleeping outside near the tree, but I guess that might be too excessive...

cavemanrich · Sep 23, 2015

I never had peafowl, but I did once have a golden seabrite flying from tree to tree. Silly me tried to climb the tree, and she just flew higher. As I climbed higher, she flew to an adjacent tree. I tried to use a hose and water to get her wet.... My thinking was a wet chicken will only be able to fly towards ground.. I was wrong.. She flew to next tree.. Three days later I got her, clipped her flight feathers and she behaved from then on for the next 8 years. Went naturally.

( I only clipped her feathers that one time. Afterward she was home set well.)

Maybe water hose would convince Raptor to come down. Cant think of anything else.
WISHING YOU BEST

Birdrain92 · Sep 23, 2015

MinxFox said:
First of all, this is 100% my fault. I should have known after raising Peep that you don't take peachicks outside when it is getting late unless if you want to be stuck trying to get them to fly down from something. Well...I took Raptor, the Imperator and Flip Flop, the IB split to white outside later than normal because I felt bad that I hadn't been able to take them out yet today.

Raptor flew up onto the house and I was trying to get him down. I saw him eyeing the chimney and of course he flew up onto the chimney and from there he flew out maybe 10ft off of the ground and very fast. He sure did soar and it was beautiful but at the same time I was very worried about getting him back. I thought he would land in the big grassy backyard, but no he made a curve and landed high at the edge of an oak tree surrounded by scuppernong vines. I took the bag of mealworms and shook it trying to entice him down. Unfortunately he is not very food motivated compared to Flip Flop. Every now and then I got a little hopeful as he would shift up on the spindly little branch or I would hear him make a noise. Poor Flip Flop was crying for him back at the peachick pen. Unfortunately it got darker and darker until I decided to come back inside. Raptor is spending the night in the tree. I am going to get up before daylight to be there when he flies down. At least we have a strip of woods on either side of us which should help prevent him from going over to someone's house.

I am very worried. I have had this happen before with an adult peahen that flew way off and I didn't see where she landed to roost and she was back the next morning pacing to get into the aviary. Of course that was not a green peafowl though.

I don't want to take away his outdoor privileges all together. I truly believe it was my mistake of taking him out too late and I don't think I will have to worry about him doing something like that when it is not late in the day.

I was thinking about getting up at 5:00 AM. I even considered sleeping outside near the tree, but I guess that might be too excessive...

I've had peachicks do a short flutter on to an area high enough to scout but I could catch them. I just keep them perched on my arm and watch them to make sure they don't try to fly if they do I use my hand to keep the wings to the body so they can't fly off my arm. They get the hint after a couple tries. But I do have a word I use for them to fly off my arm. Or, I know you don't want to really but you could try a tether. I will be introducing the tether to my adults in the third video of me getting peafowl tame so you can learn how I use my tether.

MinxFox · Sep 23, 2015

cavemanrich said:
Maybe water hose would convince Raptor to come down. Cant think of anything else.
WISHING YOU BEST

Thanks! I didn't think about the water but I would be worried about making him cold. Green peafowl are somewhat tropical birds and soaking him in cold water when tonight might be a little cool might not be a good idea.

Birdrain92 said:
I've had peachicks do a short flutter on to an area high enough to scout but I could catch them. I just keep them perched on my arm and watch them to make sure they don't try to fly if they do I use my hand to keep the wings to the body so they can't fly off my arm. They get the hint after a couple tries. But I do have a word I use for them to fly off my arm. Or, I know you don't want to really but you could try a tether. I will be introducing the tether to my adults in the third video of me getting peafowl tame so you can learn how I use my tether.

When I take my peachicks out, I don't mean I hold them. I actually open the pen door, let them jump out, and then we spend usually an hour walking around outside in the fenced in area of the backyard. We have a treat/training time when they fly on top of the doghouse and I go inside and bring out some mealworms and I pick up Raptor and reward him for allowing me to pick him up by giving him some mealworms. Then I pick up Flip Flop and reward her with mealworms. Most of the time though I walk around and Raptor and Flip Flop follow me and I help them find bugs under leaves and I take them to the areas in the backyard that has tasty grass and weeds for them to eat. Once it is time to put them up I get out the mealworms again and I show them the little cup full of mealworms to let them know I have treats and then I walk to the peachick pen and hold the door open. Flip Flop always flies in first and I pour the treats in their food dish and then Raptor flies in and I close the door.

What happened tonight was we were hanging out on the back porch so we were very close to the house. I wasn't paying attention to the signs that Raptor was wanting to fly up onto the house. He was on the porch and flew up onto the roof. I walked out into the grass trying to get him to fly down.

I really need to upload that video of the peachicks and me outside walking around. It shows the basic routine of what we do.

Frenchman Creek · Sep 23, 2015

Minxfox, wishing you well with your peachick. You are right about getting up early as my males roost in high pines each night but fly down to the ground at first light. If he decides to explore the other side of the woods you can at least see which way he goes. If there is a way to safely let other birds out to walk around the grass then I would think he would fly right down to them. My males will glide three hundred feet right down to the chickens when I let the chickens out early. If the chickens are not out the males will normally fly down to a sunny spot on the lawn and start pruning their feathers. Good luck and hope all turns out well.

MinxFox · Sep 23, 2015

Thank you Frenchman Creek! I have a younger peachick (Flip Flop) that is Raptor's friend that he has been housed with. She was crying for him after he flew off. I could bring treats and put them down for her to eat and Raptor might see her getting treats and will probably want to have some treats as well. He didn't get his treats today since he flew off so he will probably be really ready for some treats & to be back with his friend.

My Dad and I go turkey hunting and with turkey hunting you have to get up really early to get set up in the woods before the turkeys start stirring and fly down. Peafowl and turkeys are a lot a like thankfully.

MinxFox · Sep 24, 2015

Well it is 5:34 AM here and I got up at 5:15 AM. It is still pitch black outside but I would rather be up too soon than too late. I wonder if Raptor liked sleeping up high in a tree last night or if he is missing his spot on top of the little nest boxes to sleep on.

I would take my camera to get good fly down shots of him once he comes down, but he is not too fond of my camera and the last thing I want to do is spook him. I even wore green and blue to not spook him because sometimes I feel like he doesn't like white shirts which is what I was wearing earlier.

MinxFox · Sep 24, 2015

Raptor is now back in his pen! I went outside when it started getting light out and stood around watching him. He was preening and pecking at leaves. I opened up the gate so I could herd him into the fenced in part of the backyard where the peachick pen is. I started looking and figured he might want to fly to the top of the barn and then fly down. That is exactly what he did when he flew down, but he stayed on top of the barn for a good while trying to figure out how to fly down. I couldn't get him to come down so I went over to the leaves where I take the peachicks to find bugs and I scratched threw them. That got his attention but he flew down on the other side of the gate so I walked out and herded him into the fenced in area. I had Flip Flop out to help entice Raptor in, and he was pressing up against the fence wanting to get to her and would make noises in protest when I made him keep walking along the fence to get to the opening. Finally we got to the opening and he walked in and joined Flip Flop and I got a handful of mealworms and both peachicks followed me over to their pen and jumped in once I put the mealworms in their food dish. Right now Raptor is eating. I am so glad to have him back!

He is a little roughed up looking. I think his landing in the tree last night wasn't so graceful so he roughed up his tail feathers and some of his wing feathers. I think he had fun but I know he was ready to come back especially to come back and see Flip Flop.

Birdrain92 · Sep 24, 2015

That's good to hear!

Frenchman Creek · Sep 24, 2015

Great news on getting him back in. No doubt he was happy to get back in with his friend. I keep my males out but do lock them in with the hens for the winter to protect their feet so late November early December I will be doing what you just did by getting them to walk through several fence gates until they are in with the hens. Good job on getting your youngster back in safely.

Green Pea Roosting Outside High in a Tree!!! :(

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