HELP!!! Any tricks on getting peafowl to go in their coop at night?

[ChickaPea2014]

I have 4 peafowl and 10 chickens that I have brought up since 1 week old and are now about 5 months old. 95% sure that I have at least 1 Peacock and the other 3 are female and all hens no roosters. I live on 4 wooded acres and they all free range during the day with open access to their coop which is 8ft x 8ft and 12ft tall. My peafowl NEVER leave my property and I have never had a issue with that at all, they stay right with the hens all day. So, here is where I need some advice and help. I've kept chickens for many years so I have the knowledge to care for them but this is a first for me in keeping peafowl. I did not just jump into it I did my research and educated myself on keeping peafowl. However, it blows my mind that my peafowl would rather roost about 8 feet off the ground in an open tree rather then in the secure coop that is free of outdoor elements and predators! My chickens obviously go right in at dusk as usual but not the peafowl even though they are all 1 big flock that always sticks together. I'm very worried not about predators but more so the weather. I live in upstate NY with extremely harsh winters that last for at least 6 months with temperatures dropping to -20 for weeks at a time with bitter wind gusts and feet of snow. During the summer it wasn't a huge deal if they were in the tree but now it's concerning. They were up in the tree in the pouring rain soaked last night and the temp was 33 degrees. I got the ladder out and physically carried each one out of that freakin tree and put them inside their coop. Is there any trick in the book that will get them to just go in at night without keeping them cooped up all day?? They are so good about staying around I don't want to punish them all winter by not letting them and the chickens out. Any advice that I haven't already tried would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[DylansMom]

I have 4 peafowl and 10 chickens that I have brought up since 1 week old and are now about 5 months old. 95% sure that I have at least 1 Peacock and the other 3 are female and all hens no roosters. I live on 4 wooded acres and they all free range during the day with open access to their coop which is 8ft x 8ft and 12ft tall. My peafowl NEVER leave my property and I have never had a issue with that at all, they stay right with the hens all day. So, here is where I need some advice and help. I've kept chickens for many years so I have the knowledge to care for them but this is a first for me in keeping peafowl. I did not just jump into it I did my research and educated myself on keeping peafowl. However, it blows my mind that my peafowl would rather roost about 8 feet off the ground in an open tree rather then in the secure coop that is free of outdoor elements and predators! My chickens obviously go right in at dusk as usual but not the peafowl even though they are all 1 big flock that always sticks together. I'm very worried not about predators but more so the weather. I live in upstate NY with extremely harsh winters that last for at least 6 months with temperatures dropping to -20 for weeks at a time with bitter wind gusts and feet of snow. During the summer it wasn't a huge deal if they were in the tree but now it's concerning. They were up in the tree in the pouring rain soaked last night and the temp was 33 degrees. I got the ladder out and physically carried each one out of that freakin tree and put them inside their coop. Is there any trick in the book that will get them to just go in at night without keeping them cooped up all day?? They are so good about staying around I don't want to punish them all winter by not letting them and the chickens out. Any advice that I haven't already tried would be greatly appreciated!!

I don't free range mine anymore, too many neighbors now. I do however let them take turns going out and ranging for a day here and a day there. They have learned that feeding time is around 5 pm and if they want food they better be waiting to get back into their pen, there isn't all that much good forage this time of year and I think their instinct is to eat as much as possible incase there are harsh times ahead. I generally don't have any trouble getting them back in until spring rolls around and then I have to keep them locked up or the males would spend all day and night on my roof screaming their heads off. Try NO food until evening and then food in the coop only, treats they like will help also.

 

[ChickaPea2014]

Makes perfect sense the No food until 5pm idea, they will be lining up at the door just like you said! Thanks so much for the advice! Can't wait to experience next spring and summer for the 1st time with the male.....Pretty much have a really good idea of what I've gotten myself into with the vocalizing and wandering. Good thing I don't have neighbors! Since you have plenty of peacocks and experience do you think that there is at least a little bit of a chance that since I brought them up from a young age along with the chickens and they are comfortable around my family not skidish and have always stuck around that they will still hang out and keep that temperament even in maturity? I'm hoping the answer is yes.....

 

[zazouse]

You ain't gonna change their minds they will always do this, best thing to do is the next time they go into the coup lock them up till winter is over unless you can get them to go in earler in the daytime with some feed.

i have over 50 free ranges here and not one will go into the barn at night but will in the daytime if the weather is bad

Don't let your guard down about staying on your 4 acres they are still babies and once they feel comfortable they will have no problem going for a walk about right off to the next 4 acres especially when they start getting brave enough to chase a rabbit, cat or any other non threatening critter, then when they get real comfortable they will try to intimidate bigger critters like deer and such, i have been studying them here for going on 5 years and there ain't much they won't try to intimidate and if all else fails they will take flight everywhere all at one time.



Even a turtle can't walk threw undetected







My dog Annie running off the intruder

A baby Ibis drops in



There was a rabbit in there

 

[ChickaPea2014]

You ain't gonna change their minds they will always do this, best thing to do is the next time they go into the coup lock them up till winter is over unless you can get them to go in earler in the daytime with some feed.

i have over 50 free ranges here and not one will go into the barn at night but will in the daytime if the weather is bad

Don't let your guard down about staying on your 4 acres they are still babies and once they feel comfortable they will have no problem going for a walk about right off to the next 4 acres especially when they start getting brave enough to chase a rabbit, cat or any other non threatening critter, then when they get real comfortable they will try to intimidate bigger critters like deer and such, i have been studying them here for going on 5 years and there ain't much they won't try to intimidate and if all else fails they will take flight everywhere all at one time.



Even a turtle can't walk threw undetected







My dog Annie running off the intruder

A baby Ibis drops in



There was a rabbit in there

Beautiful peas! Thank you for the advice and I will prepare myself for when they "fly the coop" just as long as they come back. They might as well be my children.

 

[ChickaPea2014]

Couple of my pea babies.

 

[DylansMom]

Makes perfect sense the No food until 5pm idea, they will be lining up at the door just like you said! Thanks so much for the advice! Can't wait to experience next spring and summer for the 1st time with the male.....Pretty much have a really good idea of what I've gotten myself into with the vocalizing and wandering. Good thing I don't have neighbors! Since you have plenty of peacocks and experience do you think that there is at least a little bit of a chance that since I brought them up from a young age along with the chickens and they are comfortable around my family not skidish and have always stuck around that they will still hang out and keep that temperament even in maturity? I'm hoping the answer is yes.....

I've had Peas for 20 years now, my oldest is a hen who is 19, she was a free ranger for many years before we got "closer" neighbors. We have quite a few who used to be loose and they have accepted penning quite well. We have 5 acres and another adjacent parcel of woodland that is 11 acres, my birds stay on my property when left out for the day, but if I were to just let them loose every day, day after day, they would start to explore the neighboring properties eventually. They used to do it when I free ranged, I had to retrieve a hen from one neighbor's covered patio twice and that was it for her, she got locked up. It doesn't take much for them to irritate people who are not smitten with them.

I would not take kindly to my neighbor's dogs chasing my cats, or their cows ruining my lawn, so I try to keep my animals from being a nuisance to them. You may find that you will need to keep a couple locked in and let the other 2 out and then the next day let the other 2 out and keep the first ones penned. It has been my experience that they are less likely to roam if the whole flock can't go. I would think temperament will stay pretty much the same, but they do like to expand their territory as they grow older and bolder, 4 acres will probably not be enough to keep them content. The fact that hey are not skittish with you will probably mean they will not be skittish with other people either. They will walk right up to them and expect the same treatment they get from you, this could be fine or it could scare some people. My Father-in-law is quite scared of our Peas, if they are loose he walks the other way.

Welcome to BYC and the wonderful world of Peas!

 

[ChickaPea2014]

I've had Peas for 20 years now, my oldest is a hen who is 19, she was a free ranger for many years before we got "closer" neighbors. We have quite a few who used to be loose and they have accepted penning quite well. We have 5 acres and another adjacent parcel of woodland that is 11 acres, my birds stay on my property when left out for the day, but if I were to just let them loose every day, day after day, they would start to explore the neighboring properties eventually. They used to do it when I free ranged, I had to retrieve a hen from one neighbor's covered patio twice and that was it for her, she got locked up. It doesn't take much for them to irritate people who are not smitten with them.

I would not take kindly to my neighbor's dogs chasing my cats, or their cows ruining my lawn, so I try to keep my animals from being a nuisance to them. You may find that you will need to keep a couple locked in and let the other 2 out and then the next day let the other 2 out and keep the first ones penned. It has been my experience that they are less likely to roam if the whole flock can't go. I would think temperament will stay pretty much the same, but they do like to expand their territory as they grow older and bolder, 4 acres will probably not be enough to keep them content. The fact that hey are not skittish with you will probably mean they will not be skittish with other people either. They will walk right up to them and expect the same treatment they get from you, this could be fine or it could scare some people. My Father-in-law is quite scared of our Peas, if they are loose he walks the other way.

Welcome to BYC and the wonderful world of Peas!

Since I have 1 male and 3 females does it matter at all if I let 2 females out at a time or should I let the male out with a female all the time and alternate the females that way? I've always only had hens as well no roosters so I have very little experience with male birds at the moment.

 

[DylansMom]

Since I have 1 male and 3 females does it matter at all if I let 2 females out at a time or should I let the male out with a female all the time and alternate the females that way? I've always only had hens as well no roosters so I have very little experience with male birds at the moment.

Your babies are still babies, they probably will not breed next year, usually they are 2 before that happens. So next year it shouldn't make any difference and you can change it up, 3 out 1 in, 1 out 3 in, 2 and 2, whatever, they aren't going to miss each other too much in a day's time. When they do reach maturity your boy will really want to stay out all night, in a tree or on your roof, he will call all night, unlike roosters they are not quiet after dark, my males are hollering as much at 3am as at 3pm. Usually male Peas do not get as aggressive as roosters do, but sometimes they can if they were imprinted on humans as babies. When they are imprinted they do not fear us, they think we are Peas as well and they will treat us as such. Your hens will try to sneak off and make secret nests so you cannot find their eggs, unfortunately they nest on the ground and this makes them very vulnerable to predators and neighborhood dogs. You will have to decide if you want to take the chance on letting them out during breeding season, I choose not to, just to save myself the trouble and heartbreak. After the males molt and calm down we start letting them loose again. Last week, before it got so cold, this guy was napping on my back porch.

 

[new 2 pfowl]

Hello and


Another thing you probably need to consider if you are thinking about keeping your pretty peas penned is the size of your pen.
Grown peas need at least 100 square feet per bird and if I understand correctly your pen is 64 square feet for 4 peas and 10 chickens?