Peafowl with chickens and ducks?

[Ramblin Rooster]

Hi Folks!

I have about 50 chickens and two ducks. Most of them live in a big coop (our barn has different stalls set aside as coops) which is a 12x12' horse stall connected to a run that's 25 x 25' and about 6' or 7' tall with aviary netting. I was hoping to add a peacock or two as pets and maybe to sell their hatching eggs. We occasionally supervised free range everyone (plus two sheep and a soon a pig) in our yard that's 2 acres. If we keep an eye on them and all will the peafowl stay nearby? Should we keep them penned instead?

An alternative would be to keep them with the sheep in an area a little smaller (they free range mostly) and clip their wings so they don't hop the fence if that would work.

Your advice is appreciated.

 

[Garden Peas]

Don't clip wings! It makes them vulnerable to bring killed. Otherwise great plan

 

[KsKingBee]

You will need to keep the peas contained for about three months so when you do let them out they will not wander off. Provide them with about 100 sf of living space per bird.

 

[Ramblin Rooster]

Don't clip wings! It makes them vulnerable to bring killed. Otherwise great plan

Don't want them flying into trees. Will be supervising so they will be safe

 

[Garden Peas]

Don't want them flying into trees. Will be supervising so they will be safe

If you don't want them to fly (trees or anywhere else) buy rabbits. Or more sheep. Don't mutilate the peafowl.

 

[KsKingBee]

Don't want them flying into trees. Will be supervising so they will be safe

If you don't want them to fly or wander off cover the run with 2" heavy knotted netting from 3T products. (Best priced)

http://www.3tproducts.com/shop/pc/viewCategories.asp?idCategory=2

 

[Garden Peas]

If you don't want them to fly or wander off cover the run with 2" heavy knotted netting from 3T products.  (Best priced)

http://www.3tproducts.com/shop/pc/viewCategories.asp?idCategory=2

x2 @KsKingBee but op said they were going to cover the runs, but planned to free range occasionally - apparently thinks clipping wings is a good idea so they can free range :-0
Maybe you can explain to op how to SAFELY free range peas

 

[MinxFox]

The reason why Garden Peas says no wing clipping is due to the fact that even with their wings clipped, peafowl are really good jumpers. They can jump over the fence then once out of the fenced in area they could get hurt. Flight is such a great way to escape predators that taking that away could be bad, but if you will only be letting them outside with supervision then it could be okay, but still not really needed. Most of us on here don't like the idea of wing clipping because peafowl love to roost up high, so no flight means low roosts, etc. The higher their roosts, the better. If you start with young peafowl you can easily work with them to be easily herded back into a pen. I have peafowl that I hand raised, that I bought as adults, etc and sometimes I let them out of their pen for a bit. It is very easy to herd them back into the pen. You just have to take it slow so as not to startle any of the birds or else they could take off and fly. It is very easy to get them back in the pen though and I have never wing clipped mine. With you watching them you shouldn't have issues. It is when you have them out and go to off to work, out to eat, etc that they can get into trouble when you aren't there to herd them back into the yard. In the case where one of my peafowl gets loose and flies off, the next day I will find them pacing the pen fence frantically to get back inside.

I noticed on the "Quiet Peafowl, Anybody Interested???" topic, you recently posted asking Dr. James for any news. The call of the peacock is so entwined with what makes a peacock a peacock as far as breeding, socializing, alarm calling, etc that I am hoping you are not considering voice removal. It is most of our personal opinion on here that if you have to remove a peacock's voice in order to be able to keep him or you don't like the noise they make, then you are better off getting some other kind of bird. There are many colorful pheasants that also have unique displays that you can raise. Here is more information on peacock noise: http://bamboopeacock.com/Noisy_Peacocks.html

 

[Trefoil]

I haven't really got an opinion on clipping wings. No matter what you do, they must be kept in a pen for at least 3 months before letting them out, and then I personally would just let one out at a time for the first few times until you are confident that they will be easily repenned. Clipping wings won't keep a pea in a pen without a top. The peas' call are part and parcel of their breeding routine< I'm not sure that altering them wouldn't affect their breeding. Aside from that I agree that pheasants sound like a better fit for you, and there are some gorgeous ones out there. You might want to talk with Birdman about that. He has several different kinds of pheasants as well as peas.

 

[Ramblin Rooster]

The reason why Garden Peas says no wing clipping is due to the fact that even with their wings clipped, peafowl are really good jumpers. They can jump over the fence then once out of the fenced in area they could get hurt. Flight is such a great way to escape predators that taking that away could be bad, but if you will only be letting them outside with supervision then it could be okay, but still not really needed. Most of us on here don't like the idea of wing clipping because peafowl love to roost up high, so no flight means low roosts, etc. The higher their roosts, the better. If you start with young peafowl you can easily work with them to be easily herded back into a pen. I have peafowl that I hand raised, that I bought as adults, etc and sometimes I let them out of their pen for a bit. It is very easy to herd them back into the pen. You just have to take it slow so as not to startle any of the birds or else they could take off and fly. It is very easy to get them back in the pen though and I have never wing clipped mine. With you watching them you shouldn't have issues. It is when you have them out and go to off to work, out to eat, etc that they can get into trouble when you aren't there to herd them back into the yard. In the case where one of my peafowl gets loose and flies off, the next day I will find them pacing the pen fence frantically to get back inside.

I noticed on the "Quiet Peafowl, Anybody Interested???" topic, you recently posted asking Dr. James for any news. The call of the peacock is so entwined with what makes a peacock a peacock as far as breeding, socializing, alarm calling, etc that I am hoping you are not considering voice removal. It is most of our personal opinion on here that if you have to remove a peacock's voice in order to be able to keep him or you don't like the noise they make, then you are better off getting some other kind of bird. There are many colorful pheasants that also have unique displays that you can raise. Here is more information on peacock noise: http://bamboopeacock.com/Noisy_Peacocks.html

Okay I would see how I could keep them close I guess. I was not really interested in voice removal but I read somewhere he said there is an alternative and it's a breed called Java green peafowl and those are quieter. Not my intentions to pay $250+ to have some peacock's neck cut up and left voiceless. We like noise just not too much. Hoping to find some that are not too bad or if they are loud just not non-stop noise.