I've probably spent too much time the past few days reading about keeping peafowl, and probably have way too many questions now, but I think the questions may be able to be summarized into this one question - why keep peafowl?
Most of what I've read is...well, to be blunt, pretty disheartening. They sound like very delicate birds who can get sick and die from the slightest imperfection in their environment. They need a very large amount of space if penned, need a large enclosure even if they free-range and will likely fly away and not return if allowed to free-range. And, if allowed to free-range, will likely get onto your roof, your vehicle, or worse, your neighbor's roof or vehicle. Plus the males are extremely loud and will make your neighbors hate you (if you're unfortunate enough to have neighbors). Oh, and then there's the information saying they're not particularly friendly unless you raise them from hatchlings and allow them to imprint on you...but if you do allow them to imprint and your imprinted chick ends up being a male it'll turn aggressive and attack you or other people. Basically, the majority of what I'm reading makes keeping peafowl sound like a terrifying endeavor.
Then I'll see a post or two from someone who has kept peafowl for many years, decades even, and they have wonderful relationships with their peas. Or from people who have dozens of peafowl, or hatch out dozens of peachicks every year. Which has me wondering what you do with peafowl. If they're not friendly like ducks or chickens, are they just ornamental? And what do people do with dozens of ornamental birds who are extremely loud and not particularly friendly? I mean, at least with chickens, you can still eat eggs from an unfriendly hen and can probably find someone who can make a meal from an aggressive rooster. But...people don't eat peafowl do they? So are they just loud, ornamental, potentially dangerous pets like a dog or cat, or macaw?
Sorry for sounding like a debbie downer with these questions. I know peafowl have to have stuff in their "pros" column, but those don't seem to be mentioned as often as the negatives. And honestly, I appreciate that the negatives are mentioned. I often see people listing the pros of keeping ducks and wonder if the pro duck articles contribute to the number of ducks that get dumped off at lakes and ponds. Like how people say that ducks aren't as destructive to lawns or gardens as chickens are. My ducks will happily dig up huge areas of lawn making massive mud holes, and have eaten far more plants in my gardens than chickens ever did. But I find ducks to be MUCH cuter, more friendly, and far more entertaining than chickens so I don't mind the negatives.
Most of what I've read is...well, to be blunt, pretty disheartening. They sound like very delicate birds who can get sick and die from the slightest imperfection in their environment. They need a very large amount of space if penned, need a large enclosure even if they free-range and will likely fly away and not return if allowed to free-range. And, if allowed to free-range, will likely get onto your roof, your vehicle, or worse, your neighbor's roof or vehicle. Plus the males are extremely loud and will make your neighbors hate you (if you're unfortunate enough to have neighbors). Oh, and then there's the information saying they're not particularly friendly unless you raise them from hatchlings and allow them to imprint on you...but if you do allow them to imprint and your imprinted chick ends up being a male it'll turn aggressive and attack you or other people. Basically, the majority of what I'm reading makes keeping peafowl sound like a terrifying endeavor.
Then I'll see a post or two from someone who has kept peafowl for many years, decades even, and they have wonderful relationships with their peas. Or from people who have dozens of peafowl, or hatch out dozens of peachicks every year. Which has me wondering what you do with peafowl. If they're not friendly like ducks or chickens, are they just ornamental? And what do people do with dozens of ornamental birds who are extremely loud and not particularly friendly? I mean, at least with chickens, you can still eat eggs from an unfriendly hen and can probably find someone who can make a meal from an aggressive rooster. But...people don't eat peafowl do they? So are they just loud, ornamental, potentially dangerous pets like a dog or cat, or macaw?
Sorry for sounding like a debbie downer with these questions. I know peafowl have to have stuff in their "pros" column, but those don't seem to be mentioned as often as the negatives. And honestly, I appreciate that the negatives are mentioned. I often see people listing the pros of keeping ducks and wonder if the pro duck articles contribute to the number of ducks that get dumped off at lakes and ponds. Like how people say that ducks aren't as destructive to lawns or gardens as chickens are. My ducks will happily dig up huge areas of lawn making massive mud holes, and have eaten far more plants in my gardens than chickens ever did. But I find ducks to be MUCH cuter, more friendly, and far more entertaining than chickens so I don't mind the negatives.