have am so upset,but is this normal?

hi,i have 2 peacocks,which i got as 1 day olds.
the one was soo tame,the other,i could not get near,even though i hand reared them both.
the tame one,always jumped into my lap,and i could pet/stroke him.
now he is 18 months old,and things seem to have changed?!!!
when i catch him,he sits as before,but the minute i release him,he tries to attack me,jumping at me,as i turn away,my legs and arms are covered with scatches/bites!!!
is this a normal progresion?
are these birds dominated by hormones?
did i do something wrong?
he was SO sweet,but now he has turned into a vicious bird
can they not remain tame?
gaza

Oh Gaza that is so sad

I know that sometimes when roosters and ganders can become mean when they grow up if they have been handled alot when they were young mabe the same goes for some peacocks.

Will make it hard to keep him around if try to stop him as i know my peas hold a grudge for several days after a confrontation with my chickens,and guineas so i do not know how you will stop him short of penning him before he hurts you or someone else.

This happened while my rooster was growing through his teenage years. He is mating age now, and tries to do his dance for me...

He will dance around me in circles... Trying to get me to squat... Lol. Whatever. After he gets over his moodiness, he might start coming around again... Just give him time...

Isn't that reaction from your peacock called "human imprint" or something like that? They look at you as being one of them since you've spent so much close time with them therefore you're included as part of the pecking order. Maybe someone that knows will jump in and explain.

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You are so right , i have a peacock that was single raised ,imprint on human, biggest pet of all my peafowl. My grandson call him his buddy. He is fine , but during breeding season he will attack me, guess he thinks he is human or i'm a peacock. so he try fighting during breeding seaon, best way to break him may sound cruel. but you need to let him know you are the top of the pecking order.

The first time mine attack me was when i was gather eggs, he hit me upside of the head ,then he hit me again. I kicked him, a good 6 feet away. I look like heck bleeding were he hit me.

Real danger with some other animals....like whitetail deer , rule is never bottle feed a buck fawn,and if you have one that has been ,never go in his pen, during breeding season. I know of a few cases were the owner was kill , by his sweet pet buck.

Anyway imprinted males can be danger....now with peacock ,chicken and other birds you can win the fight.........other not so much.

So as bad as it sound, you will need to show him who is boss. even if you have to use a rake.

I had a pet goose ,that was so imprint, she would squat , then after i would pet her back , she would lay egg, in our nest.

funny thing was when she when setting, i would go around the nest .she would neck with my arm, then get up for her break, thinking it was my turn. .

as the gander set the day shift.

I used to have a Bourbon Red tom turkey with the same issues. He was sweet as pie - he'd sit in my lap, take treats gently, follow me around, and he loved to be rubbed. He would lay his head against my chest so I could scratch his neck. When breeding season began - BEWARE! He tried to attack my ankles and thighs. Meaner than a snake. I had to carry a metal trash can lid to use as a shield, and even though I bumped him with it several times, he never caught on. He was just plain mean during breeding season. And then he became a lovebird afterward. Go figure.

Quote:
You are so right , i have a peacock that was single raised ,imprint on human, biggest pet of all my peafowl. My grandson call him his buddy. He is fine , but during breeding season he will attack me, guess he thinks he is human or i'm a peacock. so he try fighting during breeding seaon, best way to break him may sound cruel. but you need to let him know you are the top of the pecking order.

The first time mine attack me was when i was gather eggs, he hit me upside of the head ,then he hit me again. I kicked him, a good 6 feet away. I look like heck bleeding were he hit me.

Real danger with some other animals....like whitetail deer , rule is never bottle feed a buck fawn,and if you have one that has been ,never go in his pen, during breeding season. I know of a few cases were the owner was kill , by his sweet pet buck.

Anyway imprinted males can be danger....now with peacock ,chicken and other birds you can win the fight.........other not so much.

So as bad as it sound, you will need to show him who is boss. even if you have to use a rake.

Watching the tv show "Fatal Attractions" has made me realize how dangerous it can be with wild animals a human has raised and thought they could be trusted.