Do peacocks make good pets?

[msmolly]

ZAZ- those pics of the Coyote etc... are so cool. What kind of cam is that- I gotta get me one, although maybe I'm happier not knowing what is really out there....hmmmm Molly

 

[goats rule 101]

Thanks for all of the advice!!!!!! I really think I want to get some next year!!! Thanks again and have fun with your peas, hopefully ill have some soon!

 

[goats rule 101]

Ok I have one final qiestion before I do think about getting them! Are they terribly noisy. I have read and some people say they aren't and others say they are. Does anyone have any tips for keeping them quiet or are they even loud to begin with.
Thanks again Hannah!!!!

 

[birdeo]

your wildgame takes much better night time shots than mine, what model is yours?

 

[birdeo]

the males are quite noisy during breeding season

 

[zazouse]

ZAZ- those pics of the Coyote etc... are so cool. What kind of cam is that- I gotta get me one, although maybe I'm happier not knowing what is really out there....hmmmm Molly

The name of it is on this photo

got this one at walmart, can't remember what it cost , under a 100 for sure and I have not used it much, my other 2 cost 200 each and I have used them a lot and while they take great photos both of the protection screens have broken and one of them has screen issues making it difficult to delete photos or whatever else ya want to do.

Tuckers on point LOL he is showing me something has been there.

 

[Blueeyedindygrl]

My uncles neighbor (near Minneapolis) had peacocks on his farm. He did not socialize them well, but they made awesome guard animals. They would screech when you pulled into the driveway. Definitely an impressive sight

 

[Spark1]

Hi! I'm also thinking about getting peafowl, but I only have a backyard, however, it is a decent size, about 100 by 75 feet, and we've got a smaller 50 by 10 foot space on the side of our yard. We do have to leave some space for our dogs to run, but how would peafowl fare with about 1500 square feet? I'm thinking just two would do, but would a single peacock do alright in that space? Other users have said they don't do well alone, but do okay with a mirror in the pen, would that be true?

In addition, we have neighbors right next door, and I'm not sure if peafowl would be too noisy...? I live in a rather small neighborhood, so I'm fairly certain I could notify everyone and make sure it would be alright with them.

I would love to be able to keep peafowl in our yard. If this was possible, I may be able to get two, or even three. I'm not sure if peafowl would do okay with a space of about 8000 feet, free roaming. Our dogs are relatively simple to train, so I could potentially teach them not to harm the peafowl, but would peafowl attempt to enter the house through a dog-door if they had were allowed to roam? It's on our patio, behind a table, so it's not easily visible from the rest of the yard.

Another question: would peafowl hop the fence in our yard, and, if so, what height would be required to prevent the peafowl from flying over the fence? Our current fence is about five feet, six in places. Would they end up flying onto our roof? We do have a 25-foot tree in our yard with sturdy branches where they could roost at night, but it's very close to the roof of our house. I wouldn't want any peafowl to go over the roof and get into the neighborhood, and I know our next-door neighbor would be upset if our birds got into his yard (he works hard to keep it clean and well-kept). Would we have to raise the outside edges of our fence to prevent this from happening?

Finally: how much does it cost, per month, to care for two or three peafowl?

Thank you in advance to anyone who answers this!

 

[Garden Peas]

Hi @Spark1 -- some of us think peafowl make wonderful pets! Sometimes neighbors are not so enthusiastic. Males are downright noisy -- listen to some youtube videos -- and they can put out a lot of decibels when they are thinking of mating. Enough to really hurt your ears if you are near them, and sometimes loud enough to be heard a mile away. If you work with them a lot as chicks, you can tame them well. Most people just let them be rather than make pets, but they can be pets if you are willing to put in the time and be patient. Be careful, though -- they are large birds and can sometimes accidentally frighten people in their friendliness.

It sounds as though you have enough space, but not enough height if you need them to stay in one spot and not get on the roof or into the neighbor's yard(s) -- where they will cheerfully eat the flowers, btw

Peas are very strong fliers, so if you want to keep them contained, you must have a roof over their pen -- netting of good quality works fine. You must never, never clip the wings of any peafowl, it only creates more danger for them and prevents them from escaping danger.

Dogs are different -- some dogs are fine with peafowl and can be taught to leave them alone; some dogs can not ever be trusted with peas. It depends on the breed, the training, the individual dog. Unless you are absolutely certain the dog poses no harm, then better safe than sorry -- keep the birds safely penned.

Even if you ultimately want to free range your peas, you will still need a safe, secure pen to keep them in while they are getting acclimated, and where your hen(s) can stay during nesting season to keep them safe. You will also need some sort of shelter, depending upon how severe your winters are. The cost of housing and pens typically outweighs the cost of the birds and their feed.

Peas need a high protein gamebird feed, and perhaps some catfood -- you might try pricing those at your local feed store. (Catfood, of course, you can get anywhere.) It is also best to do preventative care such as regular worming.

There is quite a lot of good information on the peafowl stickies here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/389059/peafowl-sticky-topics-index

You should read those, and then see what questions you have left.

Good luck! Hope this helps you decide. And WELCOME TO THE PEAFOWL FORUM!

 

[Chrissy P]

I have a pair of peafowl...... she lives in with the chickens, he roosts 60 feet up in my sycamore trees. They are both nosey, but, wild in my little acre farm style. All of my birds, turkeys, chickens, ducks and peas free range, along with the rabbits. I have a lot of little dogs and cats and everyone lives in harmony. Your peas will leave the yard, especially my male. That irritated the neighbors since he was eating their gardens. In despair, not knowing what else to do, we caught him and clipped a wing. Do not do that ever. Please. He still managed to fly into a neighbor's tree, but, finally decided that my yard, and the next door neighbors are enough space for him. (that give him 2 full acres..) My neighbor has food and water out for him, and he eats at my house too. They love a little bit of dry cat food most days, as the extra protein is good. Otherwise, scratch grains and layer pellets and free range. He has been here for 11 months, and was about 18 months when I got him. She's been here for 2 years. I do not know how old she might be as she was found wandering around downtown Sacramento, and after a month of searching for her owner, she came to my little farm. She was injured when found, but, she flies well now.

I love having their noise and beauty. They do help to watch out for hawks. He ignores everyone. She is a bully.