Free Range Peacock

[guardian4flock]

I am new here, but am hoping and praying someone can help. We have a flock of rescued mixed birds- got our first rooster when Johnson County Animal Control raided a cock-fighting ring and the flock has just grown from there. Last year, a friend of mine who is an officer in Tennessee reached out to me to take in a bunch of very ill peachicks. Their previous owners were an elderly couple whom I think just got in over their heads with their animals as their entire farm was just in deplorable shape. The birds we helped round up and then take in were in very poor condition- open wounds, misshapen feet, feet that were just caked in concrete balls of excrement, no feathers on their backs- just scabs and bloody wounds... really a mess. From the 24 birds we took in, unfortunately, only 14 survived, with my vet humanely euthanizing 2 of them and the others just too weak to respond to all of our care. Fast-forward 2 years- and the 14 that survived are doing phenomenally! They are strong and healthy and have sense been joined by a pair of older peacocks (full train on the male this summer). We live out in the country on 10 acres and have been letting them free range for over a year now along with the rest of our eclectic group of a pair of turkey, a few chicken, a couple of duck, guinea and a silky roo. They all pen up great at night and have done fantastically enjoying all the freedom and space. However, unfortunately, recently, our peacock have decided they enjoy wondering onto our neighbors property. She has goats and cats and I am sure they are finding something yummy to munch on there that they like. Neighbor is less than thrilled and today, I came home from a play at my daughter's school to find that she had called the local police department as she was "in fear of her life" when she encountered one of the young peahens in her front yard. Obviously they are gentle birds and more flighty than anything, so I was more frustrated than concerned. But this brings me to my questions- 1) is there a way to keep peacocks on your own property and still permit free range? and 2) I am assuming the answer to #1 is no, so what then is the best type of construction for a pen and how large should it be- height, length and width. We have 10 acres, so plenty of room. I just want to do right by these sweet, beautiful birds. Thank you so very much in advance, especially to anyone patient enough to read all of this.

 

[KsKingBee]

For 14 grown peas you are going to need a large flight pen, most people will tell you 100 sq ft per bird but that is a minimum. To avoid overcrowding and the problems with disease etc., I would build a 50 x 50 flight pen and make a small three sided coop or open roof for them to get out of the sun. Check out 3 T Products for 2" heavy knotted netting for the top and use 2 x 4 welded wire for the walls. Make perches with 2 x 4 flat for them to roost on at least four foot off the ground but not too high unless they have lots of room to glide down.

 

[guardian4flock]

Thank you so much KsKingBee for taking the time to reply! Your pen is AMAZING!! I have hired a contractor and we are making plans now <3 I think it will be great! Please tell me if this type of netting is good:
https://www.networld-sports.com/baseball-nets-50ft.html

How tall should it be? I know mine love to be on top of the barn roof and the house and high up in the trees, so I assume they will prefer a very high flight pen?

Thank you again, truly <3

God Bless,
Alice

 

[KsKingBee]

No, this stuff http://www.3tproducts.com/shop/pc/viewCategories.asp?idCategory=21

My sidewalls are seven foot high and the center wall is ten foot tall. That is three foot for the metal and four foot for the wire along the outside walls. The perches are at six foot and the small ones are almost five foot high.

Don't make the perches too tall, the bird should have at least three foot of glide space per foot in height.

 

[guardian4flock]

Perfect! and what type of wire are you using under the netting to suspend it?

 

[KsKingBee]

Perfect! and what type of wire are you using under the netting to suspend it?

Some 1/8 inch cording you probably can't find easily or at a reasonable cost, Kevlar. You can use parachute cord, tie it on one post on the opposite side and tie it on the other side so you can retighten it.