I need HELP!

[degan]

I have one male and two females, they have been in a coop for a year and a half, never free ranged. They got out of the coop 3 days ago and took off into a neighbours bush. I tried to herd them back but they flew up into a tree (30ft) and have been there for 3 days and have not come down. I put up a netted tent under the tree with food and water hoping they would come down to eat and I could trap them in the tent, but they won't come out of the tree! I'm sick about this, I don't know what to do! I keep going back to check on them but I have no idea on how to catch them, since now they know how to fly. I was just in the middle of building them a beautiful out door avairy. These birds have sentimental value to me and I just can't give up but I just don't know what to do. Please help with any suggestions that might bring them home!

 

[6littlechickies]

Keep the coop door open and they may come back in. This is where you should keep the food, right inside the opening to lure them back. If they roost lower than the 30 feet, catch them at night. Peafowl are generally more docile at night and can be caught and returned to their pen much easier that way. They won't stay up high forever, they will come down to look for food and water. Good luck.

 

[degan]

The coop is about 3 miles away and they have to cross a busy highway to get back. It has been raining all day and the forecast is rain all week. The other problem is the tree their in is dead so I can't climb up with out the branches snapping off. Is there a safe way to knock them out of the trees with out hurting them? I thought maybe geting some black plumbing tubing and coupling it together to make a long pole and try to poke them down, but even if I get them down what are the chances that they will just fly up into another tree. I'm stumped!

 

[TerriLaChicks]

Don't chase them! I've been through this with one of my own peacocks who got loose.

Put their food & water just inside their pen like 6littlechickies said & keep the door open---& watch for them after dark. You might have to wait a few days but eventually they'll go to the food & water & then you can shut the gate when they go inside. Tie a long rope to it if you need to, so you can yank it closed from a distance.

 

[TerriLaChicks]

Quote:
Just read this part of your post --- can you get a large dog crate or make a temporary pen out of wire & put their food & water in that? something that they have to go inside of it & then you can close the door on them. 3 miles & a busy highway is not good!

If you try & knock them out of the tree you'll only spook them worse & make them fly further away. They are great flyers & can run fast, too.

 

[degan]

No kidding I chased them for over 5 hours in that bush and finally they figured out that they could fly in the trees. I did put up that screened tent but I have to figure out how to close it up when (IF) they ever go in. It is hard to sneak up on them because of all the noise you make walking in the bush. I have been checking the food and it has not been touched so they have not come down for 3 days. Do you think that they would come down at night to eat? I'll camp there if I have to. Do you thing the screen tent is strong enought to keep them in, I put logs around the side of it to keep the netting down. Should I just go back when its dark?

 

[prairiehen74369]

This would take some doing but it would work. Another peafowl in a pen next to the feederpen will make them feel secure you really boggered them up by chasing them ,another peafowl would give them confidence they would come to the other peafowl eat the feed and calm down. Then you would have to have a way of closing the pen from a distance. Hope this helps we forget our peafowl are wild birds by nature. Birds of a feather flock together.

 

[degan]

I just read something on the internet about soaking corn in wine and getting them drunk! It is suppose to make them easier to catch. What do you think?

 

[jimmythechicken]

do you ever give them scratch or treats we give ours sun flower seeds an they got loose once we went out an start to throw sun flower seed down them throw some in the coop they all wallked right back in.

 

[deerman]

Quote:
could also kill them.....just put feed under their tree , they will come down to eat, then after that start setting a trap......main thing don't chase them.....that will just make them go father away.