Is it true???

[LedgeWoods]

In the past weeks, a few "old-timers" have told me that peacocks tend to "repel" fox and coyotes from property. Anyone have any experience to back up that comment? I personally would tend to believe it based on what has taken place on our property over the past year. A year ago in spring we began our "bird adventure" by building our coop which is basically an extension of our pole building. Not 70 yards away there was a very active fox den with 5 pups running around. (This den has been active every year for the past 15 years!) That den is inactive this year. We have another area of our property that is filled with dens (either fox or coyote) that seems to be vacant this year, too. I spent last summer with my .22 next to my patio door and would take shots at the little stinkers when they would stalk my chickens through the garden. In fall, we got our first peacocks. Haven't seen or heard fox or coyotes since.

Is it just an "off year" for fox/coyotes in my area??
Curious if anyone else can back up the old timers' comments?

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

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[Young Heritage]

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[zazouse]

Nope it's not true around here i have 7 free range peas and there are still foxes around here.
My dogs tend to them and all the other critters that think my birds might make a good meal

 

[trailchick]

We live a couple of miles from the Arkansas River in SE Colorado on 80 acres & it is a very rural area, about 2 miles from a small town. We have not had much problem with predators in the last year and a half, although we hear many coyotes very close at night. We have a couple of Original Mountan Cur dogs that I got in Arkansas, the state. In spite of the fact that they are hunting type dogs for squirrels, coons, and even feral hogs, they have been trained not to bother the chickens and peas, which really surprised me. BTW, Old Yeller, was a really cur - which means curtailed, born without tails.

I have released my peas after penning them for about six months and during breeding season & they now have the run of the place. Our biggest predators here are the abundant prairie rattlers and bull snakes. The dogs alert and bark to them, a big help while irrigating. The peas are very curious about any snakes and follow then as they snake along. I have heard that the chickens and peas will eat the small snakes. My husband hates the rattlers so when he kills them I skin them and put them in a 1/1 jar of glycerin and alcohol for about three weeks in the fridge for a great supple tanned skin. I really hope that the peas arent bitten by any rattlers. Anybody ever have a pea bitten by a poisonous snake?

 

[deerman]

I would say nothing to it, after seeing them around small dogs, they sure don't chase the dogs. Heck even a large coon will kill peafowl ,foxes will for sure.