Mr. Handsome Houdini went MIA

RuralMama

In the Brooder
7 Years
May 18, 2012
41
5
26
Southwestern Indiana
I went to an auction and bid on two peachicks and a turkey (they were in the same lot). I won and was giddy to bring home my new peachicks, that was about 2 years ago. About a year after I figured out that I had a matching pair of Blue India Peafowl. I was SO excited to have a pair and was excited about hatching eggs in the future. One night a predator got into the coop and killed several of my chickens AND my peahen. I was devastated but relieved to still have the peacock. I put him in a more secure location and he faired well, until this year. I made him a nice outside pen attached to his coop and he would come out for about 10 minutes a day. I figured since he was so shy I would open the pen an let him roam to yard for bugs...

Well, he took off on me. He went MIA for about a WEEK AND A HALF! Then, the other day I spotted him walking down the road in front of our house. I ran out and caught him. I put him in his coop pen and he attacked the sunflower seeds and Flock Raiser that I had set out for him. It was like he hadn't eaten the whole time he was gone (I know he ate, but he sure did miss his normal feed!). Well, I had to run to town and shut him up in the pen. When I got back he was walking around the yard. It was dark so I didn't want to chase him to catch him and then loose him in the woods, so I herded him towards the coop and he roosted on the roof for the night. Then next morning he was gone. A day later I herd him in the trees down the road. I tried to get him but he was too far up. So, I left him alone and left his food out next to his old coop. The next day he was back in our yard hanging out. Its been about a week since he came back for good and he enjoys relaxing by my turkey's pen by the woods, he seems to have taken a liking to my Royal Palm Tom. He will walk around the yard and eat bugs and weeds around 5:00PM every night and go down to the area around the coop to get his feed and then up in the trees he goes for the night. I was sure that he was GONE for good the first time he left me and now I am SO excited that he has stayed with me even though he is loose. I am planning a LARGE (more secure) coop and flight pen for him and I can't wait to get a couple peahens for him. I know he misses the peahen I lost a year ago.

I am SO thankful to God that he came back. I was praying that he was safe the entire time he was gone! I hope to have MANY MANY more years with him, he is by far my FAVORITE bird that I own!

Kelsey aka Rural Mama
http://ruralmamasandbox.blogspot.com
 
I am glad he came back! I always love it when people's peafowl come back! He looks very pretty already. Next year he will be really beautiful!
 
I had read that if they have been raised in one place or at least kept in the same pen for at least 8 weeks, they will stay close to home when left to free range. The part of the article (I went back to it while he was missing) that I didn't pay close enough attention to was the part where they suggested clipping one of the flight wings to keep them off balance so they can't fly off. So, yeah I had a MAJOR blond moment on that one. I was kicking myself SO hard for being so dumb and letting him out without clipping is wing. I am SO thankful he is back as well and have been trying to keep an eye on him during the day. Today he finally stopped going out to eat bugs in the gravel road that goes in front of our house, THAT was making me nervous and I would run out and herd him back to our yard. Even though it is gravel everyone always seems to go 50 mph somehow, down our road.

His color has really come out nice this year and I can't wait for next year when his feathers REALLY start spreading out and getting more and more eyes on them!



I took the above photo today while he was hanging out in the woods near my Turkey Pen!

Kelsey aka Rural Mama
http://ruralmamasandbox.blogspot.com
 
That first photo is amazing ! :D
Pretty rainbo-- I mean, Handsome rainbow bird ! <3
I'm glad you were able to have him back ! Good luck with the building of your pen ! I hope you will post some more pictures and updates
wee.gif
 
Thank you very much, he is very handsome! He was my inspiration for a painting I've started... It will hang in the kitchen of my new house... if we ever move in,lol!
Here are some sneak peeks of my painting in progress:






I'll post the final photo once I'm done, but you should be able to get the idea of what I'm going for with these photos!

Thanks for the replies!
Kelsey aka Rural Mama
http://ruralmamasandbox.blogspot.com
 
Thank you! It is a work in progress and I can't wait to see how it turns out when I finally finish it. It has been taking me longer than expected, I have two little girls who are keeping me pretty busy!
 

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