My neighbors peafowl tried to go after my Geese...

hockmangirl

In the Brooder
8 Years
Dec 16, 2011
90
5
29
Pacific Northwest
Thankfully I saw it out the window, ran out and got between them.

Some History:

These Peafowl are actually quite friendly with my chickens. They've come over and watched them through the window since they were tiny chicks, and come over to visit through the chicken pen on occasion. The Geese are relatively new as we just rescued them this Christmas. The Geese and Peafowl have been calling back and forth since arrival. A couple days ago, the Peafowl wandered over, took one look at the Geese and rushed them. My Geese ran for it, but two got stuck in between the fence line and panicked because they couldn't get to the rest of their flock. The peacock kept running after the other 6 Geese, with the peahens behind him. I was out there quick as a flash, and was able to push the peafowl back, and send them home. It took my Geese a minute to calm down, but they were fine.

The Peafowl came back twice more that evening. But as I stayed outside, I just made them go back home. They didn't try to go after the Geese again. And even seemed sorry/sort of mopey, if that makes sense. They came back last night and knocked on my sliding glass door at me, like they used to do when the chickens were babies and still in the house, but didn't try and go near the Geese or Chickens.

I don't know if the Peafowl thought they had to protect the chickens from the Geese, or if they were trying to act like this was their territory?! I've been keeping an eye out if they come back, to nip any fights in the bud. I know that as the Geese start to settle in completely and feel at home, they will definitely start protecting this as their territory. They already guard/protect my chickens as well, and are starting to protect the property from the mail lady, neighbor dogs, etc.

I was just wondering if you feel the Peafowl will chill out and leave my Geese alone, realize that this is the Geese's home and they belong here, etc. Or if I should talk to my neighbor (whom I've never met, by the way, so this would kind of be a sucky introduction) about trying to keep their Peafowl on their property, if that's even possible?! The Peafowl are very respectful of humans, you just have to look at them and tell them no, and they listen. I don't mind them coming to visit, if they can behave respectfully towards my animals (and as long as my animals don't mind.) Just don't want to cause a ruckus in the neighborhood, as this is a rural community and we are new here, and things run very differently. People's animals run loose a lot, and all the time. I obviously can't secure my property from a high flying bird. And don't want to have to do a roofed in pen for the Geese (like I have for the chickens), as they need the room to run around and forage. May be time for a Great Pyrenees guardian for my flocks!
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Thanks for listening! Would appreciate any advice you can give!
 
I'm not sure, but my first thought before you said it was that maybe the peafowl felt like they were protecting the chickens. They are probably just not used to the geese and will hopefully get used to them. I know several local people and people here on BYC that keep peafowl and geese free-ranging without problems. From what I have seen at other breeder's places the peafowl and the geese stay out of each others way.
 

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