Need advice on taming Peafowl

[lightchick]

What?!! I'd try setting traps. Hope you can catch them! Oh poor things!

 

[zazouse]

Hopefully so! Oh I should mention they really love mealworms. You can get them the dried kind made by Happy Hen Treats (I find it at Tractor Supply Co.) or the pet store might have live ones to feed them. Sometimes even the shy ones will jump at the chance to take a live bug from your hand. I sometimes catch grasshoppers and hand feed the grasshoppers to them.

That does sound like progress if they are more wild with your husband.

You can also get a larger bag made by katee over in the wild bird seed at tractor supply and save a little money or you can grow your own with rice bran.

 

[chicks4kids]

I had bought a peahen that wasn't shall we say kept in the best of circumstances. She was grunting constantly, pacing in a 6 ft. area for months...just constantly running away from me and letting me know that she didn't want anything to do with me and she absolutely didn't want me in the pen. It took a year of constantly being out there giving treats, just sitting and talking, things like that, but the turning point for her was when she hatched out peachicks. She became a completely different peahen.

But my point is, she'll tame down, it just takes time.

 

[hammytammy]

so sorry redhedingrl!!
i feel pretty bad right now and also need some advice. a peacock made us his family about 15 months ago.
i decided to get him a couple of hens, sooo
i picked them up today a couple of hours away. i went in the coop with the lady and she just Dove on them and feathers everywhere, and im sure the whole day has been traumatic. legs grabbed hung upside down, wings grabbed and squashed!!
when we got home, i just wanted them to be safe and get settled into there temp coop,(till they feel at home)
well one of them got moved, poor thing so scary. the other one jumped out onto my head and catapulted up to the house and away. (yes, me too!)
i am afraid they will never feel safe after this terrible experience. i saw the loose one hanging around, but left as i was taking food to the other birds, chickens etc. we are in upstate ny and just had a huge storm go by and now its night and i hope she'll be safe and stay around for her sister and the boy. more than the bucks-- i feel sad for her?
do you think she can get over this? and learn to trust our home area?
tnx

 

[zazouse]

HI wanted to update you all.
I was going in with them everyday feeding mealworms and bits of fruit. While they were still shy they recognized me as the treat lady and werent freaking out.
This just breaks my heart but we had two tornadoes go through which demolished their new shed an run. They have been on the run ever since. I saw them together down the road but wasnt able to catch them

I want to get more but raise them from eggs/chicks. I miss them terribly!

Raising them from Babies is your best bet they will be honed in on your place be way more friendly and you never have to be sad that you imprisoned them from their freedom that they have known all their life, i know many times they have to be caught after being free all their lives because they are no longer wanted where they are or for their own safety It would be like putting me in the city to live when i have lived in the wide open country without neighbors most all my life, i would go nuts or worse my neighbors would hate me for my gardens and whatever critters were allowed

Raising and watching babies go threw all their changes is very rewarding and you learn so much from them and they will trust you.

 

[hammytammy]

ive read more than one of your posts Zazouse! you know alot about the birds.

for me, its th birds-all kinds- and my flower garden!! paradise.
about last night--the sister was hanging around the coop to be with the other birds
this morning so i went and opened the door and went away and she went right in.
now i can show them good lovin'! i know itll take some time for trust to grow, but i felt awful about
the "catching" part when i picked them up.

i read they love "white" food. is it true for most peas?
im so relieved they are safe.

 

[zazouse]

I start my peas and other types of birds here out young with a variety of foods, it makes introducing them to the foods that grow in certain season much easier to get them to eat them as i harvest, i plant food crops for them, like sunflowers, sorghum,corn, winter greens ,wild flowers anything i Can think of that i can harvest seeds from or is cheap to buy a bag of like bird sees and such.

My peas are no more attracted to white than red, white or blue, to me they seem to go for texture more than color and sometimes it takes a couple tries to get them to try something especial the little ones but once they find they like it they will pick my pockets to see if it is in there

If i holler "PEANUT" every bird in the entire place except the sitting hens will come running or flying in even though it might be something other than a peanut that is my calling word here

however my DH and Daughter tried the word and not one bird came

garden fresh fruit

rose petals from my bushes

peaches from my trees

tangerines from my trees

sorghum

I do not like watermelon but my birds love them .











Winter greens for the peas

 

[hammytammy]