Peacock aggressive to chickens

[Love that Jazzy]

Hi!

My male peacock is three and has been mating with his one peahen girlfriend. He is total testosterone. I have a huge aviary for the two peacocks, and they have been living with 5 silkie chickens (4 hens, one rooster) for a year and a half. Today, I watched the peacock really try to go after my little rooster. I have to stand out there in the morning when I let the chickens out of their hut, protect them by standing in-between them and the peacock, he chases them around. Three chickens are broody and are under laundry baskets in the hut, the peahen is always snooping around in there bothering them. The peahens roost on top of the shed at night, and all winter the peacocks and chickens all slept inside the shed at night, there is plenty of room. I'm wondering if I need to somehow keep the poor chickens separate until the breeding season is over. I'm really shocked at this behavior (duh), as Prince, my India blue, has always been pretty laid back. His testosterone is through the roof right now, it is kind of freaking me out. Any suggestions, besides time out for the peacock? I actually did try to put a mirror out there today to see if it would take his ego down a notch, he totally attacked it, it was all I could do to get it back out of there. I'm new to this mature peacock/peahen stuff, all was well until about a week ago when he started getting more aggressive to my cute chickens. Thoughts? Thanks!

 

[zazouse]

You are going to have to separate them, my peas do not like broody hens because they jump on them when they have chicks so now when they even hear a broody hen they will harass them, i free range so it is not a problem my hens can get away but in a pen they surly would kill them.
Your little roo most likely bowed up to you peas and that is all it takes, they will be relentless in their pursuit like a bunch a thugs.
It is also breeding season and males will claim an area and anything other than a peahen may find it self under attack.

Please post some photos of your pretties in the show off your peas section of this forum and tell us about them.

 

[DylansMom]

Hi!

My male peacock is three and has been mating with his one peahen girlfriend. He is total testosterone. I have a huge aviary for the two peacocks, and they have been living with 5 silkie chickens (4 hens, one rooster) for a year and a half. Today, I watched the peacock really try to go after my little rooster. I have to stand out there in the morning when I let the chickens out of their hut, protect them by standing in-between them and the peacock, he chases them around. Three chickens are broody and are under laundry baskets in the hut, the peahen is always snooping around in there bothering them. The peahens roost on top of the shed at night, and all winter the peacocks and chickens all slept inside the shed at night, there is plenty of room. I'm wondering if I need to somehow keep the poor chickens separate until the breeding season is over. I'm really shocked at this behavior (duh), as Prince, my India blue, has always been pretty laid back. His testosterone is through the roof right now, it is kind of freaking me out. Any suggestions, besides time out for the peacock? I actually did try to put a mirror out there today to see if it would take his ego down a notch, he totally attacked it, it was all I could do to get it back out of there. I'm new to this mature peacock/peahen stuff, all was well until about a week ago when he started getting more aggressive to my cute chickens. Thoughts? Thanks!

I feel for you, I currently have a male in time out/solitary confinement. He gets so bad with the testosterone rage that he will attack the peahens as well, so he ends up alone until the tail drops and the hormones go with it. Not much you can do, he will quiet down after the season ends. Please don't put a mirror in there we had a post last week about a male smashing up the mirror in his pen and cutting his legs all up. I would remove the silkies for the time being (you could also replace them with male guineas who will harass the Peacock all the time, just kidding). Good luck.

 

[msmolly]

Not sure this helps, but my male bird is 5 or 6 now and since he is the only male bird on the property there is no aggression at all- in fact he lets me stroke his tail- even when he is dancing for the girls.
He takes care of all the female chickens and peahens like they are all his private harem. He really seems to care about them. He screamed for 2 days when a hawk nabbed one of my hens- trying to call her back-so sad. And yes,I now have a plexi glass mirror, that I believe is the reason he has stopped leaving home, having found him twice at houses where he was admiring his reflection in the glass storm doors. Hes not aggressive with the mirror and I've had it in their run for at least 2 years now. My birds free range, coming in at night to be locked up. So I'm not sure if having plenty of
room keeps him from being threatened by the bird in the mirror, or if he figures he better stay close to home to keep the other bird from moving in on his chicks, or if being the solitary male bird with no real competition keeps him calm and non-aggressive. I will say though, since one of my older peahens died and he has only one peahen left, he did go through an overly amorous stage with the chicken hens last year. Just at the end of breeding season, when his hen was busy raising her chicks- he felt a Bi-Species affair was in order, and started harassing the chickens. Yes, it was terribly obnoxious, had to lock some one, or another up to keep the calm. Even tried a hose a couple times- It only lasted a couple weeks as I remember. Good luck.
Blue and a few of his girls.

 

[Love that Jazzy]

Thank you for your reply!!! I've been out in the coop all afternoon on a cold, blustery day making more chicken 'escape' places that the peacock can't get into. I'm hoping the chickens won't be afraid of the spots, they are their favorite 'run to' spots, I put heavy deer fencing all around with about 8 inches for them to get in there. Tomorrow I'm going to address the coop, add protective deer fencing under the perching 'shelves' the peacocks like, but it will protect my broody hens while they are in there. I can't reasonably separate them, unless I bring the chickens into my basement. Not sure I want to do that. Anyway, I'm hoping I've got about another month to go with this breeding season. I'm so surprised at my Prince, he's always been quite the mellow boy, this is really a new behavior. I know it's not his fault, but wow--it's stressing me out! And, if I have to bring my chickens inside, I will. Thank you again! I will keep you posted!!

 

[Love that Jazzy]

By the way, beautiful yard set up you have there!!! If mine were free range, it might be easier... my neighbors wouldn't appreciate it, though!!

 

[Love that Jazzy]

I promise, no more mirrors! That really was pretty scary watching him attack it, I'm so glad I got it out of there quickly!! It was actually a plastic serving tray that was silver, not even a mirror. Man! He was vicious!! My sweet peacock... dumb hormones!

 

[autumnmfisher]

that's funny, mine are the opposite, - when we free ranged the peas anyways, the chickens were here first and made it clear they were at the top of the pecking order, it was funny to see a little chicken chase a pea and the pea would be like hey little buddy calm down.