Peafowl in a suburban area... Opinions????

[guin lover]

What Do you guys think?? i COULD get some, but i have close neighbours. i'm in a small town, and i checked laws and ordinances. is it a good idea? pros & cons?


Please help!! thanks!

 

[tazcat70]

From what I have heard they can be noisy. If you have any neighbors that you have a friendship with, I would ask them what they think of the idea.

 

[featherhead]

Peafowl can really scream during breeding season (about 5 months). Tazcat had a very good thought about asking your neighbors. To be honest, even if the neighbors think peas would be neat, they might not think so when they scream at 2am. Mine will do this sometimes if they perceive a threat or predator. They have calmed down a lot over the years because they are in an aviary and seem to understand that they are safe. Dogs and owls will really set them off. So will the garbage truck!

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

Yep, that's the cons to them, but honestly, I love their vocalizations. But can see where some may not as they are very loud in breeding season.
The pros to them, you'll know when some one pulls up!!!LOL
And they are one of the most beautiful birds in the world!
Aubrey

 

[tonini3059]

I would be hesitant in an area with close neighbors. They scream really loud and whenever they feel like it so it can be problem with neighbors. However it is only for a couple of months and I would prefer to hear a peacock scream occasionally instead of a dog barking all night. Now that the breeding season has passed I do miss the sound. The best advice would be to talk to the neighbors and if they so no, get them anyway, I really love them.

 

[NapsWithChickens]

When I moved into my house 5 years ago, my backyard neighbor had peafowl. The house was on the market during the off season and the seller never mentioned the birds. Once the birds began vocalizing during the breeding season, I saw RED! They squawked every 7 to 11 minutes... AROUND THE CLOCK. I could not sleep - even with my windows closed and a fan on for white noise.

Apparently, the neighbors had been battling these folks for years - but the peafowl owners would drag their feet every season, LIE and make every excuse until the birds stopped squawking... then they would say "What noise?". I swear to God, the neighbors were absolutely ready to lynch these folks... and I soon joined their ranks.

After three months, we finally banded together to call the code enforcement officer EVERY single time a bird squawked. The town could only write warnings. Then we figured out to call the non-emergency town police to report EVERY call after 10:00pm. Once all the neighbors were calling the police every 7 minutes at night, the neighbors were forced to remove their birds within 48 hours.

The end result: the neighborhood hates those neighbors. They suffered a run around and piercing noise for almost 8 years... and then had to go to such extremes to get a resolution. I would be hard pressed to call 911 if their house was on fire, I kid you not.

Oh, and as a result, I keep my roosters in a dark box every night. I have neighbors that have no idea that I even have chickens, much less roosters (plural)... and the first complaint I receive will be the end of the roosters. Period.

 

[NapsWithChickens]

Oh, I should also explain... most of my neighbors have 1 acre or so lots... very wooded and lovely - but the sound travels like you would not believe. I used to take my dogs for walks and hear those birds a half mile or more away. That means that many neighbors were effected, no just those of us within two or three houses.

And I'm sorry that I came on so strong. Maybe your situation is different... but this was mine and it was very ugly. It was an awful way to get to know my neighbors. And because I was the "straw that broke the camel's back" or the squeakyest wheel (because my bedroom backed right up to the birds), I got a reputation of being intolerant which isn't really fair. I'm the first to bring brownies to welcome a neighbor, share my eggs and am respectful of others.

~sigh~

 

[Pavo Royale]

Live in a subdivision and have ONE male. I consistently communicate with the neighbors during breeding season (the ones I care about!) and they are very tolerant of the ONE bird. There is no way on Earth that I could have more than one male. He never sounds at night and is most active early and late in the day. My neighbors bring their friends and family to see them, even when I am not at home. I think that helps a lot. I rely on them to tell when enough is enough. I could easily relocate them during breeding season if necessary. Otherwise, they do not make a peep during the rest of the year.

 

[cluckychick]

I lived in a small town growing up and the funeral home was 4-5 city blocks away from us and they had peafowl. Those were the noisest birds. I remember the window open in the summer and hearing their screaching over and over.

I don't think I could subject my country neighbors to that without first speaking to them let alone close neighbors in town.

 

[Frosty]

I was searching once to find info on if it's just the males or if the hens screeched, too. I came across this video, turn up the volume, watch it and you will get an idea of the noise they can make. I talked to someone who lived about a mile from a park with peafowl, and he swore that they screamed constantly and they could hear them where they lived...

http://www.peafowl.com/videoblog_files/a15a8a918289ba76624f02ac92384797-35.html