Peep goes bad

[MinxFox]

I was in the pen reaching for a food bowl and Peep was next to the bowl displaying. I ignored him like I always do when I am trying to feed them but before I knew it he had jumped up and kicked me right in my face. I am lucky he didn't get my eye because he kicked right in that direction. I have a little scratch on my nose from probably one of his nails. We were all wondering if Peep would turn out to become an aggressive peacock when he got older, but I didn't think now was older...Peep is almost a yearling but he is far from having a big train and everything. Sometimes he randomly jumps up in the air when he is spooked but the fact that he kicked me right in the face I am sure was no accident. I was surprised because it was more powerful then I thought it would be. I felt a little light headed and it felt like someone punched me in the face (not extremely hard but hard). Then I started thinking about what he will be like when he is an adult with spurs so I kicked him and that scared him. When I was little I didn't like it when my dad kicked the dogs for being bad but I see why things like that have to be done. He needs to know that is NOT acceptable. So from now on I will be keeping a closer eye on him particularly in the breeding season which is when he is probably going to be more aggressive. The fact that he was displaying and then kicked me might mean he didn't like me getting in his display area or something...Well I am hopping he won't become an evil peacock in the future but if he does I won't be afraid to kick back.

I thought about what Deerman said about the tame hand raised peacock he had that was so sweet when it wasn't breeding season and how he could pet him but then when breeding season came around the peacock was really aggressive.

 

[Frosty]

I really hope he doesn't start being aggressive... I'm sorry he kicked you!

 

[new 2 pfowl]

That must have been very upsetting, because you and Peep are so close!

It sounds like it probably has to do with breeding season, don't you think?
If I recall correctly, didn't you have an experience not too long ago where Peep seemed a bit too *friendly* to your foot?
Perhaps he's just a bit overexcited and thinks you are a potential Mrs...

I hope that's all it is.
He probably hasn't gone bad, just slightly off the rails...

 

[JerseyGiantfolk]

Karate! Hopefully it won't be chicken soup when its older!

 

[MinxFox]

No, Peep is never going to be killed from being aggressive...People that have eaten peafowl say they are not very tasty anyways. Yeah I am hoping Peep is just excited and that is all...One lady has to keep a white peacock she hand raised in a pen (she free-ranges most of her adult peafowl) because he likes to fly on top of her head because when he was a peachick she thought it was cute to let him perch on her head. This weekend I need to let Peep out of the pen again so he can graze on all the weeds and things.

 

[JerseyGiantfolk]

I love the name Peep, I have a hen named Pete.

 

[Kev]

Yeah I was wondering it he was treating you as the Mrs as someone said, since he was displaying..

Hope it doesnt turn out to be case of aggressive pet. I've seen all sorts of hand-raiseds, guys that stay friendly whole life, some that are mean at ALL times, breeding season or no, and cases like deerman said- aggressive during the season.

 

[MinxFox]

Hmm I am hopping that it isn't aggression. I was thinking it would be weird for him to be aggressive to me because he seems to like me...I mean when I come to feed him he won't eat until I am out of his site most of the time. Otherwise he just stands there pecking at my fingers trying to get me to pet him and he displays at me...Or he unties my shoes which is another thing he did today. Normally I tie my shoes in double knots but I didn't today so he untied them. Oh and when I am not in his pen but I am in his site he paces back and forth in the pen looking out at me.

 

[PeepsCA]

Glad you weren't seriously injured and hope his behavior does not progress to that point that he stays aggressive and you end up hurt. Hopefully it's just that his hormones are kickin' in, he had a burst of frustration that he didn't know what to do with... and you happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. What a bummer tho, now you can't turn your back on him, and will have to keep an eye on him at all times

 

[Bigcreekpeafowl]

Sorry to hear Peep has been bad.
We have had two hand raised males turn bad. Both at around 10-14 months of age.

The one was a purple spalding who just got plain mean and nasty. Gave him to a male friend and he has no trouble with him.
And a black shoulder male who outgrew it.
This male had no interest in hanging out with the other peafowl and did cute pesky little things like you mentioned the pecking at me, untying shoelaces (have a hen that likes to untie shoelaces ). He would rather be around people, especially me.

When he seemed to finally get accepted in the flock he settled down. Was not the cute pesky kid anymore. And still would eat out of our hands.

Hopefully Peep will get with the program!
I had to watch bending down to pick up bowls too. They can be "in your face" before you know it.

Be careful.