Stray Peafowl Reported, Need Advice

[yorkchick]

Hello, Peafowl people!

Due to an e-mail I just got, I am giving myself a crash course in Beginning Pea! I currently have 11 chickens, 5 geese, and one (rather lonely) turkey. I just got an email forwarded to me from a neighbor of a neighbor who has had a white peahen (or so she says--as it's white, I know it could be a young peacock instead) show up stray at her home and hang out for the last several days. She's lived in the area many years, doesn't know of anyone nearby who keeps peafowl, has asked around, checked with the Humane Society, looked on Craigslist, and no one seems to have reported one missing. Anyway, she doesn't want to keep it.

So I said I would go over and take a look tomorrow, if we could catch it then it could stay at our house. Maybe the owner can still be found. I know there is a white peafowl pair several miles away (five plus miles?) and I would have guessed their wings were clipped (they walk around the grounds of a vet clinic that also rescues exotic animals)--so probably this bird came from elsewhere, that's just the only ones I personally know of in the area. But I can check the local feed store, they may know someone.

Anyway... any words of wisdom on catching this pea? I haven't seen it yet, as I say. The neighbor says it's been roosting on her roof. Don't know how flighty it is during the day, Are they somewhat like chickens, in that they're fairly catchable once they go to roost? Or is it just a fool's errand? Would a big net during the day be a better choice? I really don't want to be wrestling with a panicked peafowl on top of a roof. Right?

Realistically, it's just going to fly away when we try to catch it and never be seen again, isn't it? Okay, stop chuckling at the newby. I'm going to try. If by some miracle we can catch it. I do have a secure room in the barn that it could be quarantined in. Game bird feed's not really available around here, but my turkey (and the other fowl) eat Flock Raiser plus cat food plus fruits and veggies, so it sounds like that would work. Advice on capture and anything else? Pleeeeaaase??? Thank you!!!

 

[Trefoil]

I'm hoping someone with experience will post. Meanwhile, you may be able to entice it into a pen with treats or food. You might want to post a notice at the feed stores around.

 

[zazouse]

What ever you do don't chase her,

you can put up a portable dog kennel and leave one panel unhenged and open, place some feed in it and wait.. once she goes in just walk over and close the pen. Make sure you have netting over the pen peas are great flyers.
OR you can try to catch her in a garage by placing food in there, close the door half way and wait till she goes in then shut the door

Good luck!

 

[yorkchick]

Thank you, Trefoil and zazouse, that makes a lot of sense! I will try to see what the situation is today. I'll post later to update on how it went.

 

[mbbrinegar]

They are like chickens when they go to roost, very east to catch, so if the cage doesn't work that's what I would do. Good luck on catching her.

 

[areeb]

I don't know if you've tried yet but if not what works well is you leave a nuse ( good if you tie a knot where you want it yo stop tightening at a certain point) on the ground around of a small pile of wild bird feed or any bright edibles like tomatoes or watermelon, and when it steps over you just jerk the other end. ( so you need to be far away with a long string) and it tightens around its leg. Make sure you run with it as it flys thought because it can easily snap. One time I used 15 lb line on a young male and it snapped automatically as he he flew away! Only had to use this method 2 or 3 times.

 

[new 2 pfowl]

I don't know if you've tried yet but if not what works well is you leave a nuse ( good if you tie a knot where you want it yo stop tightening at a certain point) on the ground around of a small pile of wild bird feed or any bright edibles like tomatoes or watermelon, and when it steps over you just jerk the other end. ( so you need to be far away with a long string) and it tightens around its leg. Make sure you run with it as it flys thought because it can easily snap. One time I used 15 lb line on a young male and it snapped automatically as he he flew away! Only had to use this method 2 or 3 times.

No offense, but PLEASE PLEASE never do this.
This is an ideal way to break a peacock's leg.

 

[yorkchick]

Yeah, I'd be scared I'd hurt the bird or myself with the noose method (I'd be running after it and trip on something, trust me on this

). I went to see it, it is reasonable friendly but cautious, does like to have people around but of course not closer than five or six feet. Pretty little thing.


Now, less than 24 hours ago, I knew doodly about peacock colors and peacocks in general. Right now I know it might be an exaggeration to say I know a hair's worth more than doodly. But is it possible this is a black shoulder peahen, not a white peahen?

Anyway, if anyone is remotely in suspense at this point, we did not catch her, Didn't even try today. I just wanted to see the situation. She roosts on the roof so I don't think I'll be climbing up there to try to catch her. The homeowner, Carol, said she'd brainstorm with her husband about ways to set up a temporary pen where they've been putting out food and water for her. Her granddaughter is coming to visit tomorrow so I'm sure the peahen will be very popular with her. We talked about other ways to try to reach the original owners, too.

She got some good treats today. I brought over dried mealworms, raspberries, cherry tomatoes, scratch, and corn on the cob. I didn't know what she'd like. Surprise! She liked it all. I only gave her one cherry tomato, though, because she decided it was appropriate to swallow whole and then spent some time trying to get it worked down her gullet.

I told Carol, "Well, if she passes out from choking on that tomato I'm going to snatch her up, do the peacock Heimlich, and we'll have her! It will be a new peafowl capture technique!" She got the tomato down fine in the end, of course.

I'll update again if there's any progress!

 

[zazouse]

She is a pretty white hen and if she is eating treats getting her penned will be a breeze.
none of us had a clue about peas at one time , this community is a great way to share and learn about our featherd friends together

Good luck

 

[new 2 pfowl]

Wow, she's a pretty girl!

And, by the way,

, or at least to the corner known as the Wonderful World O' Peas!