Wild and Shy lonely Peacock, how can we catch him?

[SourRoses]

Hi! We have just moved to this area, and like another posters "Unexpected Visitor" there is a Peacock that calls this place home.
Only thing is, he is rather wild and free... absolutely beautiful, but shy.
We asked the owners of this 50 acres, and they said the Peacock was bought and released here by their passed grandfather, and he has always been too shy to catch. But they said if we managed to catch him, we could keep him, as he seems so lonely.
Our idea was to get him some girls, and try to rig some kind of trapdoor to get him in a pen with them.... don't know if we are that handy though... or should we just release a girl for him?
Poor King Henry, he roosts in the trees around here and calls and displays his tail, and sometimes comes close enough for us to watch him, but when we talk or move, he runs off. He must be quite old by now.
We stopped at a farm up the road, where we saw some peafowl, and the guy has some white hens he would be willing to sell us for not too much. But if we buy the hens, do we want to let them loose to get eaten or run off? LOL! We keep going around asking ourselves these questions..... what do you guys think?

Thanks!

 

[bdfive]

If you feed the peacock he'll stay. Toss him split grapes, healthy pieces of bread, they love the seeds and yucky stuff from the center of a cantalope and will peck at one split in half as well as watermelon. They like bananas and other fruits and veggies. Actually they like a lot. Favorites of mine are grapes, bread and cheese. It seems a shame to pen him when he's been free all this time. You could build a pen and perhaps put him in it during breeding season. If you purchase peahens they should be penned at least a month but I kept mine enclosed for 3 months just to make sure. If you build a pen and keep their gamebird feed in it they will go in and out to eat. When you want them penned for breeding season just close the door. The peahens are vulnerable setting on a nest during breeding season so that would be a good time to lock them up with the male.

 

[bonkers]

If you purchase a couple peahens---do you have a pen for them? I am sure if you kept the girls penned up---Mr. would be stay close--then when the girls are accustomed to the their new home and are able to be released--as long as you keep feeding them in the pen they will go back in and all you have to do is shut the gate/door---and Mr. will probably eventually go in too. I don't know---I just acquired two pair of peafowl from a friend who passed away. So I am still learning! Everyone tells me to keep them penned for three to four months before allowing them to wander out. Keep us posted on how things are going... we are interested!!!

 

[RuralMama]

I am hoping to get a couple peahen myself soon for my peacock. He recently flew the coop and was gone for a week and a half but came back and he hangs out near my turkey pen. He doesn't mind us walking around outside as long as no one chases him he stays put. He even isn't scared of the lawn mower, but I did have him since he was a peachick (He is now about 2 years old). I feed him Purina Flock Raiser, a Wild Bird mix, and Sunflower seeds all mixed together. He LOVES LOVE LOVES sunflower seeds.

On a note about the peahens you want to get, I don't think I would let them loose 100% of the time. I've heard to keep them in a pen for 8 weeks so they know where home and food is. Then clip one of their flight wings to ensure they can't fly away for you let them out of the pen. Then herd them back to their pen before night each day. Your new ward will surely stay around for the ladies and you may even get some nice peachicks out of the deal! He may even learn tame down or become less shy and skiddish once he figures out that the peahens aren't afraid of you.

Good luck!
Kelsey aka Rural Mama
http://ruralmamasandbox.blogspot.com