Catch a Peacock?

[OlyChickenGuy]

I've been approached by someone who's neighbour passed away and left several peafowl on her property. Her family doesn't want to deal with the birds, and the neighbours want to find new homes for the peafowl, and don't wish to kill or harm the birds. The birds don't have a central "house" or "pen" that they're kept in - they're allowed to roam free, and therefore aren't terribly tame.

So, what's a good way to catch peafowl without harming them?

 

[Arbor]

find your fastest friend...and run them down to catch them (males are easier as their tail slows them down a little)

 

[Kedreeva]

Uh... disregard the prior post as that will only cause them to fly off.

If you can, get your neighbors in on the effort and have them open empty garages. If you can get them on a street or driveway with treats (watermelon works well), then you may be able to slowly, SLOWLY, "herd" them on the ground toward an open, unoccupied garage/pen/shed/other building. Once they are in a small space they can't fly out of they become a LOT easier to catch. Whatever you do, no exciting noises or fast movements, if they are really wild then they'll just take off. Even without flying, they are really fast runners if they are evading danger, and their first instinct when cornered is to go UP, so when you have them in a confined space, you should be prepared to grab at them but above them, if that makes sense.

Don't grab them by the legs if you can help it, and grabbing them by their train will more than likely result in a lot of yanked out feathers. We grab ours over the wings, or by the base of the wings so they can't flap, and we can press our palms over their backs to keep them on the ground where they can't jump or kick (the males have spurs, be really careful when handling them). Once you have them pinned, you can tuck their body under your arm and hold the legs together with one hand, a finger between the legs to keep them from grating together.

If anyone happens to have a bird net, those will be incredibly useful. Otherwise, a blanket or towel will serve you well, if you can toss it over the birds once they are confined.

 

[zazouse]

This trap will work very well, set it up and leave it with some kind of grain and wait, they go in but can 't figure out how to get out because the entrance wire is turned inwards and it makes them turn and go the other way.

 

[AugeredIn]

I have always been successful at using a net while they eat treats. We have also herded them into enclosed spaces.

 

[Kedreeva]

Brilliant!!

 

[Arbor]

Obviously no humour here, but if you do have an enclosure and you catch at least one, they are curious and social animals and are attracted to others. I've been able to catch them in pens beside ones that kept other peafowl, but I have also been able to catch them by running them down despite what others say, it was the quickest way given the circumstances.

 

[zazouse]

It's very hard for me to run hard after something and then gently try to catch it as i tackle it, they always get away from me well with other birds anyhow, never chased down a pea and ain't gonna my peas trust me totally and it took along time for that to happen. Just had to say that

I understand they are on their own and probably pretty savy so i don't think they will be easy peasy to catch by hand.in any situation.

 

[AugeredIn]

I cannot run my free rangers down. It ain't happening. Mine are incredibly easy to catch though. Heck I can just leave an empty pen open with watermelon inside and catch them all.

 

[Kedreeva]

Ah watermelon... the weakness of most peafowl in the world XD