Peacock Predators?

[GracieNut]

Hi all,
I've been toying with the idea of getting a Peacock. I'm not sure if I want to free range (I have dogs, so this would be iffy) or build a pen. We have plenty of space for a pen, but I always thought most of the fun of having Peafowl is to see them wondering about the yard. Anyway, if we did a pen, how predator proof does it need to be? Most of what we have here in the way of predators are fox, Red Tailed Hawks, Buzzards (do they prey on stuff??) Barred Owls, and I've seen a couple of stray Beagles, but that seems to be about it. My chicken coop is built like Fort Knox (mostly with my GSP in mind), but I was wondering, does anything tend to bother adult Peafowl enough to build their pen in the same way?

 

[SuperPeacockman]

All of those would attack peafowl,the buzzards might not, but everything else will. It needs to be Raccoon proof, and has to have wire buried underground so foxes rats and dogs cannot get in.

 

[Kedreeva]

Agree with super and add Raccoon proof also means not having holes big enough the peas can stick their heads through. Raccoons you won't normally see in daylight, but chances are they exist near your property somehow. They will wait just outside the fencing until a bird sticks its head through and then grab and eat. They will eat what they can get to- the head and crop, which is what they are -usually- (but not always) after anyway.

The flying predators are usually kept out by the same netting that keeps your birds in on the roof. They won't dive for your birds if there's stuff in the way, as they will usually only go for an easy meal. Buzzards will not attack your birds, they are carrion eaters, not hunters. If you see them it's only because they are looking for something rotting to eat.

Foxes, coons, beagles (and other dogs), weasels, and mink (dunno if the last two are in your area, but they are in ours) will dig or pry at fencing to get to things they want... and beagles and coons and weasels are exceptionally bad because they will kill everything even if they don't intend to eat it. I think peas would probably fare better against the weasels than our ducks did the one time they got attacked, but it could be a problem if something got in at night.

We make a habit of disposing of these pests when they are spotted, and check the pens when ever we are near for signs of something trying to get in.

 

[GracieNut]

Thanks for the tips! We do have wire buried under the chicken coop, and we used hardware cloth (which we would likely use for the Peafowl too). So, I'm thinking build it like our coop, only MUCH MUCH bigger...

 

[Heisenberg]

The replys are nonsense. In have had peacocks for 20 years They need no pen. They need high trees to roost in. They are not attacked by foxes or raccoons UNLESS pehens are nesting on the ground. When females nest on the ground steal the eggs and place in incubator raise the chicks to 6-9 months old in a pen or coop or protected chicken run then release and free range at 6-9 months they will roost in the trees. You must have trees to do this. Feed them daily or use a range feeder with cracked corn. They act as guardians but not a lot of help for chickens they are very noisy in spring through early summer while pehens nest. Neighbors may not be happy about the noise. Geese make much better guardians. You should not have peafowl on <5 acres. I live in Louisiana which is semitropical so this advice may not work for you

 

[new 2 pfowl]

This is quite an old thread! But as it has been revived, I'd like to add the comment that there are many considerations relating to free-ranging peas and the construction of pens, including but not limited to predators.

Peas are very inquisitive and love to wander. It is crucial to have trees for them to roost in, but some other things to think about relating to free-ranging are: How much space do you have? Are you around your property enough to keep an eye on your peas? To train them where the limits of their territory are? Do you have unfriendly neighbors? Or neighbors with aggressive dogs? Are you near any roads? etc.
Predators are in fact an issue and many here can tell sad stories of their peas being killed. Not to over-generalize, but it seems that this sometimes happens when peas are in pens that are somehow breached by predators. So the "Fort Knox" approach is a good one!

Everyone has different circumstances and experiences, so just on a friendly note please remember that a different experience is not necessarily nonsense.