Should I let my peacocks roam free?

[dracoe19]

I bought my Daddy 3 peacocks for fathers day last year. I bought 2 india blues and a purple black shouldered spalding. My dad loves them and we own them because my dad thinks they are beautiful birds. At the moment they are in an aviary with my Lady Amherst Pheasants and have our grown the space. My dad wants to make another aviary for them but I think it is a better idea to let them roam free. We just have them as "lawn ornaments" and don't plan on breeding them. I know they will be much happier roaming free and I am confident they will stay on my land (5 acres). I was going to get special bands with serial numbers on them in case they wandered off (like ones parrots and pigeons have). I have known people who have let their peacocks roam free and they have never had problems. I know I will have to watch them during breeding season if I have a female among the trio so I don't get over run by peacocks. What are your thoughts on letting peacocks roam free?
Here's some pictures of them I decided to include for the heck of it .

 

[nanaluvsgps]

What stunning bird! I have never owned peacock in my life or know much about them, but i think they would love to be roaming free over the pastures! and the leg bands are a great idea

 

[AquaEyes]

Others will hopefully chime in, but from everyone I asked, Spaldings are less amenable to free ranging without disappearing. I can't remember who it was, but someone here mentioned being able to free range Spaldings on a very large property. Perhaps you'll have better luck because the females don't have the "wandering Green genes" and will help keep your male at home. One thing you might consider is keeping the birds you bought penned up, and allowing their offspring to free-range. At least this way, if some disappear, you can always raise more from your original birds.

 

[zazouse]

I could write all day but i am tired had a long day.
5 acres would be nothing for my to range off of but you can teach them where to stay by herding them back to the area you want every time they leave it, it takes time and lots of it and sometimes ya may have to refresh their memories but once they learn they pretty much stay where you want them or at least mine do.
We had our road paved to the farm and first thing the peas did was try to walk to the end of it , i would run litterly down the fence row and cut them off and slowly herd them back, after that i would bring my Aussie dog and have her herd them back once she learned what we were doing every time i saw them on the road i would send my Aussie girl to fetch them up and after a few time of that they have never ventured down that way again.

They are noise birds and mine will follow /chase and harass anything that does not belong here so with such small acreage they could easily follow something off your place.

I do believe the younger you can get them free ranging the better, i bought an older pair and let me tell ya they had no problem walking to the back of this 100 acres but they also learned where they could and could not go, the onces i raised up and turned loose at 4 months were very cautious and it took along time before they would range far.

People will tell you to keep one penned and the others will stay but i have not found that to be true here, they will go off and leave one penned no problem but if they get seperated free ranging they will call to each other.
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If you need to know anything just ask, i am in my second year with peas but have free ranged other birds for years so i have learned alot from them.

 

[Trefoil]

My guineas, chickens,geese, and ducks free range during the day. I have 40 acres and housed my peacocks behind the house (which itself sits 100+" off the road) Both male peas that I've had got hit on the road. My females don't seem to be attracted by the road, did I mention they had to fly over a fence to get to the road? Here I am at the start of breeding season without a peacock, although I do have a pea brooding eggs. I am done trying to free range my peacocks.

 

[frenchblackcopper]

If you prize these birds and don't want harm to come to them,build them a nice sized aviary,,being sorry after the fact proves any loss can at least be somewhat less if proper precautions are taken.I persoanlly have too much invested in my birds to see something preventable happen to any of them and free ranging opens up the doors for every varmit on earth to look at those peas as a free meal.

 

[AugeredIn]

Most of our birds are penned, however, I think free ranging peafowl are our favorites. I can't say I would want a bunch but there is nothing cooler than having a couple as yard birds. I do think that you have to have a large place to free range. If there is another house relatively close, they will wander. We have 90 acres and ours do not generally leave the 7 cleared acres around the house. Our free rangers were homed in pens for 6-8 months and will return to an open pen for food.

PS, while peahens on eggs are susceptible to varmints, I dare anything in the woods to mess with the two free ranging peacocks.

 

[dracoe19]

Alrighty Thank you for the all the help! I honestly think I'll take the chance and free range them. I love these birds but I know they will be happier free range and if they get picked of so goes the cicle of life. They have been in the aviary since they we 4 weeks old so this is all they are familiar with. I also must be doing something right because an entire flock of guineas ditched their home a few houses down to live perminantly with me! lol.I won't try it for at least another month since I am at school at the moment... I will post on how it goes if any one is interested in the result. Does any one else have any helpful hints? Thank you again!

 

[MinxFox]

Cool I can't wait to hear how it turns out for you! I am thinking about trying to free-range some peafowl soon. I might let out some of the peahens I hatched out last year. We are on 10 acres. I tried free-ranging my first pair...They were adults. The male ran away and the female followed but we were able to catch her and she is in my aviary. It is cool watching them in the aviary but nothing compared to watching them free-range and roost in big trees at night. I hope you have a large tree for them to roost in because they search out for a big tall tree to sleep in at night. That was a great present for your dad, I wish my parents would get me more peafowl for my Birthday lol! You will have a lot of fun when they become adults and display out in the yard!
Good luck!

 

[Evonava]

I would not let them roam free! They are natural wonders. If. You don't know what you have yet or their age. My mother has raised them for 15 years. After seeing your pictures you have all males and they about a year old. If you get females and let roam free, they hear a wild turkey, you won't see them once they have left. Suggestion: fence the whole 5 acres. Any questions you have about them email me [email protected] for phone number
Don't forget to worm them
Evonava