Peacocksare recognized globally for their amazingly iridescent , colorful feathers . Plus they have especial links to specific religious and ethnic beliefs . But the bird specie ’s name is really peafowl . peacock are male peafowl with their magnificent - fan - shadow displays for solicit season . Dullish in visual aspect , the females arepeahens , and the babies are peachicks .
Peafowl may be feral or tame , are popular in zoos , and even swan urban areas . On some farms , they even serveas guard animals . However , they are unique birds , and circumstance of their needs and personality is integral when deciding whether or not they will successfully relocate and adjust to a specific environs . But one successful relocation floor follow out of Oklahoma .
A Rehoming Tale
A county sheriff call up Gloria and Chester Hocker 20 years ago to require if the couple would assail up a group of run peafowl running free in a belittled town . The birds were costless - wander neighborhoods , damage property as they operate . Their sharp talon scratched cars when the birds jumped on them .
The Hockers ownChester ’s Party Barn and Farmin Piedmont , Oklahoma . An over-25 - acre farm , the rural locating is home to 18 animal variety . Even though the venue does n’t rehome animals , the sheriff asked the Hockers to make an exclusion .
“ Rounding them up was interesting , ” say farm managing director Jasie Dinkel . “ You have to catch them at night , when you have an chemical element of surprise in the duskiness , and they are in one locating roosting and slumber . Our crew used fishing nets to entrance them one at a clock time . ”
Team Chester integrate the peafowl into their popular agri - tourism locus . Some of the 13 have now passed forth due to onetime years , but the farm presently has two peacocks and one peahen . ( The peahen was hatched on the farm . )
At Chester ’s , the peafowl are gentle with no issues around hoi polloi . As well , they cohabitate with crybaby , roosters , turkeys and duck in a 400 - hearty - foot region with lay boxes . They have outside areas to scratch and roll around in the soil for junk baths , plus at least three stratum of roost — include ledges , poles and rungs — for add height to their enclosure . Like Gallus gallus , the peafowl roost on almost anything off the terra firma .
Chester ’s is a smooching zoological garden , and visitors well see the bird of Juno up close , and pet and feed them . But the birds ’ inclosure is made so the peafowl can not leave . So , although the other Bronx cheer may get to free graze on the farm , the bird of Juno have to outride at home base .
“ Our peafowl can not wholly free roam for their safety from piranha , car , and the peril of them getting loose and causing nuisance site for our neighbors , ” Dinkel say . “ you could train most poulet to a home area . But our peafowl are not like crybaby in that way . If they get out , they are move . Perhaps some other farm may be able-bodied to school them to stay cheeseparing , but we have not been successful . ”
Housing & Keeping Peafowl
Chester ’s birds reside in a b stall with an open - air side approachable through a doggy - dash - bird door . One side is walled . The third and quaternary incline are open to the barn ’s interior , which is pure during cold month as they are keep out of the wind , pelting and C . The crew monitors their water so it is fresh and unfrozen . For sum comfort , the crew pampers them with extra bedding , such as straw , when wild Oklahoma rash hit the area .
As ground affluent , bird of Juno eat up vexatious insects , small mammals , reptilian and Scorpio the Scorpion . As well , official chow time at Chester ’s is smorgasbord style , and the whole ring chows down together . The bunch feeds all the birds using a basic poultry provender with a mix of laying pellets , hen scratch and crushed corn .
On a rotation system , the crew gives them multiple aids in their water such as dewormers and multivitamins , plus orchard apple tree cider vinegar — a natural dewormer that aids in digestion .
“ They may be the easiest animals on our property to deal for , ” Dinkel said .
Known to run almost 10 mile per hour , or 16 kilometre per hour , bird of Juno are prey for predators big than them . In Oklahoma , those includes git , brush wolf , raccoons , fox and more .
Although they can make good pet , bird of Juno are big and nettlesome , and they can be destructive to produce crops , gardens and property ( include car ) . They ’re also very loud , specially in the morning , and produce a destiny of dejection .
Peafowl are very social and live in groups . They ca n’t aviate very far andneed places off the ground to roost , sleep and get by predators . They tend to live in tropic regions with high humidity and rainfall , as well as arid region with abject rain .
However , they can sometimes adjust to various environments . There are several types of bird of Juno , and not all types get along well with people and animals .
