The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: Laurieston on March 01, 2013, 08:31:56 pm
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I have been offered a couple of Pea-eggs for my birthday, but my young children are against the idea, as they say they are afraid.
Does anyone have experience of Peacocks/hens with children who could comment on aggression, reaction to children, etc.? My children do not go near them, but we did have a cockerel who jumped at them a few times, until he was cooked, and this has spooked them.
Thanks.
Adam
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I work in a country park with more than 10 peacocks & peahens and we get lots of visitors with your children with them. We have never had any problems peacocks attacking children - when children sometimes chase them peacocks quickly move away. Sometimes peacocks try to get treats from visitors but even then, they never do it in an aggressive way. I feed the peacocks every day and they always behave like gentlemen - absolutely no problems with them.
Other things to consider with peacocks : they are rather loud - will your neighbours be happy ? some peacocks seem to peck black cars and neighbour's flowers (:
But all in all, peacocks are lovely, gorgeous birds and they get tame quite easily. I recommend them. A brilliant
birthday present - lucky you !
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We used to go to Zürich zoo every week when I had three preschoolers in tow and they have peacocks wandering around freely. Like Pipsa says, they tended to be chased by the kids rather than vice versa but even then they weren't too fussed - still happy to hang around the restaurant area. My husband is quite keen on them but they are noisy and I think they just wander wherever (and can fly quite high so not easily contained by fencing) so I'd be worried they'd annoy our neighbours (who aren't very close - I have no such worries with geese, ducks, cockerels or bees).
H
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I don't think you'll have a problem to be honest. Peacocks don't seem to defend themselves or their hareem in the same way that cockerels do (nor would you if you had a tail twice the length of your body!). The one to beware of is a peahen with her chicks. She WILL get aggressive, and will rush at you. Most of the time it's just bluster, but I've still learned to keep my distance.
As others have said, they are noisy (though only really from mid feb to May, and less annoying than our geese IMHO). They are also impossible to contain with a fence (ours roost on the roof of the house quite happily).
Why not take your children to a country park or similar with peafowl so they can get used to the idea first?
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I agree with everyone that they're not usually agressive and the kids will be safe around them.
Womble's idea of taking the kids somewhere to get used to them would be a good one and if it's eggs you're hatching yourself the kids might not be so afraid as they'll see them grow from day one :thumbsup:
But, if they're really scared (genuinely afraid and not just saying it ;)) it might be more trouble than it's worth and a source of constant headaches, battles and tears :-\
We probably encourage our kids to have more 'animal encounters' than most folk do :innocent: but if there's any sign of real fear from the kids (no matter how daft it seems to us) we wouldn't push it, it might be silly and irrational to us, but to them it's very real and can leave lasting effects.... My little sister (who's 33) is terrified of all birds, after a one off visit into an aviery with budgies when she was about 5 - to the point where she'd run onto a road if it was the only way away from a pigeon :o
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At our last house the neighbours had peacocks which went feral and bred in the woods. Out of a dozen families in the hamlet, I think I was the only one who did not complain about them ::) . They were never actually aggressive but could be intimidating to visitors ;)
They trashed the flower beds, jumped on cars and tap danced on the car roofs, and made a helluva mess (poo) and noise ;D ;D . I loved them :innocent: even when they tried to get in through the patio doors.
In the end most were shot :( .
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There was a restaurant near us in Scottish Borders who had them wander around and they were quite tame, also a holiday let in sw scotland had them wander around, sitting on cars etc, no problem.
My youngest (boy, 9) is terrified of the males though, we keep all sorts of animals he's not scared of a jot, but for some reason the peacocks scare him a lot. Maybe if they rear them from eggs that fear will go? Sounds good, I'd like some, happy birthday when it comes :wave: