Peacocks are perhaps the most majestic? birds on earth, maybe just reserve for swans courtesy to their endorsement by the Queen of England?.
And yeah, you can keep peacocks as pets, although they are nothing like dogs, cats, or even birds such as parrots.
Actually??, let me rephrase that.
Yes, you can keep peafowls as pets. Peacocks only refer to male fowls.
Females are called peahens.
That said, same as any exotic bird type, keeping peafowls as pets is not a walk in the park. They come with a steep learning curve, are tricky to maintain with other birds, and are somewhat daunting to tame.
You’ll also need enough land, a warm and safe environment, and access to a peafowl-specific diet.
Plus, understand their behavior and pay attention to their health.
Well, too much of this intro chit-chat, now let’s get to the nitty gritties.
Do Peafowls (Peacocks, Peahens) Make Good Pets
Peafowls only make good pets depending on what you are looking for in a pet.
They are not as cuddly as parrots, are less trainable, heavier than most birds, and require a big space.
In all honesty, they are more livestock than pets.
Peafowls are not as trainable or affectionate and are more a resident in a home rather than a pet.
But if you can look past these (and a few more cons) and instead focus on their majestic and wonderful plume spread, then they can be pretty rewarding.
Plus, peafowls fetch a handsome profit if you decide to sell them.
Like most birds, peafowls poop a lot, so be ready to do a lot of cleaning.
They also make an incredible amount of noise, but that shouldn’t be much of an issue, more so if you’ve raised parrots before.
When considering housing, peacocks and hens require a great deal of space, so you can’t have them if you live in an apartment or a suburban home with a less than sizable compound.
You can also not merely let them outside.
They need to be in a fenced and roofed enclosure rest they fly away.
They are very much capable of ignoring and flying over any fences that sufficiently keep other birds like chickens, ducks, and geese in.
With all that said, don’t worry about getting bored of having peacocks. They will keep you pretty busy, if not watching, then chasing after them.
As pets, you may also once in a while take food from your hand, but most times, they’ll be uninterested.
Peafowls are more like ornamental pet fish than dogs, cats, and parrots. They are pretty to look at, but you can’t interact with them much.
Is it Legal to Own A Peafowl (Peacock, Peahen)
It is legal to keep peafowls at home in most parts of the world as long as the species is not an endangered native type.
For instance, because the green peafowls are a threatened species, the blue peafowl is more recommended and makes a better home pet than the former.
They are more adaptable, tamer, and less aggressive.
Other color variants legally kept as pets include black shoulder, Buford bronze, charcoal, cameo, opal, oaten, Spalding, purple, white, and pied peafowl.
Can Peafowls (Peacocks, Peahens) Be Tamed
Peafowls in a domestic situation can be tamed, but it’s best if you start training them as chicks. Older peafowls rarely learn new tricks or pick up new habits.
You can train peafowls to take food from your hand, but they will always be more aloof from you than even a tame chicken.
Moreover, although they make ideal pets for people eager to host showy, ornamental birds, less domesticated species, such as the white and green variants, tend to be more challenging to tame and are quite often aggressive.
So, if you are looking to tame a peafowl, I would recommend starting with the blue variety, especially if it’s your first time keeping these birds.
Can You Keep Peafowls (Peacocks) with Chicken
If you’re thinking of keeping peacocks and peahens with chicken, they can live together happily if properly managed.
For the most, peafowls (both males and hens) can be kept with chicken. They get along well, more so fowls like the blue variants that are readily tameable.
The ideal pairing is when both birds are raised together from infancy.
Even so, you need to be careful because of diseases, plus peafowls tend to be more aggressive as adults and may pick on your chicken.
The two obvious concerns of keeping peafowls and chickens together are fighting and diseases: Chicken and Chicks.
Notably, the most apparent disease is blackhead, and although more common among game birds than poultry, it can be passed between the two bird species.
This ailment also affects turkeys, partridges, pheasants, and quail and can be passed to both peafowls and chicken when kept together.
In terms of aggression, peacocks can readily kill chickens, though they are mostly friendly and altercations are at best far and wide.
Keeping in mind that peacocks (and hens) are still game birds, with weapons on their feet and faces tough enough to eat prey, you might want to introduce your flock sparingly and preferably while still young.
Can You Keep Peafowls in Your Garden
Can you keep peacocks and peahens in your garden?
Yes, absolutely yes!
You just need to master a few basic skills, plus understanding what it takes to keep peafowls in your garden.
The very first thing you’ll learn is all peafowls are little busy wanderers with an insatiable curiosity. They will trespass any boundary around your house if the enclosure is not high enough.
Peafowls will also fly over short fences, so you need to make sure the coop is covered all the way to the top.
The birds also make a decent amount of noise, which might upset most people. As such, keep their coop away from your house for when you need some peace of mind.
Make sure it’s a safe distance from your neighbors’ house as well to ensure the birds don’t wander into adjoining compounds or keep the residents awake at night.
One last thing that might bother you about having peafowls is the poop.
They literally poop anywhere and everywhere.
So keep them away from your prized possession, including your car and outdoor furniture. Plus, prepare to do a lot of cleaning.
That said, peacocks are not all about looking pretty and all the faults above. They will pick up bugs, worms, and even slugs in your garden, albeit causing little damage to lawns.
Thats all for this post.
Enjoy keeping peafowls, both peacocks? and hens?.
