Anyone missing a peacock

[Nehunter88]

I raise Painted Desert Sheep, they are one of the exotic breeds where the rams are used for the high fence hunting operations.

A couple weeks ago there was an exotic auction nearby and someone else must have bought some peacocks and turned them loose. Well one came to my house and decided he was going to stay, and thought the young ram lambs might be willing to share their supper. They weren't.

 

[NorthwoodHusker]

I raise Painted Desert Sheep, they are one of the exotic breeds where the rams are used for the high fence hunting operations.

A couple weeks ago there was an exotic auction nearby and someone else must have bought some peacocks and turned them loose. Well one came to my house and decided he was going to stay, and thought the young ram lambs might be willing to share their supper. They weren't.

Its just NBC texasing with ya

 

[Red Dead Redemption]

 

[SemperHusker]

I'd chase it away quick. Those are some noisy critters. Unless of course you enjoy a sound like someone screaming "help".

 

[Nehunter88]

I'd chase it away quick. Those are some noisy critters. Unless of course you enjoy a sound like someone screaming "help".

I've seen some for sale on Craig's list for $300 each, so I'm thinking catching instead of running him off.

Yes he likes to sit in the tree in my backyard and scream just after sundown. At least if the neighbors complain I can say he's not mine he just showed up.

 

[Middle-aged_Ball_Coach]

I've seen some for sale on Craig's list for $300 each, so I'm thinking catching instead of running him off.

Yes he likes to sit in the tree in my backyard and scream just after sundown. At least if the neighbors complain I can say he's not mine he just showed up.

#1 You're NOT going to easily catch a peacock alive. They're tough, tenacious SOBs.

#2 Their cape is worth a lot ... dead or alive. I'm a fly tier: go look online what it costs for peacock eyes, swords, etc. MONEY.

#3 Peacocks sound awesome. Meet me in person, and I'll make a peacock impression that will make you weep. They sound awesome.

 

[Nehunter88]

#1 You're NOT going to easily catch a peacock alive. They're tough, tenacious SOBs.

#2 Their cape is worth a lot ... dead or alive. I'm a fly tier: go look online what it costs for peacock eyes, swords, etc. MONEY.

#3 Peacocks sound awesome. Meet me in person, and I'll make a peacock impression that will make you weep. They sound awesome.

Yeah so far I haven't seen him back off from much, but he is friendly, he usually follows me around the place.

If he sticks around a few years I should have plenty of peacock eyes when he sheds them each year.

I figure whoever bought him bought a pair and the hen or hens are around someplace. I thought he'd do enough calling in the evening they might come looking for him.

I have a fair amount of wild turkeys in the area, I wonder if he'll go off with some of those if they come by. That's why I'm not looking at this as a long term deal. If he stays he stays.

 

[Middle-aged_Ball_Coach]

Yeah so far I haven't seen him back off from much, but he is friendly, he usually follows me around the place.

If he sticks around a few years I should have plenty of peacock eyes when he sheds them each year.

I figure whoever bought him bought a pair and the hen or hens are around someplace. I thought he'd do enough calling in the evening they might come looking for him.

I have a fair amount of wild turkeys in the area, I wonder if he'll go off with some of those if they come by. That's why I'm not looking at this as a long term deal. If he stays he stays.

Your timing is impeccable because a friend of mine let me know a couple weeks ago that his semi-wild peacock was killed by a car, and I should take my pick of the feathers. There were some peafowl living on the farm when he bought it, but nobody had ever been able to catch them, so they just continued to hang out there. It's estimated that the farm had had peafowl for more than 50 years, and this last male was probably pushing 20 years old. Fwiw, there are also wild turkeys in the area, coming and going through the same farmyard, and the peafowl paid them no attention, one way or the other.

The peacock will have his best colors and best feathers in early spring when it's mating season, but they're often shedding the older, ratty feathers. If you get some peacock eyes and swords like that, save them for me. I break them down into the smaller bits of herl anyway, so it doesn't matter for fly tying if the eye is whole or not, or if the color is good or not. I'll trade you something for them if you get enough. Keep the good ones for yourself, of course.

 

[Nehunter88]

Your timing is impeccable because a friend of mine let me know a couple weeks ago that his semi-wild peacock was killed by a car, and I should take my pick of the feathers. There were some peafowl living on the farm when he bought it, but nobody had ever been able to catch them, so they just continued to hang out there. It's estimated that the farm had had peafowl for more than 50 years, and this last male was probably pushing 20 years old. Fwiw, there are also wild turkeys in the area, coming and going through the same farmyard, and the peafowl paid them no attention, one way or the other.

The peacock will have his best colors and best feathers in early spring when it's mating season, but they're often shedding the older, ratty feathers. If you get some peacock eyes and swords like that, save them for me. I break them down into the smaller bits of herl anyway, so it doesn't matter for fly tying if the eye is whole or not, or if the color is good or not. I'll trade you something for them if you get enough. Keep the good ones for yourself, of course.

Well he keeps showing off for the sheep, maybe he's looking for a friend. I figure he's ok with the ewes and the young rams, but give the young rams a couple years to grow up and he may want to avoid them. They should looks something like one of these in 2 or 3 years.

 

[Middle-aged_Ball_Coach]

Well he keeps showing off for the sheep, maybe he's looking for a friend. I figure he's ok with the ewes and the young rams, but give the young rams a couple years to grow up and he may want to avoid them. They should looks something like one of these in 2 or 3 years.

View attachment 66488
View attachment 66489

Those are some horny old goats.

 

[Redleg]

What do you do with the sheep you raise?

 

[Nehunter88]

What do you do with the sheep you raise?

For now I'm building up numbers with the Painted Deserts. I did have some Mouflon and Blackbelly but sold all of those to concentrate on the Painted Desert.

For the most part I'd sell for breeders or people who have a few acres and want something that will keep down the weeds. Rams can also be sold to high fence hunting operations. At this point I have 9 small rams, some will be used for breeding this fall, the others will go to a grow up pen. If someone is interested I might sell a ram lamb out of the grow up pen, otherwise they can stay there till next year to see what they look like.

They grow up pretty fast. This ram is about 4 months old.

 

[Red Dead Redemption]

Those are some horny old goats.

 

[Redleg]

For now I'm building up numbers with the Painted Deserts. I did have some Mouflon and Blackbelly but sold all of those to concentrate on the Painted Desert.

For the most part I'd sell for breeders or people who have a few acres and want something that will keep down the weeds. Rams can also be sold to high fence hunting operations. At this point I have 9 small rams, some will be used for breeding this fall, the others will go to a grow up pen. If someone is interested I might sell a ram lamb out of the grow up pen, otherwise they can stay there till next year to see what they look like.

They grow up pretty fast. This ram is about 4 months old.
View attachment 66905

Gotcha. Beautiful ram. I bow hunted mouflon a couple times in Hawaii, but came up short on a ram. Hard hunting in pretty open terrain but did get a ewe.

We may add livestock to our place in a year or so, so I'm always interested in what folks are doing. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Nehunter88]

Gotcha. Beautiful ram. I bow hunted mouflon a couple times in Hawaii, but came up short on a ram. Hard hunting in pretty open terrain but did get a ewe.

We may add livestock to our place in a year or so, so I'm always interested in what folks are doing. Thanks for sharing.

I really liked Mouflon and thought that was what I wanted to raise. But since I'm not as young as I used to be Mouflon were just a little too squirrely for me to work with. Here's the Mouflon ram I had.