287062 Sun Apr 01 20:21:56 -0700 2001 17 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1542051 Anyone ever had this delicacy? I hear it tastes like pheasant. There are a couple of feral birds pooping all over my front deck. Was talking with the neighbors about calling the animal control folks to come get them when one mentioned that he heard they are good eating. Maybe we'll roast 'em instead. Sun Apr 01 20:21:56 -0700 2001 0 Melanie Wong 1 1542054 Melanie, do you live near a zoo or animal preserve. I worked for a number of years at our metro zoo and the peacocks were free-rangers. Often ended up on suburban front/back lawns, with calls for concerned homeowners. They never stayed long, but made their way back to the zoological park grounds in for dusk/safe time and/or feeding from leftovers. I would think their decorative presence is more of value than the negativity of pooping...just a n assumption. Can't imagine roasting one of those beauties.... Sun Apr 01 21:12:35 -0700 2001 1542051 0 berkleybabe 2 1542055 No, this is in rural Sonoma County. Surrounded by vineyards and homesites of 1 to 40 acre parcels. I've hardly been home these last few months. The birds appeared here 3 months ago, and all my deck railings, eaves, front paths, and red wood decks have been bombed by peacock turds. Sorry to get scatological here, but these are the size of cat feces and these birds don't have the good sense to put 'em in the dirt. It is a land mine to reach my front door. Talking to my neighbors who are here all the time, this pair have been roosting in my oak trees at night, even during some violet thunder storms we had in February. They've talked with more folks around here who said these birds were roaming through their yards a few months ago until they turned the dogs out on them. Since I'm rarely around to roust them, and have no other animals, they've settled into my yard. With spring, the cock has taken to squawking most of the day with a god-awful shriek. I'm happy to share my property with deer, wild turkeys, quail and other creatures who are native to the area. They can chomp on my plants as much as they like. Peacocks do not belong here. So, anyone out there have a recipe for barbecued peacock tongues? Sun Apr 01 21:28:45 -0700 2001 1542054 0 Melanie Wong 3 1542056 Well, I can understand you feel under seige. But...Any chance of contacting Humane Society/Animal Rescue? I would assume someone in the countryside might have taken on these birds as ornamentation, as so many grand English estates have done since the 1900s. Their home might no longer exist...because as far as I know, peacocks are not found in the wild in the U.S. anywhere. Consider a transfer -- i think they'd look grand on the Getty's grounds. Or a grand vineyard. Or a smaller zoo. (Agree their squawck is hardly endearing, always sounds like someone's being strangled.) Sun Apr 01 21:51:39 -0700 2001 1542055 0 berkleybabe 4 1542061 You could try Safari West in Napa. Peter Lang has 400 acres of wildlife--everything from antelope to zebras. safariwest.com or 707-579-2551. Sun Apr 01 23:19:30 -0700 2001 1542056 0 Jennifer Fish 5 1542099 Jennifer, please believe that I sound more "crazed" than I really am. I'd been bottling up my fury at an absentee neighbor, assuming the birds were his. Now that I know they're not someone's 4-H project, I can vent at the birds themselves. Mon Apr 02 21:22:12 -0700 2001 1542061 0 Melanie Wong 6 1543030 Well Mates, I was just talking to some western Queensland friends who have a large number of pea chickens. We are going to fatten them up on meat chicken meal and lop a head or two off to try out the meat. The receipe is the hard thing to find. We thought this would be an interesting trial as in days of olde when knights were bold etc, they ate Pea Cocks and Hens as table food. So keep searching for that special receipe. (The other good point is that you know you are alive at the pickinini dawn when they start their mournful cries much to our distress and their eternal delight.) Tue Jan 11 22:44:23 -0800 2005 1542099 0 Mad Dog 3 1542123 Plan on snaring the birds. They'll probably make a lot of noise and flap a lot, so you may want some help. Pull them towards you by the snare to keep them off their feet. Grab by the head and get the body and wings under your arm like you're holding a parcel and hang on to the head! Dispatch by your preferred method. I've solved some geese problems this way. Then follow Greg's rule for big game birds: Sear the breast and confit the rest. I'm assuming these birds spend a lot of time roosting, so the breast meat should be reasonably tender. If you're serious, let me know and I'll get specific with the recipie ideas. Tue Apr 03 15:49:53 -0700 2001 1542055 0 Greg Spence 4 1542125 R-E-C-I-P-E Don't know how that extra letter slipped in. Tue Apr 03 15:53:54 -0700 2001 1542123 0 Greg Spence 5 1542137 I understand the reason they ate peacocks is because they were rare and exotic, and the tail can be set up as an attractive display. Not because they were tender. Most of the meat, game, etc eaten at that time was probably tough and stringy, and oven-roasted mature peacocks are probably no exception. Tue Apr 03 19:44:21 -0700 2001 1542125 0 ironmom 1 1542090 I don't know how darwinian you are, but peacocks are some of the stupidest birds around, especially the males. They go into full fighting plumage at the sight of any other male, including seeing their reflection in a mirror or window. We had a couple of nasty males that hung around the cabin at our river ranch, and the sliding glass door was pocked with peacock blood from these dumb animals attacking their imagined challengers. My sister and I would stand inside and shriek while they'd batter themselves into oblivion. Sorry to say, they never actually killed themselves, but maybe it was because the reflection would disappear at some point, and the bird would find himself without a rival. Hmmm, starting to feel like setting out a _bunch_ of mirrors, see what happens when the mystery bird _doesn't_ eventually go away? Christine Mon Apr 02 19:05:27 -0700 2001 1542051 0 Christine DiBona 2 1542097 Yes, he was squawking at my laundry room window today. I'll check it for blood or peck marks. I agree that they are dumb animals, yet this pair has managed to survive the winter on their own, maybe longer. In spite of my prayers for a wide-ranging mountain lion to put them out of their misery... Mon Apr 02 21:15:48 -0700 2001 1542090 0 Melanie Wong 2 1542105 There are smart birds??? Tue Apr 03 09:23:22 -0700 2001 1542090 0 Deven Black 3 1542146 "There are smart birds???" Spoken with any parrots lately? Yes, some birds are smart. But this is probably not about food... Wed Apr 04 00:24:50 -0700 2001 1542105 0 Michael L. 1 1542092 Hi Melanie, Um, you may want to make a call to the DFG, and find out their regulations re: dispatching of feral peacocks on private property. Might be perfectly legal, or, might have a hefty fine involved. Yoroshiku, Andy Mon Apr 02 19:33:01 -0700 2001 1542051 0 Andy P. 2 1542098 Good advice, Andy. I know that I'm not allowed to use a fire arm in this area but can hunt wild turkey and quail with bow and arrow. Not that I do. I did make a good attempt at accidentally running him over in the driveway with the car this morning. (g) When people hit deer on the roads around here, they're not allowed to keep the carcass. It's donated to the senior meals programs and homeless shelters for venison stew. Mon Apr 02 21:20:12 -0700 2001 1542092 0 Melanie Wong 1 1542093 Did a little searching and found some cooking advice for peacock at the link below. Evidently peacock meat is dark, sweet and juicy -- like duck but not as fatty. Check out the squirrel prep tips on the same page! Best, Deb H. Link: http://baygourmet.com/askchef.html Mon Apr 02 19:40:45 -0700 2001 1542051 0 Deb H. 2 1542096 Deb, that's the spirit! Interesting - I love dark meat - give me duck or squab any day over turkey. I've got an endless supply of squirrels too. With peacock tongues being one of the fabled foods of Arabian nights and emperors, I'd thought someone on these boards must have tasted 'em. Just having a little fun with this - my neighbor was planning to call the County's animal control department today. Mon Apr 02 21:12:29 -0700 2001 1542093 0 Melanie Wong