How to keep the peacocks and cats off my garden?

[peacocktrouble]

I have a garden which is a bit of a weird shape (long & thin) and I have a lot of grass, weeds and brambles.

My plan is to essentially dig up most of the grass and turn it into beds to grow veg and companion flowers nearby. Maybe some hanging baskets and/or trellis to grow things up the fences.

However. I live on a farm next door to my landlady and she owns a huge amount of peacocks (like, 60+) which are free range and roam all over all the properties. Obviously they can fly so even a gate on the garden won't keep them out! There are also about a dozen cats owned by various people nearby who also wander wherever they like and the garden is often full of poop (bird and cat) 🤢 At the moment it's basically unusable which is such a shame as I have all this outside space just going to waste!

Is there any way I can deter them? I'm thinking I may have to just cover everything in netting to stop it getting pooped on or eaten but if that doesn't work I'm not sure what else to try. I'm on a very low budget so I'm happy to build/make things where possible but I really can't afford any expensive sprinkler systems or ultrasonic deterrents which often seem to be recommended!

I was going to suggest fruit cages over your veg beds. I have found orange peel scattered about deters cats from shitting nearby. But I've no idea about peacocks (sorry - not funny for you but quite a surreal problem).

I have made a cheapo fruit cage in my front garden using second hand fence posts from freegle and some cheap wood to join them together at the top. I will drape netting over it and peg it to the ground when I need to start protecting what is inside. It looks nice and much more expensive than it was.

I think you need a dog that likes to chase cats. And peacocks.

Sorry, no practical suggestions.

I'd love a dog but sadly not possible at the moment 😂

It is quite a weird problem, hence I'm asking here as the good old internet has not yielded much helpful info.

I bought my mother some sort of sonic device which you put in the garden (batteries+solar power) to stop cats going into the garden and pooing and it worked a treat. Apologies but I have no idea where I got it from.

I have no idea if it would work on peacocks but we bought bird repellant tape to hang around our pond to deter herons. It's just shiny reflective tape that makes a noise when it moves. Cheap and simple so worth a try?

I don't know about peacocks, but Silent Roar is excellent for deterring cats. It's pellets of something biodegradable soaked in lion wee.

If you've already got cats leaving deposits in your garden, you first have to clear them out and sprinkle something noxious on the spot to put them off returning to that spot (ammonia is good). Then you sprinkle Silent Roar all over your beds. IIRC you have to refresh it every few weeks, and keep picking up any turds and applying ammonia to the spot. But there are fewer and fewer.

Depending on the cat density and your determination V their determination, your garden should be a cat-poo-free zone within 2-3 months. Cats may still cross it, but because they think a more powerful feline owns it, they won't mark it themselves.

Once the cats are leaving your garden alone, you have to keep reapplying a sprinkle of Silent Roar every 3/4 months. And also whenever you've dug up the soil and provided them with a nice soft litter tray.

Not very helpful, but I think having peacocks in your garden sounds amazing! I'd lawn it over and enjoy watching them strut about

I thought it was pretty cool when I first moved here but now..

They poop everywhere and it's BIG poop, not like normal bird poo. There is crap all over my path, I've taken to leaving a scrubbing brush in a bucket of water outside so I can scrub off my shoes before I go in because I step in it so often, it's impossible to avoid sometimes especially in the dark.

They're so noisy! If they're not screeching, honking and squawking at each other or at us they're jumping up and down on the roof and making a racket. It's even worse during mating season.

Obviously they invade the garden looking for things to eat. This is partially why I haven't done anything with it yet because if I can't keep them away there's just no point, all my seeds/seedings will get dug up and eaten and anything that does manage to grow will get eaten too as soon as it ripens!

If it was just 2/3 it would be fine but 60+ are an absolute menace and it's so disappointing to have this outside space which could be really lovely but it's not because it's continually ruined by the bloody things 😡

Persuade the cats to chase the peacocks?

I think you need a pet Tiger, then the peacocks and the cats will stay away? 🤔

I’m not sure what to suggest, my can loves pooping in my veg patch, I’m forever chasing him away from it. This year I’m going to be netting most of my vegetables and maybe build a netted frame for my smaller raised beds. Last year I used plastic forks to keep him off but I hated the look of 500 forks stuck out the ground.

Peacocks are so disruptive and cause so so much damage, to cars, roofs etc. I don’t envy you. My daughters school was next door to a very well known celebrities home, and his peacocks were always getting into the school grounds and reeking absolute havoc and more damage than you can imagine,

Honestly I’m not sure there’s much that can be done.

This is a brilliant thread.

Peacocks are shites.

The worst thing about peacocks and gardening (nope, I have never typed nor said those words before!) is that during nesting season they like to make their nest in nice fresh, loose soil. And they might make a few nests before they make one that's right.

So your veg bed might be kicked about and sat in, repeatedly.

Agree with trying to make simple covers for your beds!

I think the only that could work would be a net enclosure such as you might have a raspberry patch in. I have chickens and their poop is bad enough a peacock is much bigger! They will also get over a high obstacle no bother which my chickens wouldn't so I just don't see how anything less than long pole fence with net mesh to prevent access is going to work. Sadly that doesn't really fit your criteria of low budget unless you can find someone willing to give away unwanted materials.
There are only two choices, restrict the animals themselves (anyone owning 60 peacocks is never going to do that) or prevent their access which for a large athletic flying animal means full enclosure.
You're stuck between a rock and a hard place

Adding waffle about my chickens was meant to indicate empathy for your situation, hasty typing 😆

@TheSpottedZebra for some reason it's not a very common problem! Trying to find info on the internet about deterring them is very difficult because most info is about feeding and looking after them.

@idontlikealdi they really are a pain in the arse aren't they? They're pretty, but you rapidly lose interest in that when you're repeatedly treading in their shit and chasing them away from your stuff. Honestly I don't know how she's gotten away with having so many, I'm sure it's some sort of health hazard at this point but there's absolutely nothing I can do to move at this moment in time.

I'll post a picture of what I'm thinking of when I've drawn it 😂

@RealisticSketch no it's fine I appreciate the insight 😊

Yes there is absolutely no way she is going to restrict their movements in any way. Other people on the site have been complaining for years but she likes them. At this point I doubt she would even be able to house then humanely as there are so many of them. It's annoying that I'm having to think of a solution to this when they aren't even my animals but that's the price I pay for a cheap place to live 😆

I don't mind spending out a little bit but every bit I spend has to be worth it because I can't afford to throw money away on solutions that don't work. Hence why I'm happy to build my own solutions that cost very little, then I'm not losing much 😁 I do have access to lots of brambles I can use!

Sounds as though you need a recipe for roast peacock!

We used to have peacocks roaming about our school... bloody noisy and used to poo everywhere!!

Have no idea how to get rid of them though sorry!

Search Pinterest for 'diy cat fence' and see if you can make any of those solutions work.

Could you buy cheap polytunnels or greenhouses for your veg? Or cold frames made from old windows?

Legally, if you have livestock it is your responsibility to prevent them from roaming off your land, not your neighbours job to keep them out. I am not sure if peacocks would be classed as livestock, but maybe, as they aren't domestic as such. 🤔 I don't doubt the owner would not wish to completely contain her peacocks since she had so many (and she is ignoring the current avian flu requirements which apply to poultry ... Is a peacock fowl anyone? 🤔😆) And as she is your landlord I don't suppose you would want to threaten to force her to obey her legal responsibilities... But depending what she is like... Could she contribute to the purchase of a frame and netting? After all she is the cause of the problem and it's in her interest for the garden to be looked after... Worth a chat to go halves? You might be able to get one that's a decent size then that you could stand up in and big enough for a decent area

@AintOverUntilTheCatLadySings essentially that's what I plan to do so I want to build nets/poly tunnels over the beds to keep the peacocks off them. I'm more than happy to use reclaimed/recycled materials 😁

@RealisticSketch it's a bit complicated because the landlady owns the whole plot of land (it's a farm), and several fields surrounding it so technically the peacocks aren't roaming onto neighbouring properties, only into places on her own property. There's also free range chickens, guinea fowl, all sorts of birds but by far the peacocks are the most destructive. None are contained AFAIK.

She's a nice enough landlady but she's quite elderly and I suspect having trouble keeping up with everything.

I'm going to be honest and say ' what a wonderful problem to have' alas I feel your pain when it comes to protecting your garden and crops.
I echo others' suggestions regarding a sonic deterrent for cats but they are limited in their effectiveness. Criss crossing your soil with thorny stems, until your crops have grown somewhat, might help.
As to unwanted birds, the old adage of dangling CDs might help but it's a bit unsightly.
As PP mentioned, they should be contained , due to avian flu so you might need to google this further or check on UK.gov for the current rules.
Peacocks shouldn't really be allowed to roam into others' domestic gardens.
Is your landlady's property big enough to sustain such a large population of , intrinsically, wild fowl?
Maybe a chat with the environmental department of your local council would be in order.
Whilst I envy you, I don't envy you.

get lion poo from zoo? & water pistol

shouldn't the peacocks be inside/under cover at the moment due to avian flu?
maybe defra is interested?