Martha Stewart is mourning the loss of six of her beloved peacocks.
Stewart shared the sad news on Instagram Saturday, July 23, posting a video of one of her peacocks with their tailfeathers spread in the air as they moved around the yard of her farm in Bedford, New York.
In the caption she shared that several of her peacocks, including the one in the video, were attacked and killed by coyotes recently.
“RIP beautiful BlueBoy. The coyotes came in broad daylight and devoured him and five others including the magnificent White Boy,” she wrote, before asking for advice on how to avoid more attacks in the future.
Stewart asked her fans, “Any solutions for getting rid of six large and aggressive coyotes who have expensive tastes when it comes to poultry?? we are no longer allowing the peafowl out of their yard, we are enclosing the top of their large yard with wire fencing etc.”
To accompany the clip, Stewart picked the song "Let's Get It On" by Marvin Gaye.
In November 2021, Stewart shared on Instagram that her peacocks and peahens were finally “liberated” and were able to roam the farm during the day outside of their enclosure.
“Having been confined for two years in a half acre enclosure I decided to grant them daylight freedom- aka the run of the farm !” she wrote, sharing a series of photos of the birds around her property. “Until they have to return at twilight to their secure Palais for the night when the wild predators make the rounds of the chicken coops , pigeon house and geese yard The peacocks are so friendly and sociable and clean they are welcome everywhere. And they are beautiful.”
Three days later, Stewart shared an update video on how her peacocks were enjoying their new freedom. On Instagram, she posted a video of some of the birds roaming the yard and jumping up to pick crabapples off of the trees.
“The newly liberated and seemingly so much happier and social peacocks and hens are foraging everywhere for everything,” she wrote in part.
Stewart explained in an Instagram post last December that the peacocks have “a special timing” when it comes to their ability to roam around on the farm.
“The dogs are allowed out from 7 in the morning until noon,” she explained. “At noon, they are brought back inside and the peacocks are liberated from their yard, which is quite a ways down the farm…They wander all the way up here to see what’s going to be given to them.”
The 80-year-old entertaining expert has not only documented life with her hoard of peacocks, but has historically defended them, too.
In May 2021 on Twitter, she slammed false reports after the incorrect number of peacocks she had on her farm was shared in an article in the New York Post, which has since been corrected.
“The nypost again ‘fake news,’” she wrote. “They have a story on peacocks today and say I have sixteen on my farm I actually have 21 of these glorious birds whose house is impeccable.”
She continued, adding, “They do not smell. They are so clean! Their voices are loud but such fun to hear. They are so friendly.”