As long as you feed them correctly and raise them properly, raising peacocks is simple. There may be occasions when you feel inclined to offer your peacocks less expensive food, such as chicken feed.
Can peacocks eat chicken feed?
It is not advised to feed peacocks chicken feed since it does not contain enough protein and is not dangerous for them to consume. In rare instances, you should give your peacocks chicken feed.
When is it proper to feed chicken feed to peacocks? What amount of protein does a peacock need?
Can Peacocks Eat Chicken Feed?
You may indeed offer a variety of things to your peacocks. Similar to chickens, peacocks are omnivorous birds that can consume nearly any food that chickens can. You’ll see that peacocks are resilient birds that do not become ill easily from their diet if you look past their aesthetic appeal.
This is not to say that you should give your peacocks any old food. The first thing you should consider while feeding your peacocks is their nutritional needs, particularly in terms of protein, whether they are being raised as pets or as farm birds.
What are the needs of this bird and why should you take into account the protein requirements of peacocks?
Peacocks’ Protein Requirements
Peacocks need between 25% and 30% crude protein in their diet, depending on their age. Baby peacocks need at least 30% of their food to come from crude proteins to grow healthily and quickly.
Like your fingernails and toenails, keratin is a protein that makes up the gorgeous feathers of peacocks and other birds.
The reason peacocks require more protein than other birds is that they require it to grow their gorgeous, long feathers in addition to the growth and development of essential bodily organs. This implies that your peacock may grow more slowly or its feathers may not be as vivid if its food is deficient in proteins.
Nowadays, farmers who rear hens typically utilize formulated feed for their birds because they think it contains a lot of protein. This may not apply to peacocks, but it does apply to hens since chicken feed has sufficient protein for them.
Chicken Feed Protein Composition
Provided you purchase feed that is appropriate for your bird’s age, chicken formula contains enough amounts of protein for a chicken. The following table presents the protein content of several chicken feed varieties categorized by the age of the bird:
Here’s the information organized into a table format:
| Age of Chicken | Type of Feed | Protein Composition |
|---|---|---|
| 0-4 weeks | Starter feed | 20%-23% |
| 4-8 weeks | Grower feed | 19%-20% |
| > 8 weeks | Finisher feed | 15%-18% |
| > 12 weeks (pullets) | Developer feed | 15%-16% |
As you can see, peacocks require more protein than is found in chicken formula feed. If peacocks just consume chicken feed, they will either have stunted development or a protein shortage, even if your hens would grow fast on this diet.
Let’s now properly address some of the reasons why you shouldn’t routinely feed chicken feed to your peacocks.
Reasons Why Peacocks Shouldn’t Often Consume Chicken Feed
- Protein: While chickens only require 15%–23% of their food to be crude proteins, peacocks require 25%–30% or higher. As you can see, while taking into account the protein requirements of peacocks and the protein composition of chicken feed, you should not give your peacocks chicken feed.
- Other Nutrients: The prepared chicken feed contains just the necessary amounts of vitamins, minerals, and carbs for chickens, not peacocks, aside from proteins. Peacock feed that has been specially formulated has just the proper number of nutrients.
- Medication: A few prepared meals could include medication. Peacocks shouldn’t consume medicated chicken feed.
These days, there are sufficient justifications to keep your peacocks from consuming chicken feed. However, what would happen if you had to give your peacocks chicken feed?
Occasions When Peacocks Can Eat Chicken Feed
There are a few uncommon situations in which you can give chicken feed to your peacocks:
- When peacock feed runs out: You can feed your peacocks chicken feed till you replenish the peacock feed if your peacocks are hungry. But don’t hesitate—buy more quickly.
- As a treat: Peacocks and other birds could be enticed to consume the meal when they observe the way chickens sprint towards them at feeding time. As long as you don’t give them too much, it’s okay to pamper your peacocks with chicken feed.
- When they are completely grown: You may feed your fully grown peacock the same feed that is used for young chickens. Nevertheless, purchasing peacock meal is still recommended.
- When the feed is unformulated: Chickens and peacocks share the same unformulated food. When contemplating formulated feed is the only time you need to be concerned about feeding your peacock chicken feed. Peacocks and hens may share a vast array of feed varieties.
What food should you feed your peacocks instead of chicken feed?
What Can Peacocks Eat?
The following meals are suggested for your peacocks:
Formulated Peacock Feed
For your peacocks, “formulated feed” refers to pellets high in nutrients. Peacock pellets are available in pet stores and feed mills. Ensure that the amount of nutrients in your peacock-formulated feed matches what your birds require. Crude protein should make up at least 25% of it.
Peacocks thrive on formulated feed; you don’t need to offer them any other diet unless you choose to.
There are different kinds of feed you may try if you wish to give your peacock a more varied diet. Keep in mind that the following feed kinds are appropriate for both hens and peacocks.
Grains and Seeds
The next best food for your peacocks after formulated feed is grains and seeds. Barley, wheat, millet, and maize (corn) are some examples of grains that your peacocks can eat; papaya, sunflower, and pumpkin seeds are some other seeds that your peacocks can eat.
Since peacocks adore grains, you want to give them as treats; however, avoid giving them too many grains because grains are higher in carbohydrates than in proteins.
Additionally, you can use grains and seeds to teach your peacocks to return to their coop or home in the evening.
Vegetables and Fruits
Peacocks adore fruits and veggies. Fruits and vegetables are delightful to your peacocks and provide them with a wealth of nutrients.
Vegetables that peacocks can ingest include:
- Lettuce
- Spinach
- Beet
- Celery
- Asparagus
- Cabbage
- Broccoli
Examples of fruits peacocks can eat :
- Banana
- Eggplant
- Watermelon
- Tomatoes
- Grape
- Guava
- Cucumber
Fruits and vegetables may be rich in vitamins and minerals, but they often contain relatively little protein. Fruits are highly heavy in sugar or carbohydrates.
This implies that while fruits and vegetables are good for your peacocks, it’s better to feed them as treats only, rather than as their primary source of nutrition.
Insects and Other Creatures, including Larvae
Would you like to offer your peacocks some goodies that they won’t resist? Give them insects or the larvae of insects.
Despite being omnivores, peacocks have a preference for live food, including lizards, spiders, and insects. For the birds, these little creatures are also a great source of nutrition.
Live feed for your peacocks is readily available at feed mills and pet stores.
You should think about growing the live stream yourself if you have the time and would want to save some money. Mealworms and housefly larvae are two examples of insect larvae that are simple to raise.
Grain Fermentation
If you enjoy giving your peacocks grains daily, you should think about making the grains healthier. Compared to ordinary grains, fermented grains offer more protein and include certain beneficial bacteria that might strengthen your peacock’s immune.
Rinse your favorite grains and soak them in clean water to produce fermented grains. Rinse the grains once again after draining the water for two to three days.
To prevent contamination, feed your peacocks the fermented grains right away, but don’t leave them out for too long.
What Should Peacocks Not Eat?
The following are some foods that peacocks shouldn’t eat:
- Toxic seeds: You want to keep your peacocks away from eating the pits of avocados, cherries, and apples as they are harmful to ingest. Remove the seeds before you offer your peacocks the fruit.
- Formulated feed intended for other animals: Although safe, these feeds might not provide enough protein for your peacocks.
- Sugar-rich foods: These can make your peacocks obese, and eating too much sugar might result in other health issues.
- Raw meat: Giving your birds raw meat is not advised. In birds, eating raw meat may promote cannibalism
Conclusion
While chicken feed is high in nutrients for chickens, it is low in proteins for peacocks. Feed only specially prepared peacock feed or other natural feeds to your peacocks. Peacocks shouldn’t be fed chicken feed daily.