Have you ever been to a zoo, seen a peacock, and thought you would love to have one? Here we’ll break down what makes these birds to special and what they are good for.
What are peacocks good for? Peacocks are amazing birds and this goes past just their beauty. While they are a sight to behold, there are also practical reasons why you would want a peacock. They happily munch on insects, mice, and even snakes, so they make for great pest control. Every year, their feathers molt so you have an easy, humane way of gathering their feathers. Finally, you can even decide if you want to breed peacocks or sell their eggs or meat. Whether you want a peacock for a practical reason or just want to be reminded of its beauty, there are many reasons why this bird is a great addition to your farm.
What is the purpose of peacocks?
Peacocks serve a number of purposes, both artificial and practical. These are gorgeous birds, and you can find numerous breeds such as white peacocks and cameo peacocks to add to your menagerie.
You can also use peacocks for more practical reasons. You can breed peacocks and peachicks can be sold for a decent amount.
If you don’t want to breed the birds, you can instead use the eggs from peahens and either sell them or eat them yourself. While you don’t get many eggs per year, they are large, taste good, and can be sold for a good price.
Finally, there are some people who love to eat exotic meat. In Canada and the United States, it is legal to eat Indian peafowl.
Are peacocks good to have around?
Overall, peacocks are good to have around, as long as you are aware of their faults. Peacocks can be quite noisy, especially during their mating season, which lasts from early spring to late summer.
Peacocks can also be noisy at dawn and dusk, which may prove problematic if you are a light sleeper.
Furthermore, peacocks need a large habitat. While they can be left to roam freely, they will easily get into vegetable patches and may even fly away.
Reasons to Have Peacocks Around
Pest control
Although you will have to feed a peacock a nutritious diet, these birds love to forage for their own food. They will happily peck at the ground, and insects prove to be a tasty treat.
In the summer, peacocks will happily snack on grasshoppers and other bugs, which means fewer insects getting into your vegetable garden.
Peacocks will also go for the larger fare. Small mice and even snakes better beware around peacocks.
So, if you love the outdoors but would prefer it to be full of fewer creepy crawlies, peacocks can help you with this endeavor.
Feather gathering
One of the defining attributes of a male peacock is its beautiful tail feathers. While female peahens have tails, they are short with only brown feathers.
Peacocks have long tail feathers that can reach 5 feet in length. They are a lovely blue color and have iridescent green eyespots.
If you’ve always coveted these gorgeous feathers, then it’s a good idea to have a peacock on your farm. Every year, peacocks naturally molt these feathers which means you can easily gather them up without worrying about hurting the birds.
You can then use the feathers for all manner of decorative purposes. You can add them to flower arrangements, place them on your wall, or even go old-school and make a quill out of one.
Life-long companion
There are some people who become so attached to their pets they think of them as family members. It is hard, then, to lose a pet after just a few years.
Peacocks in captivity can live up to 20 years. While this is not as long as a parrot, it is longer than the average lifespan of a cat or a dog.
When you raise a peacock from when it is a chick, it will become used to you. It won’t be as aggressive and will feel a measure of protection around you.
While you can’t invite a peacock into your home, due to their size and the mess they make, over time you can definitely view this unique bird as a sort of pet.
20 years is a long time to get to know an animal. You will become familiar with its temperament and its likes and dislikes.
Immense beauty
Sometimes we want animals because they serve a purpose but this doesn’t always have to be the case. Sometimes, we can have something just because it makes us happy.
Nature is truly beautiful and as we go about our busy lives, we can forget just what exists around us. Between work and chores and children, we can too easily forget how amazing the world is.
If you need a connection to nature, or just happen to think that peacocks are amazing animals, there is no shame in this being the reason for getting a peacock. In fact, one of the benefits of being an adult is you can make your own choices.
So, if you are thinking about getting a peacock because you’ve always wanted one, don’t let that reason stop you. Instead, embrace it without shame.
As long as you have the space to care for a peacock, are aware of the noise it can make and are able to care for it for the next 20 years of its life, then, by all means, go ahead.
What is so special about a peacock?
To put it plainly, peacocks look like no other animal. There has always been a fascination with these birds because of their large tail feathers and iridescent coloring.
Having a peacock on your homestead is exciting both for you and your guests.
Conclusion
If you are considering adding a peacock to your farm, there are many benefits to these birds. They are great at pest control and annually molt, so you always have a fresh supply of their amazing feathers.
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