Bold, brash, and beautiful, peacocks originate from India but can now be found all over Canada and the United States, as wild animals and on hobby farms. If you are interested in what peacocks eat in the wild or want to ensure your new peacock has access to a healthy diet, read on for more information.
What do peacocks eat? In the wild, peacocks are natural foragers and spend all day pecking through grass, nibbling on found insects and even amphibians and rodents. They will happily peck their way through flower beds and vegetable patches, so if you have peacocks, give them plenty of room to roam but also fence off your vegetable area or else they will be gone quickly.
20 to 30% of a peacock’s diet should be protein, which comes in the form of cooked eggs, dried cat food, and found insects. The remaining should be a mix of berries, vegetables, seeds, and grass.
You can save yourself time and money by feeding your peacocks’ kitchen scraps. They also need access to fresh, clean water.
What Peacocks Eat
Insects
Peacocks are foragers and love to have wide areas to forage through. If you observe peacocks, you will see them constantly pecking the ground, looking for insects.
Among their favorite insects are ants, crickets, and centipedes. Peacocks will even eat termites and locusts, which might just benefit your property in the long run.
Pet food
Pet food is made to be full of nutrients, so it stands to reason you can feed your peacocks commercial pet food. Stick to bird feed, as peacocks are birds.
Just be aware that birds feed is made of seeds and grains, and peacocks need protein and vegetables in their diet so they should not exist only on bird food.
In a pinch, you can actually feed cat food to peacocks. Cat food is a great mix of protein, carbs, and vegetables, which is what peacocks need to be healthy. Stick to dried cat food as it makes less of a mess than wet cat food.
Berries and many kinds of fruits
Want to really treat your peacock or peahen? Then be sure to include a selection of berries in their diet.
While in the wild they may gravitate to more abundant berries, such as huckleberries, in captivity they will eat raspberries and grapes.
Peacocks enjoy the sweetness of fruit, so you can try different kinds throughout the year, depending on what is in season. Just don’t overload your peacocks with fruit as the natural sugars need to be balanced by other more nutritious food.
Grain and vegetables
Considered omnivores, peacocks will eat both meat and vegetables but a large part of their diet should fall into the vegetable category.
In the wild, peacocks will forage on bushes and eat berries and seeds. They must adapt their diet in the wild according to what is available.
If fed on a farm, peacocks will have access to a varied diet year-round. Favorite vegetables include peas and beans.
Furthermore, you can give them peppers or tomatoes. While they may not eat the whole food, they will enjoy pecking them open to consume the seeds inside. Larger fruit with larger seeds, such as watermelon and cantaloupe, are also favorite foods.
As for grain, wheat is a good option, as well as green grass. You can also try types of flower petals and leafy greens such as lettuce and kale.
One benefit of housing peacocks is that you can feed them kitchen scraps. This can include overripe bananas, leftover cooked rice, and even scrambled eggs.
Amphibians and reptiles
Those who are squeamish may not want to include amphibians or reptiles in their peacock’s diet, but if you do, they will be eaten. Think smaller animals, such as frogs and newts, as well as non-poisonous snakes and lizards.
Peacocks are actually great at eating unwanted pests. They love snails and slugs and will consume them as they forage through plants and flowers.
Mice are also a good option and if you’re allergic to cats, you can try having a peacock around to keep the rodent population at bay.
When do Peacocks Eat
Peacocks will happily peck at food all day long so you should have a constant supply of food for them. Keep it balanced and focus on protein, grains, and vegetables.
Allowing your peacocks to roam around also allows them the opportunity to forage and eat as needed. This provides exercise for them and lessens the burden on you for supplying food.
You can get into a routine of feeding your peacocks twice a day, once in the morning and once at night. If you get used to saving edible kitchen scraps for them, it makes feeding that much easier.
Proper Peacock Diet and Nutritional Needs
Breaking it down, be sure that your peacock’s diet is 20 to 30 percent protein. This can include foraged bugs and rodents, pet food, and scrambled eggs.
The remaining part of their diet should be a mix of grass, fruits, vegetables, seeds, and legumes.
During the winter, peacocks need extra protein, so you can supplement with either dried cat food or a special peacock food.
Finally, don’t forget about the water. There should always be fresh, clean water available for your peacocks. In the summer, provide extra containers and in the winter make sure the water isn’t frozen.
What are peacocks’ favorite foods?
Peacocks will eat a lot of food which makes it fairly easy for you. You can give them kitchen scraps and allow them to forage on the property, and they will be happy.
However, there are a few foods that peacocks really love. Sweet fruit, such as berries are a real treat. They also love corn and wheat. As for insects, a fat slug may seem gross to us, but a real delicacy for peacocks.
Conclusion
Peafowl, which includes male peacocks and female peahens, love to eat a variety of food. They can forage on their own but also should have access to protein, grains, and vegetables for a complete and healthy diet.
Related Article: