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What Do Peacocks Eat? : The Food Differences Between Peacocks Living In Native Habitat And Peacocks In Captivity
What do peacocks eat? – peacock bird are omnivorous birds that feed on a variety of foods. They are not very selective as they will make a meal out of many types of food start from the plants until animals.
What Do Peacocks Eat?
Peacocks are opportunistic eaters that can eat everything they found. And the peacock diet is varied. Peacock normally forage for seeds, plants, flowers, grasses, and grains.
Moreover, they tend to eat insects and animals as well as vegetation since they have high protein dietary requirements.
The favorite food of peacock can be said everything which is on their food list, especially food they find on the ground. They spend a lot of time on the ground during the day.
They have very good eyesight and hearing. To find small reptiles, small animals, small fish or insects, they use their superb senses of sight and hearing.
Naturally, in their native habitat, peacocks consume an omnivorous diet composed of both animals, insects and vegetation. When raised in captivity, the domestic peacock are often feed a commercial bird and poultry feed.
Many poultry hobbyists who keep peafowl in their backyard usually feed them with grain such as oats or corns. For optimum health, feeding upon natural material should also be given while foraging and free ranging.
What do peacock eat? Let’s find the details below!
1. Insect
This is one of favorite food of peacock. They like eating insects such as ants, flying insects, grubs, or even any other bug.
2. Amphibians and reptiles
Lizard and frogs have high protein content for peacocks. snails and slugs are also favorite meal as well.
3. Grain and vegetables
The other food sources for peacocks are corn, wheat, and other grains. Beans, peas, tomatoes, bell peppers, or fruits apart to get to the seeds inside are eaten.
4. Berries and many kind of fruits
Peacock enjoy both fresh or ripe fruits. When they are enjoying ripe fruits, they will love to find the insects that congregate around it. blackberries, raspberries, and grapes are their favorite ones.
5. Pet food
In captivity, people usually feed the peacocks a supplemental diet of pet food or livestock feed. Concentrated grains are more recommended. Pet foods such as cat or dog food are not recommended as the only diet for peacocks, but should be used in conjunction with fresh or dried fruits, vegetables, and grains.
What Do Baby Peacocks Eat?
Baby peacocks (called peachicks) will like to follow what their parents do. Their parents will teach them to hunt or forage for food. So, it is similar with the discussion above, what they eat depends on some factors including the habitat, behavior, anatomy, etc.
If you keep peafowl from young chicks, you can feed them with the peachicks starter feed that is un-medicated. The starter feed should have a protein percentage of approximately 30%.
Then, from 6 weeks of age forward, you can reduce the protein percentages to 19-20%. Once they reach a mature age, you may transition the peafowl to standard peafowl feed.
Peacock Behavior
Peacock is a very attractive bird with spectacular shiny feathers. The term ‘peacock‘ actually refers to the male bird of peafowl while the female peacock is called peahen.
There are thre peafowl species in the world. First, the Indian peacock which is native to India and Sri Lanka. Second, green peacock from Southeast Asia. And the last, is Congo peacock from Africa.
Peacock ideal habitat is actually in the forest, exactly in an open tropical seasonal forest with trees for roosting. Besides, they usually settle near all-season water sources like rivers.
However, for some species of peacock can be kept or raised as exotic pets. You can easily some of them in the zoos or captivities.
When it comes to the food requirements, the wild and the domesticated peacock probably have some differences. The peacock food depends on the various factors such as the anatomy and habitat.
As an illustration, peacock in forests will like to settle near sufficient water sources and trees for roosting. They are also often found perched on tree branches. Almost all day long they spend only for walking, feeding, and resting.
Do Peacocks Eat Snakes?
Peacocks are also known to prey on venomous snakes. In India, people usually call this bird as Mayura which means ‘the killer of snakes’. But again, what do peacocks eat depend on some factors. For example the habitat, the behavior, the anatomy, etc.
Peacocks that live in their native habitat, in the forest for example, will probably consume snakes. Their habitat is supportive for them to prey snakes. Then, eating snakes finally becomes their habit.
But it will be different for domestic peacocks that are used to being fed with poultry feed. They will like to eat what they are usually eat. However, if that peacocks are used to being fed with snakes, then it will also become habit. But so far we never find such bird hobbyists who provide snakes for them.
Well, regardless of what you are giving to peacock, don’t forget to should always provide lots of clean and fresh water. It is seriously important for peacock to drink water many times during the day, especially after feeding and before roosting on three branches.
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