Feeding Peafowl
 

Peacocks/ peafowl are omnivores, which means they will eat almost anything both meat and vegetation!

In the wild peacocks eat fruit, berries, grains, small mammals, reptiles, small snakes and insects. They like ants, millipedes, crickets, worms, centipedes, etc, Peacocks will also eat seeds, grasses, plants, flower petals and berries as part of their diet.
 

Feeding peafowl for optimum health

In captivity peafowl are usually fed a supplemented feed,  Peacocks also eat cat food, cheese, nuts, cooked eggs, cooked rice, grains and kitchen scraps. It is important to feed peafowl a high protein diet to maintain optimum health.
Do not feed your peacocks basic poultry layers pellets or mixed corn. These feeds will not provide enough protein for the peafowl to live and reproduce healthily.

In the UK free range peafowl should be feed a supplementary diet although they will survive foraging for food. If left to fend for themselves the peafowls' health will not be in peak condition.
If this is the case the peafowl may struggle to reproduce effectively.
A sign of poor nutrition in peafowl is mature peahens not laying eggs during the peafowl breeding season. Other signs include poor fertility of the peafowl eggs or a poor hatch rate for fertile peafowl eggs.
 

The male peafowls tail is a strong outward signal of health and the better the peafowls' health the more tail feathers they will have.
 

Feeding peafowl game food for optimum health

We feed our peafowl on a Game or Holder pellet feed from a specialist bird feed provider  or you can obtain this from country stores around the UK which will stock Game food for feeding peafowl.
 

The game feed will change throughout the peafowl breeding season:

We use Game Feed during the winter months

Then in February we feed a Game Breeder mix, which has a higher protein level to ensure the peafowl are in the best health, we continue this until the last peacock has dropped his tail feathers, then return to the General Game or holder pellet feed.

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If your feed supplier does not stock game food, feed your peafowl on turkey and duck food.
 

Peacocks will happily eat a variety of vegetables. They particularly enjoy leafy greens, fruits, and even some cooked vegetables. A good mix for peacocks includes carrots, apples, peas, bananas, and various leafy greens. They will also forage for insects and other invertebrates when given the opportunity. 

Here's a more detailed look at what they enjoy:

• Leafy greens:

  Lettuce, peas, broccoli, and cabbage plants (especially when small) are all good options. 

• Fruits:

  Apples, bananas, and other fruits that may be nearing the end of their shelf life are also enjoyed. 

• Vegetables:

  Carrots and other vegetables that are typically given as scraps or that you might have leftover from your meals can be given to them. 

• Other:

  Some peafowl keepers also offer them cat food, cheese, nuts, scrambled eggs, cooked rice, grains, and even corn silage in moderation. 

Important Considerations:

• Variety:

  Peacocks need a varied diet, so try to offer a range of different vegetables to keep them interested and ensure they are getting the nutrients they need. 

• Protein:

  It's important to include a high-protein source in their diet, such as insects, mealworms, or even a high-protein bird feed. 

• Insects:

  Peacocks will naturally forage for insects, and these can be a great addition to their diet.

• Moderation:

  While peacocks are happy to eat a variety of foods, it's important to offer them in moderation and to avoid giving them foods that could be harmful to them, like bread.