Feeding Peafowl

[deerman]

I let mine eat what they want and I get several clutches of healthy chicks each year, so I think what works for one person might not always work for another.

nathhowe , i agree different strokes for different folks, same with areas also when gather and incubating eggs.

my point was for the max egg and chick production, what works best for most. Know thats not what everyone is after.....just like chicken egg production feed them junk feed (treats and candy) egg production drops off

heck im sure even free range peafowl on a farm feed nothing could raise a few chicks

 

[deerman]

Peafowl . yes a fact almost any animal live longer in captivity..


Range: Southern Asia
Habitat: Forests and Woods
Conservation Status: Locally Common
Scientific Name: Pavo cristatus

Size: Length about 3 feet for the female and 6-7 feet for the male.
Range: India and Sri Lanka
Habitat: Dense tropical forest.
Wild Diet: Seeds, grain, shoots, flowers, fruit, insects, and other small invertebrates.
Zoo Diet: Poultry feed, corn, and dry dog food.
Life Span: To 20 years or more in captivity

my search and paste

edited by staff

 

[MinxFox]

I think that given the right owner and care, captive peafowl can live longer lives than their wild relatives. In the wild peafowl might be weary but they will not always escape danger as they do have predators, like one of the mightiest predators of them all, the tiger.

Here is a video showing a tiger stalking and killing a peacock.
http://www.arkive.org/indian-peafowl/pavo-cristatus/video-16d.html#text=Threats

In captivity peafowl are more protected from predators and because they have us to watch them they can be treated if they become sick.

Sure peafowl might be getting all the nutrition they need in the wild but that doesn't mean they are living longer lives exactly because other factors come into play. Wild animals will always be more beautiful looking than captive ones that is just how it goes. You can work hard to feed a captive peafowl a diet that you "think" they might be getting in the wild but unless you have it in a huge self sustaining aviary in India you may never get the same exact effects.

Most peafowl breeders care about their birds, but like Deerman has said we all have our own way of feeding and caring for our birds. It all depends on what kind of feed you have available and how much you can spend on feed, etc.

Anyways this is a topic about the feeding of peafowl from Deerman's great experiance and I don't think we really need to get in a whole debate about wild peafowl and how long they live and all this other stuff that will just get off topic when really this is deerman's topic to help give information to new peafowl owners or peafowl owners who want to feed a new way, etc.

 

[User105877]

I'm new to peafowl, so I've been trying to take in as much as possible. Currently have five. Been giving them 24% protein feed, intend on switching to 30 after my current bags run out. Give them fresh produce every other day or so, banana, apple, lettuce, grapes, etc. Cleaned some rabbits the other day, gave them the hearts out of them and they loved them, I know they are omnivores, so try to give them a variety.

 

[6littlechickies]

I'm new to peafowl, so I've been trying to take in as much as possible. Currently have five. Been giving them 24% protein feed, intend on switching to 30 after my current bags run out. Give them fresh produce every other day or so, banana, apple, lettuce, grapes, etc. Cleaned some rabbits the other day, gave them the hearts out of them and they loved them, I know they are omnivores, so try to give them a variety.

With the diet you are giving them, no need to add additional protein by moving to 30%. Sounds like a good varied diet already. Captive peafowl have to watch overall protein intake because they don't burn it off like wild birds do while foraging.

 

[destinduck]

Hey deerman What brand food are you feeding your pea's for breeding? Also Alea what brand do you feed for breeding season? BTW This is the year I get some Java babies to raise. Im excited to finally raise some peafowl on my own.

 

[FrankYLegend]

I think that given the right owner and care, captive peafowl can live longer lives than their wild relatives. In the wild peafowl might be weary but they will not always escape danger as they do have predators, like one of the mightiest predators of them all, the tiger.

Here is a video showing a tiger stalking and killing a peacock.
http://www.arkive.org/indian-peafowl/pavo-cristatus/video-16d.html#text=Threats

In captivity peafowl are more protected from predators and because they have us to watch them they can be treated if they become sick.

Sure peafowl might be getting all the nutrition they need in the wild but that doesn't mean they are living longer lives exactly because other factors come into play. Wild animals will always be more beautiful looking than captive ones that is just how it goes. You can work hard to feed a captive peafowl a diet that you "think" they might be getting in the wild but unless you have it in a huge self sustaining aviary in India you may never get the same exact effects.

Most peafowl breeders care about their birds, but like Deerman has said we all have our own way of feeding and caring for our birds. It all depends on what kind of feed you have available and how much you can spend on feed, etc.

Anyways this is a topic about the feeding of peafowl from Deerman's great experiance and I don't think we really need to get in a whole debate about wild peafowl and how long they live and all this other stuff that will just get off topic when really this is deerman's topic to help give information to new peafowl owners or peafowl owners who want to feed a new way, etc.

The video is staged and misleading. The dead bird is a juvenile probably already dead or injured used to lure the tiger in. There is absolutely no evidence that a Peacock's train hampers its natural escape plans. Indeed, when closed the train is used as camouflage in the forests and he opens them up as a way of backing off predators, not unlike the display of a sunbittern. It makes no sense that males would display towards ANYTHING with the "desire" to mate with them.

As peafowl are being bred in captivity their phenotypes are changing. Wild birds are skinny but when you domesticate them they'll go to the extent that they can't fly well anymore and become all chubby-looking, which is where the myth that "peacocks can't fly for long distances" comes from. In the wild Peafowl are very good fliers.

 

[Yoda]

The pea that the tiger killed seemed to have lost it's train completely when the tiger threw it a few feet. I agree the bird in the tiger's mouth is not the adult peacock pictured first. Like Frank states above it was a young one already dead to get the tiger to come in.

 

[FrenchToast]

I too would like to know what brands and types of feed are best for Peafowl !!

 

[bdfive]

I noticed Deerman, nor many others shared what feed they are giving their peafowl. I believe those of you that breed to sell and have numerous birds get feed mills to mix special feed. Those of us with only a few have no choice but what's available on the market. I had one breeder tell me he has a special feed formulated and gave me enough information I was able to call the mill. I figured I could talk them into selling me the same. They told me that particular person is purchasing plain layer pellets. Soooooooooo my question is how can layer pellets be good for male, female and growing peafowl year round? I've had other breeders tell me they feed layer pellets. Aren't they about the least expensive feed available?

Presently I'm feeding Nutrena Gamebird supplemented with UltraKibble. They get veggies, fruit ..... tomorrow each pen will get a whole cantaloupe cut in half. I read treats aren't good for them during breeding season but since there is no "Breeder Ration" feed available in my area I figure what the heck. It's fun selling the chicks but that's not my reason for having these wonderful birds. Besides it's difficult to find good homes for them anyway. I have someone emailing me now wanting emerald spaldings but won't answer my questions about their reason for purchasing them and what the living conditions would be. I spend a lot of time with my chicks and when I've raised them they are pets........extremely socialable, friendly and each with it's own personality. I'll only turn them over if circumstances are right. Do many of you feel this way or am I just crazy, LOL!!!