Peafowl Nutrition 101

[Hens and Roos]

So, how'd they like the chick Peas? Inquiring minds want to know !!! I'm going to subscribe to this thread. I have 7 peafowl and love learning how to feed them better and Cheaper !! lol

they ate them, mine don't leave much if any in the bowl when it comes to fruit, greens and such

 

[bdfive]

Wow, this is the first time I've read from this thread and have my grocery list ready. I'll be using the last of the frozen Dragon Salad I made a while back. Frog legs in a can......they really have them available in the store? I'll see. Not sure about the chickpeas....are they bought in produce dept? Haven't tried the frozen celery... so anxious to do so. I've been giving mine bananas but not old ones....easily corrected. I use my Vita-mix 5200 all the time to mince veggies/fruit for the peas. It's quick and easy. Will be finding my ice cube trays.......what a great idea!! Resolution, do I mince the shrimp shells right along with the rest? I'm assuming tails too?

Yuck......tried farming meal worms, now you want me to grow tadpoles, LOL!!!! I think I'll pass, haha!!!

It is so great you are sharing your expertise with us. Thanks Resolution!!!

 

[Hens and Roos]

Wow, this is the first time I've read from this thread and have my grocery list ready. I'll be using the last of the frozen Dragon Salad I made a while back. Frog legs in a can......they really have them available in the store? I'll see. Not sure about the chickpeas....are they bought in produce dept? Haven't tried the frozen celery... so anxious to do so. I've been giving mine bananas but not old ones....easily corrected. I use my Vita-mix 5200 all the time to mince veggies/fruit for the peas. It's quick and easy. Will be finding my ice cube trays.......what a great idea!! Resolution, do I mince the shrimp shells right along with the rest? I'm assuming tails too?

Yuck......tried farming meal worms, now you want me to grow tadpoles, LOL!!!! I think I'll pass, haha!!!

It is so great you are sharing your expertise with us. Thanks Resolution!!!

Have not looked for frog legs, got a deal on some packets of salad shrimp so some of those are added to their goody bowl. Chickpeas are also called Garbanzo beans-look and see if they are with the other dry beans at the store- that is where I found the bags I picked up. I am guessing that the shrimp shells and all can be chopped up in to smaller sized pieces.

It might take them a little bit to taste the new items but once they figure it out it's gone! Have fun!

 

[Teva]

Quick question about mating season - is there anything we should be adding to their diet for the peahen during this time? Would the layena I give my hens do anything for her as well?

side note - when I picked this pair up, they were being fed sweet cob. I immediately started them off with game feed (like I read here).....but the peahen kept running over to my neighbors (1/4 a mile away!!) and eating their food! I finally got some sweet cob for them, mix it with the game feed, and she hasn't left the property since. whew! I supplement now with some wild bird seed, walnuts, and shrimp occasionally. The shrimp is always the first to disappear.

As for frog legs, I'm in the northwest so they are very expensive at the store. Fortunately, I think they get their fill of amphibians - we have a seasonal pond that screams with frogs every night in the spring. Small frogs- the size of my thumb nail!

 

[fowlsessed]

WOW, what I've read on here has discouraged me from getting peafowl. My goal is to eventually grow all the feed I need for my birds, would this be possible with peafowl? they would be free ranging. Will they eat as much of a variety of different foodstuffs as chickens do? And supply themselves with all the different, special things they need from range?

thanks

 

[Resolution]

WOW, what I've read on here has discouraged me from getting peafowl. My goal is to eventually grow all the feed I need for my birds, would this be possible with peafowl? they would be free ranging. Will they eat as much of a variety of different foodstuffs as chickens do? And supply themselves with all the different, special things they need from range?

thanks

They'll find most of their food on the range especially if you have a stream or pond. You can always grow guppies as an optimal supplement. They're very easy to raise and reproduce via livebirth-

 

[fowlsessed]

Do you mention the stream or pond because they forage around them or because that would allow me another option for growing feed? I don't have one now but are planning on one.

thanks

 

[zazouse]

I have 3 ponds and a canel that runs across the front of my property and the peas feed on grass shrimp, crawfish,snales small fish and duck weed, they make their rounds to the ponds twice a day.

It takes years for a newly dug pond to settle and provide the various aquatic life that birds feed on.

 

[fowlsessed]

Wow, seems like peafowl are almost semi-aquatic, lol. No, we aren't going to dig a pond, looking to move soon, and the next place has to have a pond, or some other body of water.

thanks

 

[bdfive]

Fowlsessed, don't be discouraged.....get your peafowl. Many people have raised them not being precise about feeding and been totally successful. You can't go wrong if you are free ranging them....they get what they need. Mine are chowing down on Cicadas right now. I like to dropped dead when I saw a month old chick swallow one. Thought it would choke for sure but after stretching it's neck up and gulping a few times it went down. Scared me to death.