What Do Peachicks Eat?

Peachicks are baby peacocks. Until the bird reaches the age of one year, he is referred to as a peachick. The adult male is a peacock, and the adult female is a peahen. They are not born instinctively knowing how to eat, as are ducklings and baby chickens, so the older chicks teach them how. Peafowl are in the pheasant family, so they should be fed with this in mind, rather than feeding them as you would feed a chicken.

  1. Starter Feed

    • Peachicks are given a medicated, crumbled chicken start feed. They are also given water. The medicated starter feed is fed to the peachick the first six months of his life. At that point, he is switched to game bird grower food. He eats that until he is 12 months old. After that, the bird is given maintenance feed until he reaches breeding age, according to Hopkinslivestock.com.

      According to Bill McGill of Peafowlaureus.com, those who raise peacocks often differ in their approach to feeding peachicks. He notes that it is imperative that the peachicks have a fresh supply of clean water at all times. He initially uses a turkey starter to feed the peachicks, because he likes the high protein content. He also boils chicken eggs and feeds them to the peachicks during the first few days of life.

    Teacher Chicks

    • Baby pheasants and baby chickens can serve as "teacher chicks," showing the peachick how to eat. Ideally, chicks that are newborn are put in small groups with other chicks so they can observe and learn how to drink and eat. If there is no "teacher chick" available to teach the peachick how to eat a human can do so. Put a shiny marble in the bird feed and in the water container, which the chick will pick at. While picking at the marble, it will figure out how to eat and drink, advises Noahhunt.org.

    The Grown-Up Diet

    • When a peachick grows up, he will eat rabbit pellets, sunflower seeds, dog food, shelled corner, oats, trout chow, dandelions, insects and grass. Those peacocks that are breeders are given a game bird layer feed when in the breeding season. Prior to and after the breeding season, they are given game bird maintenance feed. To provide extra protein and a treat for the peacocks, dry dog food is mixed in with these foods. During the winter, the peacocks are given shelled corn, along with their maintenance feed, because it provides an additional source of calories for them, which helps them maintain their body temperature and keep warm.

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    Lifespan

    • Peacocks can live to be 40 or 50 years of age.