Poultry is the word for domesticated birds or other birds that are kept as pets and raised for their meat, eggs, or feathers.
Chickens, geese, ducks, and turkeys are the most common types of poultry. So, can peacocks be considered poultry as well?.
Below, I will discuss the differences between pet birds and poultry, and whether peacocks are poultry or pets.
With their elaborate plumage and regal bearing peacocks captivate bird enthusiasts around the world. But are these flashy birds actually a type of poultry like chickens and turkeys? Let’s take a closer look at how peacocks are classified and their uses as poultry.
How Are Peacocks Classified?
Peacocks belong to the biological family Phasianidae, which also includes pheasants, partridges, and grouse More specifically, peacocks fall under the taxonomic order Galliformes along with chickens, turkeys, and other heavy-bodied ground birds.
So by scientific classification, yes – peacocks are considered a type of poultry. However, they differ greatly from chickens in their physiology, behavior, and uses.
Traditional Uses of Peacocks as Poultry
Historically, peacocks were raised for their meat in certain parts of the world. Their flesh could be cooked into curries, roasted, or used for other dishes.
Peahens (female peacocks) also lay eggs, but not nearly as prolifically as chickens. A peahen may lay just 20-30 eggs per year compared to a chicken’s 200+ annual eggs.
Some cultures also used peacock feathers and train feathers for ceremonial costumes and decoration. However, mass-scale commercial farming of peacocks for meat never took off like it did for chickens, turkeys, and ducks.
Peacocks Today – Pets and Decor Rather Than Food
Nowadays, very few farms around the world raise peacocks for their meat. It has largely fallen out of favor compared to other poultry. Only some small farmers in rural India and other parts of Asia still raise peacocks for food.
Instead, peacocks are more commonly kept for decorative purposes thanks to the male’s stunning plumes. Zoo’s and bird parks showcase peacocks as an attraction. Some households also keep peacocks as unique pets. Breeders offer hand-raised peafowl for this purpose.
When it comes to egg production, a backyard chicken flock will far outperform a pet peahen. So modern peacocks no longer serve the utilitarian uses that classify most birds as poultry.
Factors That Limit Peacocks as Poultry
Several factors account for why peacocks never gained traction as mainstream poultry.
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Low meat yield: Peacocks have less overall meat on their bones compared to chickens and turkeys. Their relatively small bodies are not efficient for meat production.
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Noisy mating calls: The loud, grating calls peacocks make would be a nuisance on large poultry farms. Their screams carry for great distances!
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Territorial aggression: Male peacocks fiercely guard their territory, especially during breeding season. They do not thrive in crowded coop situations like chickens.
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Slow growth: It takes around 3-4 years for peacocks to reach full size and their ornamental plumage to fully develop. Chickens mature much more quickly.
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Limited egg production: As mentioned, peahens lay just a fraction of the eggs a chicken produces in a year. For eggs, chickens reign supreme.
The Blurred Line Between Poultry and Pet
While peacocks technically fall under the poultry umbrella, modern uses focus more on their beauty and companionability. Any small-scale food production is a bonus.
This demonstrates that poultry classification relies more on technical characteristics. How we relate to certain bird species can change over time.
In that sense, peacocks illustrate how our perceptions of birds as livestock versus pets are not always clear-cut. With their small numbers and gentle temperament, even chickens can make affectionate backyard pets too!
So while peacocks remain in the poultry family by taxonomy, their role has drifted far from the chicken coop. These exotic birds now charm us more with their plumage than their meat. Their unique place reminds us that classifications exist to guide, but uses depend on our bonds with animals. Beauty, not just food, can be worth cultivating.
Do You Need Permit to Keep Peacocks?
As long as you only keep Blue Peafowl and not Congo or Green Peafowl, you don’t need a permit to keep peacocks as pets or to breed them.
The reason? These last two species are vulnerable or endangered, and therefore, their ownership is not allowed.
The most common type of peafowl is the blue peafowl, which is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Even though you don’t need a permit to own a peacock, keep in mind that these are big birds that need a lot of room to move around.
If they’re not afforded enough space, they may try to escape by flying away.
Also, keeping them in a crowded space can raise the likelihood of diseases. Even though peacocks are generally healthy and rarely get sick, inadequate conditions can lead to various diseases.
Peacocks need a lot of space, but they also need shelter from the sun and rain during summer heat waves.
In winter, they need a warm coop to protect against the cold and the snow.
In terms of their diet, peacocks aren’t fussy, they’ll eat almost anything since they’re an omnivorous bird species.
In the wild, peacocks eat seeds, grains, small lizards, reptiles, frogs, small rodents, insects, fruits, worms, grasses, etc.
In captivity, they’re fed pheasant pellets and other game bird pellets that are high in protein. They’re also given bits of fruits and grains. Peacocks also need access to clean and fresh water.
These birds have learned to live on the ground and spend a lot of time going through trash to find food.
Can Peacocks Be Pets?
Yes, peacocks can be kept as pets. But not all species of peacocks have the temperament to be kept as pets.
You can get a Blue Peacock as a pet if you want to. It is the calmest of the three species of peacocks.
It lives in the Indian subcontinent and has bright blue feathers and long covert feathers on the top of its tail that open like a fan. These feathers are called the ‘train’ of the peacock, and they’re adorned with colorful eyespots.
The Congo peacock and the Green peacock are the other two types of peacocks. They are too wild to be pets.
Peacocks living with Chickens, Peacock Minute, peafowl.com
FAQ
What are peacock classified?
What birds count as poultry?
Is peacock related to chicken?
Is a parrot considered poultry?
What is the difference between Peacock and peafowl?
The terms “peacock” and “peafowl” are often used interchangeably, and for good reason – they describe the same species of bird that’s part of the Phasianidae family. But the term ‘ peacock ’ is used to describe the male of the species, while the term ‘peafowl’ refers to both genders of the species.
Is a peacock a hen or a male?
Strictly, the male is a peacock, and the female is a peahen; both are peafowl. The two most-recognizable species of peafowl are the blue, or Indian, peacock ( Pavo cristatus ), of India and Sri Lanka, and the green, or Javanese, peacock ( P. muticus ), found from Myanmar (Burma) to Java.
What do peacocks eat?
Peacocks are ground-feeders that eat insects, plants, and small creatures. There are two familiar peacock species. The blue peacock lives in India and Sri Lanka, while the green peacock is found in Java and Myanmar (Burma). A more distinct and little-known species, the Congo peacock, inhabits African rain forests.
How many types of peacocks are there?
Hailing from the Phasianidae family, there are three separate species of peafowl, but they are common species of peafowl kept on farms: The Javanese, also called green peafowl. The Congo peafowl. The Indian Blue peafowl. Peacocks were first kept as pets by Chinese and Europeans who were attracted to their plumage.