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Can Peacocks Eat Cabbages?

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Peacocks eat virtually everything and anything they can find. There is almost no limit to their varied diet, from vegetables to fruits, seeds, nuts, insects, grains, and lizards. But can peacocks (peafowls) eat cabbages? We have an answer for that.

Can peafowls eat cabbages?

Peafowls can eat cabbages, and thankfully, cabbages are very healthy for them. But beyond being highly nutritious, cabbages are crunchy with a subtle taste – features that make them fun snacks for peafowls. So, if you want to, you can add cabbages to your birds’ diet.

In this article, we go into the details of including cabbages in your peafowls’ diet. We talk about how much cabbage you can give them, the nutrients cabbages offer, and more.

fresh big chinese cabbage on wooden background

Can Peacocks Eat Cabbages?

Peafowls can eat cabbages, so you can include cabbages in their diet. Whether you are trying to boost their overall nutrient intake or just want to give them a new, fun snack, cabbages fit the bill.

Cabbages have a 92% water content. So, beyond being a fun, healthy snack, they are a great way to keep your birds hydrated.

Typically, people feed cabbages to peafowls raw – the way peafowls would eat cabbages in the wild. But if you want, you may offer your birds cooked cabbages.

Ensure you do not add seasonings when making cooked cabbage for your peafowls. The addition of flavorings may upset their stomach, and you do not want that.

Raw cabbages have a mild taste. But when you cook them, they could take on a sweeter flavor while losing some of their crunchiness. So, if the peafowls are okay with the taste and texture of cooked cabbages, you could go with that.

slice of raw organic purple cabbage

How Much Cabbage Can Peacocks Eat?

Ordinarily, you would want to limit treats to no more than 10% of a typical poultry bird’s diet. But with peafowl, you do not necessarily have to follow the 90/10 rule.

Whether domesticated or in the wild, peafowls are opportunistic feeders. They will adapt to whatever is available. So, you can replicate the typical wild peafowl diet with your birds.

In other words, you can give your peafowls as much cabbage as they enjoy, as long as doing so does not prevent them from eating the other foods they eat.

All in all, give your peafowls moderate amounts of cabbages. Like many members of the Brassica family, cabbage contains goitrogenic compounds. Give your peacocks too much of it, and they may come down with a thyroid gland impairment.

Pet Keen suggests allotting around 60% of your peacocks’ diet to vegetables, fruits, insects, small reptiles, grains, and other similar food items. Then high-quality commercial feed takes the remaining one-third.

white cabbage on a dark brown basket on the table

Cabbage Nutrition Facts

A 100-gram serving of cabbages contains:

  • 1.12 grams of protein
  • 6.72 grams of carbohydrate
  • 2.25 grams of dietary fiber
  • 24.7 calories
  • Vitamin C
  • Vitamin B6
  • Vitamin K
  • Calcium
  • Iron
  • Magnesium
  • Manganese
  • Folate
  • Potassium
  • Sodium

Health Benefits of Cabbage

Cabbage Can Help Mitigate Oxidative Stress

top view red cabbage in bowls purple and white checkered kitchen towel

Oxidative stress causes cellular damage in peafowls (and every other animal). As a result, the affected peafowl may experience stunted growth, poor feather growth, and many other symptoms.

Cabbages are a rich source of antioxidants like lutein, beta carotene, and quercetin. These compounds can help peacocks deal with oxidative stress better. They do this by attenuating free radicals – the substances that cause oxidative stress.

Cabbages Can Improve a Peacock’s Digestive System

With a decent fiber content and 92% water, cabbages are the perfect way to prevent constipation in peafowls.

The insoluble fiber in cabbage can help your peafowls form bulky stools. Then to soften the bulk, it will attract water, which cabbages provide enough of.

Cabbages also contain soluble fiber, which promotes the growth of gut microflora. Gut microflora growth in peafowls supports immunity and the production of some probiotics and vitamins.

Cabbages also contain nutrients like magnesium, iron, and vitamin B6, which promote gut health in different ways.

Cabbages Can Help Ease Inflammation

Besides helping with oxidative stress, many of the antioxidants in cabbage can help ease inflammation. This effect is typical of cruciferous vegetables – the group to which cabbages belong.

Going by the anti-inflammatory potentials of cabbages, feeding them to your peacocks during illness might promote rapid recovery.

different fresh vegetables on table

What Other Vegetables Can Peacocks Eat?

Besides cabbages, peacocks can eat the following vegetables:

  • Carrots
  • Spinach
  • Beets
  • Lettuce
  • Broccoli
  • Kale
  • Radishes
  • Cauliflower
  • Celery
  • Green grass (free of pesticides and herbicides)
  • Cilantro
  • Collard greens
  • Oregano
Healthy breakfast bowl. Avocado, egg, tomato, feta cheese,  bread and cup of coffee

What Should You Not Feed Peacocks?

Avoid giving any of the following food items to your peacocks:

  • Avocado
  • Amaranth
  • Chocolate
  • Coffee
  • Maggots
  • Tea
  • Raw poultry carcasses
  • Tomato leaves
  • Raw potatoes
  • Raw eggs
  • Candy
  • Chips
  • Processed meat
  • Bread

Final Thoughts

Peacocks can eat cabbages. However, excessive amounts of cabbages predispose them to thyroid gland disorders. So, never let your peacocks have too much cabbage.

Nonetheless, cabbages are highly nutritious. They promote gut health and help with oxidative stress. They also ease inflammation and help with rehydration.

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