11 Foods Peacocks Should Not Eat

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Peacocks are known to be very adventurous eaters. Nevertheless, there are some foods that peacocks should stay far away from.

If you have ever wondered what foods your peacock shouldn’t eat, look no further! This article will provide you with 11 foods peacocks should avoid to stay healthy.

Table of Contents

11 Foods Peacocks Should Not Eat

Here is an overview of the 11 foods peacocks should not eat. After this table, we discuss each food in more detail.

Food	Potential Harm
Broccoli	Contains thiocyanates, which may cause digestive issues.
Cabbage	Contains oxalic acid, which may prevent proper nutrients from being obtained.
Brussel Sprouts	May create gas, which could lead to an upset stomach and/or digestive issues.
Chives	High amounts may create an overfeeding of nutrients, leading to digestive issues.
Cauliflower	Contains raffinose, which is difficult to digest and may lead to digestive issues.
Chocolate	Contains caffeine and theobromine, which may cause hyperactivity and digestive issues.
Apple Seeds	Contain chemicals that could harm a peacock’s delicate digestive system.
Avocado	Contains persin, which may cause heart damage and respiratory problems.
Onions	Contain sulfur compounds, which may cause digestive issues and stomach ulcers.
Garlic	Contains allicin, which may cause a weakened immune system and anemia.
Spinach	Contains oxalic acid, which may prevent proper nutrients from being obtained.

Broccoli

Broccoli is a widely loved vegetable that is popular around the world. Nevertheless, broccoli should not be given to peacocks.

Broccoli contains thiocyanates, which, in high amounts, have the potential to lead to bloating, lack of energy, and digestive issues.

Although this is not always the case, the chemical found in broccoli can overall be harmful to peacocks, leading to potential illness.

Cabbage

Cabbage is another popular vegetable found around the world and used in a variety of dishes.

Cabbage may seem like an excellent choice for your peacock’s diet. However, this vegetable contains oxalic acid, which can pose problems.

Consuming the oxalic acid in cabbage may prevent peacocks from properly obtaining their calcium, making it a potentially hazardous food for peacocks to eat.

Brussel Sprouts

Brussel sprouts are a commonly used and loved culinary ingredient for a variety of dishes around the world. However, peacocks should probably stay away from this vegetable.

Brussel sprouts may cause an increase in gas, which could lead to discomfort and digestive issues.

However, Brussel sprouts have a distinctive bitter and pungent smell and taste, so this may not appeal to peacocks, and they may refuse to eat it all together.

Brussel sprouts are OK for peacocks to eat in moderation but should be avoided due to the potential harm they may cause to a peacock’s digestive system.

Chives

Chives may be low in calories but have high levels of nutrients. These nutrients are beneficial to our health. Chives are a great addition to any dish, adding a hint of bold flavor.

Although a culinary favorite, chives should not be consumed by peacocks.

Even for people, chives are only used as a garnish instead of being eaten whole. So giving whole chives to your peacock may cause an upset stomach and potential digestive issues.

Peacocks have sensitive stomachs, and they should stay away from chives.

Cauliflower

Cauliflower, the white version of broccoli, may be great for salads and culinary dishes. However, peacocks should stay away from this vegetable.

Cauliflower contains the complex sugar raffinose, which is difficult to digest. So cauliflower may create excessive gas buildup within your peacock, which could lead to an upset stomach, low energy, and even aggressive behavior.

Peacocks love a variety of fruits and vegetables, but cauliflower should stay out of their diet.

Chocolate

Chocolate is a wildly loved food that is found across the world. However, chocolate should not be given to animals, especially peacocks, as it contains ingredients that may cause illness.

Chocolate contains theobromine and caffeine, which may cause your peacock to become hyperactive. Both may lead to illness and potential death.

Chocolate also contains high levels of sugars and, in some cases, artificial flavorings that may mess with your peacock’s stomach and cause illness, disease, and potential death.

Apple Seeds

close up of fresh red apples in the basket

Apple seeds, found in apples, should not be given to peacocks.

Although the apple part is safe for peacocks to eat and enjoy, the seeds may contain trace amounts of poisonous cyanide. These seeds may be lethal for your peacock as they have sensitive stomachs and cannot digest them properly.

Overall, apple seeds may also be hard to eat and even digest, leading to complications for your peacock.

When providing your peacock with a fresh apple, don’t forget to cut it into small pieces and remove the seeds before serving. This ensures your peacock is safe and healthy when eating its snack!

Avocado- Fruit and Plants

Although avocados make an excellent snack for us, peacocks should stay away from both avocados and avocado plants. These plants are filled with persin, which is a fatty substance that eliminates fungus in them.

When a peacock eats any part of the avocado plant, persin may cause an upset stomach, digestive issues, and potential illness. In addition, persin may cause heart damage as well as respiratory problems.

Overall, both avocados and the avocado plant are dangerous for a peacock to consume.

Onions

Onions, popular around the world, can fill any dish with flavor. Although humans wildly love onions, they should not be consumed by peacocks.

Onions contain sulfur compounds, which, when consumed by a peacock, may lead to stomach and throat irritation and even cause ulcers.

In addition, onions contain allicin, the same as garlic, which hurts a peacock’s digestive system and may lead to illness and potential death. To avoid adverse side effects, it is best to keep peacocks away from onions, even in moderation.

Garlic

Garlic is used in a variety of dishes and is loved by many. However, garlic should not be given to peacocks.

Garlic has allicin, which has the potential to cause anemia and therefore weakens the immune system of the peacock.

Giving garlic to your peacock may cause digestive issues, potential illness, and potential death.

Furthermore, garlic has a strong taste that many peacocks may not enjoy and will therefore refuse to eat. Overall, garlic should not be given to peacocks as it could cause more harm than good.

Spinach

Spinach is a healthy vegetable for us, often accompanying salads and culinary dishes worldwide. Nevertheless, peacocks should not consume spinach: this vegetable contains high levels of oxalic acid.

As we discussed earlier, oxalic acid prevents calcium absorption. Thus, this acid may have the potential to form kidney stones.

If choosing to feed spinach to your peacock, do so in minimal amounts to avoid adverse side effects. It is best to keep this vegetable out of your colorful friend’s diet.

2 Foods That Might Not Be Good for Peacocks

Kale

Kale is a healthy vegetable that is widely known and loved and is increasing in popularity daily. Although it’s popular, peacocks should probably stay away from this plant.

Kale grows close to the ground and therefore has a higher chance of attracting insects. This means that kale often contains high levels of pesticides, thus causing danger for peacocks.

Kale is healthy for peacocks to eat in moderation, but it probably should not be given often or in large amounts to prevent your peacocks from absorbing pesticides.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are a popular staple for people, but peacocks might be better off if they don’t eat tomatoes.

Tomatoes have high acidity levels, which may possibly cause an upset stomach in peacocks.

Additionally, this high acid reflux may lead to digestive issues, and certain diseases, due to the delicate anatomy of a peacock.

So, feeding peacocks a lot of tomatoes may cause adverse effects. However, if you choose to feed tomatoes to your peacock, do so in tiny amounts to avoid that high acid intake.

Special Note:

The information listed in the article is not a suitable replacement for medical advice. If you believe your peacock is displaying abnormal or odd symptoms, you must call your veterinarian immediately to ensure your colorful friend is in peak health.

11 Foods Peacocks Should Not Eat

Broccoli

Cabbage

Brussel Sprouts

Chives

Cauliflower

Chocolate

Apple Seeds

Avocado- Fruit and Plants

Onions

Garlic

Spinach

2 Foods That Might Not Be Good for Peacocks

Kale

Tomatoes

Special Note:

Resources