Peacock eggs have a similar size to the turkey eggs only with a brown color and if you are wondering if they are edible, yes they are just like chicken eggs. The white of a peacock egg is almost similar to that of the chicken egg just less, and the yolk a little richer in nutrients.
At one time in my childhood, I was raised in Liberty County, Florida, and we had more than 15 Peahens and 10 Peacocks. If memory serves me right, I have eaten almost any edible bird eggs, including hen eggs, pheasant eggs, and duck eggs. As such, I am sharing this info with first-hand experience. Peacock eggs, though edible, are worth more selling than eating due to their rarity which attracts more value.
Before we dive in deep, however, I would like to say that Peacocks do not lay eggs as they are male Peahens. So, just keep in mind that we are talking about peahen eggs. Peacocks are the most beautiful birds I have come across so far in the world, unless I am yet to discover more, and are eye-catching. But what do we know about Peacock eggs?
Table of Contents
Is Peacock Halal or Haram?
Peacock is halal, which in Islam means that it is permissible to eat as meat. Halal is the name used to refer to things that have been accepted while haram is for impermissible ones. Both names have their origin in the Muslim or Islamic culture.
Did you know that there are three species of Peacock?
Yes, there are three representative Peacock species, including the Indian Peafowl (the common peafowl), Green Peafowl, and the Congo Peafowl. The Blue and Indian Peafowls are the peafowl species indigenous to the Indian subcontinent.
The Green Peafowl, on the other hand, is a species indigenous to the Southeast Asian tropical forests while the Congo Peafowl (African peafowl) is a species aboriginal to the Congo Basin. Although the Green Peafowl has entered the IUCN Red List of the endangered species, the African Peafowl amongst the three existing species.
Peacocks lay eggs? How many?
No, peacocks do not lay eggs but peahens or peafowls do. Peafowls will lay one egg a day for approx. 6 to 10 days after the mating season. Should you, however, remove peafowl eggs from the nest often to incubate them, your favorite bird can continue to lay eggs for almost a month.
Peacock egg color
The color of a peafowl egg is mainly brown and other colors include brown, buff white, reddish brown, pale pink, light, yellow, and yellowish brown. However, many factors determine the color of a Peafowl’s egg including the age and breed of the bird.
Can you eat Peacock egg?
People often ask, are Peahen eggs edible?
Yes, you can eat peacock eggs because like many other bird eggs such as goose, guinea hen, duck, and pheasant eggs, they are edible and nutritious. Just like chicken eggs, peacock eggs have the white (though smaller in amount) and yolk (a little healthful).
Peacock egg pictures
Here are beautiful pictures of peafowl eggs.
Peacock egg shell and size
The size of a peafowl egg is easy to identify as it measures 4 inches all round – 50% bigger than chicken eggs. Some, however, will lay eggs nearly as big as a chicken’s yet smaller than ostrich eggs or emu eggs.
Peafowl egg shell is thicker than that of the chicken egg and comes in a variety of colors such as brown, buff white, reddish brown, pale pink, light, yellow, and yellowish brown.
What does a Peacock egg look like?
The peafowl eggs have a similar size to that of turkey eggs and are light brown in color. Spalding peafowls, however, lay larger eggs than the other types. Compared to the Black Shouldered Peafowls or the Indian Blue Peahens, White Peafowls lay eggs that are lighter in color.
Where can I buy Peacock eggs?
Just like most products, you can buy peafowl eggs in a variety of places including online stores such as EBay , brick-and-mortar stores, Peafowl farms, and recognized peafowl hatcheries. Remember that if you are shipping peafowl eggs they cannot be available until they are laid in spring (late April to May).
Peacock eggs for hatching
Are you wondering where to buy peacock eggs for hatching? Well, peafowl eggs are available on sale in many places as mentioned above. Here are some of the places that you can buy these eggs:
How to tell if a Peacock egg is fertile
There are two ways to tell if a peafowl egg is fertile, including breaking the egg and looking for a faint bull’s-eye – the fertilized blastoDERM on the yolk, or testing with a candle. Of course in this case we are testing fertility before incubation of hatching so breaking is not an option.
The signs of Peafowl egg fertility can be identified by the 10th day by candling the egg. I would recommend what I saw my folks do – candling your peafowl eggs weekly after determining their fertility. This way, you can observe the growth of the embryo to make sure everything is okay.
If you find Peafowl eggs that do not show the signs of fertility when candling your eggs after 10 days, dispose them to reduce the risk of contaminating your viable eggs.
Peacock egg hatching process
If you are looking to hatch your Peafowl eggs, you need to keep in mind that incubation needs daily monitoring of temperature and humidity levels. Typically, Peafowl eggs hatch after 28 to 30 days of incubation.
Here is the Peafowl hatching process using 5 simple but precise steps:
- Placing & Setting the Incubator
Your Peafowl egg incubator should be placed on a level surface to keep the eggs in a steady position and increase hatching success. The environment should make it easy to control and elevate the hatching conditions so make sure it has low humidity and even temperatures.
We recommend a mud room or underground room with little variance in temperature.
- Temperature & Humidity Settings
The thermostat should read a constant temperature of 99° F to 100° F while the recommended humidity levels should hit 60%. These two factors, particularly humidity, should be monitored for stability if you want success in hatching Peafowl eggs.
If you get a forced air incubator, the better it is for distributing temperatures evenly inside.
- Egg Position
Your Peafowl eggs should be positioned inside the incubator at a slight angle. The eggs should lay on the tray with the large and raised slightly higher than the narrow end. Why is all this important, you might ask? This egg position facilitates the appropriate formation of the embryo.
As such, the embryo will not be turned which can make it get stuck on its head (an inverted position).
- Turning the Eggs
If you are using an incubator without an automatic turner, make sure that your Peafowl eggs are turned three times a day and rotated manually 45° every time. Turning the eggs incites natural disturbances inside the nest thus preventing the embryo from improper development.
Doing this also prevents the embryo from sticking to the shell.
- Hatch Timing
As mentioned above, Peafowl eggs take 28 to 30 days to hatch after starting the incubation process. You should move the eggs on day 26 to the hatching area or space without touching them with your hands or turning them at all.
Where should the eggs hatch? That basket you have been overlooking now has a purpose as your chicks can move around after hatching. Move the chicks to the rearing area every time they are hatched.
Peacock egg hatching time/incubation time
Typically, the incubation time for Peafowl eggs is between 28 and 29 days. Turning off the eggs in the incubator ends on day 26 when chicks start to hatch outside the incubator.
Peacock egg hatching temperature and humidity in incubator
Both temperature and humidity in an incubator are important to the hatching process of your Peafowl eggs which is why you should be keen on such factors.
- Temperature in Incubator
Measure the temperature in several locations to make sure that the incubator retains the correct temperature. Also, remember to check the incubator’s thermometer is against a proven thermometer. The thermostat should be set so that it reads steady temperature levels of between 99°F and 100°F.
My folks, for instance, used these types of incubators fitted with air circulation fans inside to help maintain even temperatures.
- Humidity in Incubator
For your Peafowl eggs to incubate well, the level of humidity in the incubator matters a lot. As such, measure with a hygrometer and make sure the level of humidity is maintained at 60%. Alternatively, you can use a wet bulb thermometer and a conversion chart.
If you want to regulate the incubator’s humidity levels, you can open or close the ventilations (if any) to let air in and out. Alternatively, you can use the incubator’s water pan where the amount of water evaporating from the water pan determines the level of humidity (quick evaporation = higher humidity).
Hatching naturally
If you do not want to incubate your Peafowl’s eggs, you can let your Peahen hatch the eggs naturally which they are very good at by the way. What I recommend is that you consider the safety of their hatching environment. And due to some factors, the number of eggs your Peahen lays per year will be smaller.
Natural hatching of Peafowl eggs can be done in two ways. First, allow your Peafowl to set on her eggs and hatch them and that is the end of laying eggs that season. Second, use broody ducks or chicken and your Peahen will continue laying more eggs.
Peacock egg vs. Chicken egg
Many wonder what the differences and similarities of Peafowl and Chicken eggs are. And because we have faintly mentioned some of these things above, let us see it in-depth using a table.
| Peafowl Eggs | Chicken Eggs | |
| Size | 50% Larger | Large |
| Color | Brown, Buff White, reddish brown, pale pink, light, yellow, yellowish brown | Brown, white, cream + yellow with undertones |
| Cost | Expensive | Affordable |
| Yolk size | Bigger | Big |
| Egg white | Small | Large |
| Egg shell | Thicker | Thick |
| Taste | Richer taste | Rich taste |
Table 1: Chicken egg vs. Peafowl egg
How much is a Peacock egg (USD)
The cost of a Peafowl egg depends on where you are buying and whether shipping is involved. Typically, a Peafowl egg will cost between $7 and $8 (per egg) without shipping.
Peacock egg hatching video
Do you want first-hand illustration and education on hatching your Peafowl eggs? I prefer that too and here is a video to show you how:
FAQs
How many eggs do Peacock lay a year?
Given Peafowls do not lay eggs daily, the number of eggs they lay a year totals to about 20 to 30.
What is a Peacock egg cup?
Designed by Hannah Turner, a Peacock Egg Cup is an appealing, ornamental, and functional handmade ceramic inspired by a Sri Lankan vintage carving. The beauty of this egg cup comes with the advantage of holding your boiled egg in the morning.
Purchase your Peacock egg cup here.
Can you make a Peacock egg omelet?
Yes, you can make a Peafowl egg omelet.
Are Peacocks egg laying?
No, Peacocks are not egg laying since they are male Peafowls. That being said, Peafowls (female Peacocks) are the ones that lay eggs.
Wrap-Up
Do not get confused, Peacocks do not lay eggs because they are males. So, Peahens should be the ones to lay eggs as they are female Peacocks.
Peahen eggs are almost similar to the duck’s but different in many aspects like size, color, white, yolk, and even cost from chicken eggs. And unlike chicken, Peahens lay eggs daily for 6 to 10 days only and then hatch. If you want them to continue laying more eggs, remove the eggs and hatch them in an incubator.
When hatching the eggs in the incubator, check the position, monitor temperature and humidity and turn them till day 26 for proper embryo formation. Also, buy your Peahen eggs from reliable sources for successful hatching.
All the best!
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Hi there! My name is Ben Domb, an owner of two pets and I am one of the co-founders of OurPets HQ. I have several years of experience as a pet care professional in the New England region having spent time in various roles including a stint at a veterinary hospital in Upstate New York, Syracuse area. I am a certified pet care professional and mostly spend my time researching pet nutrition and sharing my thoughts in various blogs and columns. With quarantine and COVID restrictions, I have been spending a lot of time a lot with my dogs and cat and loving it! I also run a small consulting business providing advice to parents on pet nutrition, and especially safe homemade options to try. You can reach me at ben@ourpetshq.com
