Can you eat peacock eggs?

In this article, I will answer the question: “Can you eat peacock eggs?” and I will give you useful information about the eggs specifications and their health benefits.

Can you eat peacock eggs?

Yes, you can eat peacock eggs. 

Peacock eggs are safe to consume. Not only are they edible, but they are also tasty.

Peacock eggs can be prepared in the same way as normal chicken eggs—though they don’t look anything like chicken eggs!

Peacock eggs are larger than chicken eggs and might be pinkish in color. These eggs cook similarly to conventional eggs and can be used in a variety of dishes. The peafowl can averagely produce 30 eggs a year, and each egg is 90-120 grams (1).

They have a taste that is similar to chicken eggs, but with a hint of gameiness.

Because of their high cost, these eggs are not commercially available. An average peacock egg can cost up to $25, with some eggs costing up to $100!

Furthermore, a peacock only lays approximately 20 eggs per year, making them rare to find.

What does a peacock egg look like?

Peacock eggshells are thicker than hen eggs and are usually white or grey in hue. Aside from the size, it appears to be identical to any other poultry egg.

Egg specific gravity could reflect the freshness of egg, and it is also associated with shell thickness. Normal egg specific gravity is in the range 1.06 ~ 1.10 g/cm3, and the egg specific gravity of a good quality egg is bigger than 1.08 g/cm3. A study showed that the peafowl eggs specific gravity was (1.095±0.043) g/cm3, denoting its quality was better than that of hen eggs. Peafowl eggshell thickness was thicker than that of hen eggs, which was more advantageous in transportation and storage (1).

Males begin performing their unique feather dance and rituals to attract females when the breeding season begins.

Two to five females mate with one male. Four to eight eggs are laid by each female. Males are in charge of incubation until the eggs hatch, which takes 28 days.

How big is the peacock egg?

A peacock egg is around 4 inches in diameter. The weight can range from 3 ounces (85 grams) to 4.2 ounces (120 grams).

One peacock egg is the size of three chicken eggs. One peacock egg makes the perfect omelet for an average person.

What does a peacock egg taste like?

When you first taste peacock eggs, you might think they taste like chicken eggs. However, after a few times of eating it, you begin to notice the differences.

The yolk of a peacock is richer and sweeter than that of a chicken. The white is nearly identical to that of chickens, but there is less of it.

It’s worth noting that the flavor of peacock eggs is highly dependent on the bird’s lifestyle.

For example, the flavor of eggs from conventional versus free-roaming chickens is incomparable. This is the case for peacock eggs as well.

Each egg has its own characteristic volatile substances which exhibits its special flavor and odor. These compounds characterize not only eggs’ quality but also taste. A study showed that 47 volatile compounds were found in raw peafowl eggs while only 30 in raw hen eggs; 60 volatile compounds were found in cooked peafowl eggs while only 41 in cooked eggs. The cooked peafowl eggs contained higher aldehydes and ketones content than raw peafowl eggs, such as hexanal, heptaldehyde, nonenal, benzaldehyde, propanone, especially pentanal and 1-octen-3-alcohol were not detected out in raw peafowl eggs. On the contrary, the content and kinds of alkanes in cooked peafowl eggs were lower than raw peafowl eggs. Most of the volatile compounds in cooked peafowl eggs were aldehydes, alcohol, ketones, alkanes and aromatic hydrocarbons (1).

What are the health benefits of peacock eggs?

Peahen egg has a plethora of nutrition facts and health benefits:

1. It is high in protein: 

Protein is found throughout the body—in muscle, bone, skin, hair, and virtually every other body part or tissue. It makes up the enzymes that power many chemical reactions and the hemoglobin that carries oxygen in your blood. At least 10,000 different proteins make you what you are and keep you that way (2).

Peahen eggs, like other eggs, supply significant amounts of high-quality protein that is rich in all essential amino acids. Protein is satiating and contributes to healthy weight loss by helping to build muscle mass and repair broken muscle fibers. Protein amino acids are also utilized to produce neurotransmitters, which regulate emotion, appetite, sleep, and cognitive performance of the brain.

According to previous studies,  The protein content of blue peafowl eggs was 15.5 g/100, higher than that of hen eggs (12.6 g/100 g), and those of duck (13.1%), quail (14.73%) and ostrich (12.2%) (1).

2. A good source of essential fatty acids:

Peacock eggs are a fantastic complement to any diet when consumed in moderation as part of a diverse and balanced diet. Unsaturated fatty acids, such as Omega-3, are beneficial to brain and cardiovascular health. HDL (good cholesterol) contributes to the integrity of the myelin sheath that surrounds the tails of nerve cells and provides some protection against degenerative nervous system illnesses such as multiple sclerosis. In addition, the eggs’ overall fat content nourishes the brain, aids in mental endurance, and lowers mental fatigue (2).

3. It is a source of vitamin B:

Peahen eggs contain significant amounts of vitamin B12, making them an excellent supplement to any diet. The myelin layer that protects nerve cells and promotes brain development in newborns in the womb is made up of vitamin B12 and cholesterol. Vitamin B12 also aids in the development of red blood cells, which has a direct impact on energy consumption. Vitamin B9, which is abundant in peahen and other egg types, has been demonstrated to protect neonates against neural tube malformations of the brain, spine, and spinal cord, as well as play a key role in brain and nervous system development. B1, B2, B3, B5, and B6 are among the other B vitamins found in peacock eggs.

4. It’s a source of Vitamin D and zinc:

Peahen eggs are high in vitamin D and zinc. Both nutrients are necessary for a healthy immune system and overall well-being. A study showed that the peafowl eggs were found to contain a significantly higher Ca content but lower Fe content than those in hen eggs. It was observed that the blue peafowl eggs presented the highest Zn content but the lowest Cu content than that of hen eggs. The Zn content of blue peafowl eggs was 7 times that of hen eggs, which indicated that blue peafowl eggs may be good food for people who lack Zn in daily food (1).

5. Iron, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, and sodium:

Peahen eggs are high in iron, which can aid with anemia and exhaustion. Phosphorus, magnesium, and vitamin D are all important for bone health. Blood pressure is controlled by potassium, magnesium, and sodium.

6. Selenium, iodine, calcium, chromium, copper, manganese, and molybdenum:

These dietary minerals, which are found in trace amounts in peahen eggs, contribute to their nutritional value. Copper and manganese are key antioxidants, while selenium and iodine are beneficial to thyroid health and help avoid hypothyroidism.

7. Choline source:

Choline is a vitamin B-like substance that has been linked to improved brain and nervous system function. Eating eggs of all kinds can help maintain memory and avoid liver diseases including fatty liver disease. Choline is also beneficial to pregnant women since it helps to avoid neural tube problems in newborns’ brains, spines, and spinal cords. Eggs represent a major source of choline. In foods, choline is found as both water-soluble (free choline, phosphocholine, and glycerophosphocholine) and lipid-soluble forms (phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin) and has important and diverse functions in both cellular maintenance and growth across all life stages. It plays some roles in neurotransmission, brain development, and bone integrity (3).

How to incubate peacock eggs?

Peacock eggs can be naturally or artificially hatched. Because the peahen can only hatch a limited number of eggs, the natural approach is not commercially viable. In an incubator, the eggs can be artificially hatched.

The method for hatching peacock eggs is fairly similar to that of hatching chicken eggs. Get your incubator ready. Check to see if it’s clean.

Set the temperature to between 99 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit, with a 60 percent relative humidity. Open or close air vents and add water pans to adjust these parameters. Before laying the eggs, try to keep the incubator at a steady temperature for two days.

Peacock hens start laying eggs in April and lay every other day until they have a clutch of 7-10 eggs. Before putting the hatching peacock eggs in the incubator, keep them at room temperature.

Make sure the eggs are ready to be set. With a pencil or crayon, write the date you put the eggs in the incubator on one side of the eggs.

Daily, rotate the peacock eggs 180 degrees at least three times.

After one week, candle the eggs and keep track of any changes. If an egg hasn’t grown after 10 days, it’s probably not fertile. Remove it to avoid spoilage and contamination of the incubator.

After 28 days, stop turning the eggs and raise the humidity to 90%. Prior to their arrival, prepare a place to keep your newly hatched peacock chicks. Whenever feasible, let the peacock babies hatch naturally from their eggs. Move them to their designated area after they are completely dry.

Conclusion

In this essay, I answered the question: “Can you eat peacock eggs?” and provided information about the eggs characteristics and health benefits. I also gave useful tips to incubate the eggs artificially.

Please feel free to contact me for any questions related to this topic.

References

1. Fu-min, Yang, et al. Comparison of Quality and Nutritional Components of Eggs from Blue Peafowl and Hen. J Food Nutr Res, 2014, 2, 141-147. 
2. Egg. The Nutrition Source. University of Harvard. 
3. Réhault-Godbert, Sophie, Nicolas Guyot, and Yves Nys. The golden egg: nutritional value, bioactivities, and emerging benefits for human health. Nutrients, 2019, 11, 684.