What Are Some Unique Characteristics That Peacocks Have at Birth?

Appearance

• Adult peacocks display multicolored, iridescent tail feathers, plumage and crown feathers. The large, fan-like tail consists of upper tail coverts. These coverts are distinguishable from the peacock's plumage and quill feathers by their wispy appearance. The plumes of a peacock's tail are marked by eye-spots known as ocelli. The group of upright feathers atop a peacock's head is called the crest, or corona. Peachicks are not born with either of these features, nor do they bear any colorful markings. Baby peacocks are dull brown or yellow in appearance. They develop their crests and colorful tail feathers at three years of age, when they are fully mature. A peachick's anatomy is similar to that of a turkey's. Peachicks have thin, elongated necks and four clawed talons per foot. They hatch from off-white or tan eggs that are three times the size of chicken eggs.

Diet

• Unlike chickens or roosters, peachicks are not born understanding how to consume food. Baby peacocks must be taught how to eat by example, usually from their mothers or neighboring peafowl. Peachicks are terrestrial feeders who partake of food found on the ground or within shallow bodies of water. They are omnivores that will hunt for prey or peck at vegetation. A peachick's diet consists primarily of small insects, reptiles, amphibians, spiders, flower parts, seeds and grasses. They occasionally hunt small fish.

Behavior

• Newborn peachicks prefer extremely warm temperatures ranging from 90 to 100 degrees. They will roost at this temperature for the first six weeks of life and gradually acclimate to cooler temperatures. It is suggested that peachick breeders drop incubator temperatures by five degrees per consecutive week following the six weeks after hatching, according to the Noah Hunt website. Baby peacocks are capable of flying at just several days old. Peahens roost in treetops at night, challenging their newborns to fly up to them. Peachick eggs take between 28 and 30 days to hatch. Newborns can run, fly and feed themselves almost immediately upon hatching. Peachicks are subject to coccidiosis, a disease caused by parasites invading the intestinal tract that causes diarrhea. Peachicks are not fond of the cold and require shelter during harsh winter months.