Peacocks are the most beautiful birds in the world. The males have a head-to-tail length of 4 to 6 feet, with a wingspan of up to 7 feet. Females are called peahens, and they’re not nearly as stunning. Peacocks originate from India and Sri Lanka, but over the years they’ve been introduced to other parts of the world, including Australia and Europe.
Both peafowls and peahens lay eggs, but only the females will incubate them. If you’re curious about how big peacock eggs are, read on for more information.
How Big Are Peacock Eggs?
Peacock eggs are about 2 inches long and about 1 ½ inches wide. They weigh 3 ounces on average. When you compare their size to that of chickens, peacock eggs are much larger—about twice as large, in fact.
Are Peafowl Eggs Bigger Than Chicken Eggs?
Most people who have seen peafowl eggs have probably had to do a double-take; they are larger than most chicken eggs, but not quite as large as goose eggs. For example, my peafowl eggs average about 100 grams (3.5 ounces) each. If you were to weigh a dozen chicken eggs and then a dozen peafowl eggs, the two groups would differ by about two pounds—a significant amount when it comes to eggs!
The biggest factor in the size of peafowl eggs is the age of the female. The youngest females will lay 80–90 gram (3–3.25 ounce) eggs, while older females can lay 120+ gram (4+ ounce) eggs. In fact, it’s not uncommon for older female India blue peafowl to lay 2–4 ounce eggs!
How Much Do Peafowl Eggs Weigh?
The average weight of a peafowl egg is approximately 140 grams (5 ounces). This can vary quite a bit depending on the specific type of peafowl you have. An Indian blue peahen egg weighs around 130 grams (4.6 ounces), while an African green peahen egg can weigh up to 180 grams (6.3 ounces). A Congo peahen egg weighs about 160 grams (5.6 ounces). These numbers will also vary slightly by a female—each individual bird will likely lay slightly different-sized eggs her entire life.
To put it into perspective, the average chicken egg weighs around 50 grams (1.8 ounces). That means that peafowl eggs are nearly three times as heavy as chicken
Can You Eat Peafowl Eggs?
You can eat peafowl eggs, but they aren’t a good choice. Peafowl eggs are small and the embryo develops quickly. That makes them difficult to peel, which is one reason why you don’t see them in egg dishes like hard-boiled eggs or deviled eggs.
Plus, the taste isn’t desirable. They have a slightly gamey flavor that can be overpowering, making them quite unpleasant. However, peafowl farmers sometimes raise their animals for both meat and eggs, and adults may eat their eggs as well as those of other small birds like quail or pheasant.
How Long Does It Take for Peacock Eggs To Hatch?
Peacocks may be known for their striking plumage, but the eggs that these majestic birds lay are also quite beautiful in their own way. But how long does it take for peacock eggs to hatch? Here’s what you should know.
As with most other bird species, peacocks lay eggs that hatch after a certain period of time. Peacock eggs take about 28 days to hatch. Generally speaking, the incubation period is longer for larger birds and shorter for smaller birds. For peacocks, this means that it takes them longer than most birds to hatch their chicks.
What Do Peafowl Eggs Look Like?
Peafowl eggs look like pearly white ovals with a slightly bluish tint. They are a little bigger than chicken eggs, and they’re plentiful! Peahens lay their eggs in the spring and can lay about three to five per week for several weeks in a row. Each egg weighs about 4.7 ounces and is about 2.5 inches long.
Why Do Peafowl Lay So Many Eggs?
Peahens love to lay eggs, which maybe because it’s part of their instinct or because they enjoy the attention from the peacocks (the male peafowl). Their first clutch of eggs usually hatches when the weather is warmer, but each subsequent set of eggs will hatch about a month later as long as the hen continues laying throughout the summer months.
This means if you have a peahen that’s determined to hatch her babies, she’ll probably end up doing it all summer long! A peahen doesn’t need the help of a peacock to raise her babies; once she lays them, she takes care of them on her own.
Conclusion
Peacock eggs are usually the size of a chicken egg and weigh between 25 and 80 grams. It’s difficult to say exactly how much they weigh because they can vary so widely, but generally, they are around 30 grams.
