Peacock for dinner

Jia Guo

This is a special peacock breeding farm in China where the birds are raised for food.

There are two types of peacocks: green peacocks and Indian peacocks. Green peacocks are protected wildlife animals in China while farmed Indian peacocks are considered edible.

The peacock farm owner said the birds are sold for about $52–$77 per pound.

A one-year-old peacock can cost about $220–$250.

While patients and pregnant women are some of the consumers, due to the birds’ nutrition value, peacocks are served in restaurants, too.

Special breeding has expanded the need of the market. Meanwhile, with China’s economic development, more and more people can afford to eat the bird.

In ancient China, peacocks were regarded as symbols of nobility and auspiciousness due to their beauty.

Will their beautiful appearance be able to save them from people’s dining tables?

Jia Guo is from the coastal city of Qingdao. She has an M.A. in multimedia journalism from NYU and has worked at Facebook and Bloomberg TV in New York City. Read more

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