percypea
Chirping
- Oct 10, 2015
- 23
- 4
- 57
Hello,
Over the last week at least one of my peacocks appears to have started losing his feathers. I have found four or five tail feathers in their shed, along with more small feathers than usual. I have three peacocks but only one has a full tail (the others are still too young), so although I know who the tail feathers have come from I'm not sure about the smaller ones. All three boys look healthy and other than the eldest's tail don't look like they've lost feathers.
Although they are normally free range birds bird flu restrictions in the UK have meant that they have been shut up in a shed with an small covered outdoor run for the past three months. They're not particularly pleased with the situation but don't seem too despondent and all three have been displaying. There doesn't seem to be much aggression other than a bit of chasing at feeding time.
Has anyone got any ideas what might be causing this? Could it simply be a result of being kept crampt up for so long? Might the fact that they can't forage be affecting them? They get a mixed diet of pellets, corn, mealworms, fresh fruit and veg and lots of cabbages to keep them entertained. I've read that light can affect them - it is possible that a light was left on in their shed late into the evening for one or two nights last week but not all night.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Over the last week at least one of my peacocks appears to have started losing his feathers. I have found four or five tail feathers in their shed, along with more small feathers than usual. I have three peacocks but only one has a full tail (the others are still too young), so although I know who the tail feathers have come from I'm not sure about the smaller ones. All three boys look healthy and other than the eldest's tail don't look like they've lost feathers.
Although they are normally free range birds bird flu restrictions in the UK have meant that they have been shut up in a shed with an small covered outdoor run for the past three months. They're not particularly pleased with the situation but don't seem too despondent and all three have been displaying. There doesn't seem to be much aggression other than a bit of chasing at feeding time.
Has anyone got any ideas what might be causing this? Could it simply be a result of being kept crampt up for so long? Might the fact that they can't forage be affecting them? They get a mixed diet of pellets, corn, mealworms, fresh fruit and veg and lots of cabbages to keep them entertained. I've read that light can affect them - it is possible that a light was left on in their shed late into the evening for one or two nights last week but not all night.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!