New PeaChick addition to our new chicken family

[hadouglas]

We have had our first 10 chicks for about two months now, they're all about 12-16 weeks now, & my husband just told me he's bringing home a peachick and 2 quails it's been raised with!

I know we'll have to keep them in the brooder for a while, but would love any suggestions regarding how/when to introduce them to the others?

Also wondering if anyone has any tips for sexing peafowl?



This is the new Peachick and below are our flock.





Thanks!

 

[EyeKeyYou]

Do not even put the peachick with chickens or on the ground until at least 3 months of age otherwise you will be risking your peachick getting blackhead disease. After that as far as assimilating them with the flock mine never have anything to do with chickens closest thing the ever bonded with was guineas. The barring on the wings will tell you male or female especially as they age from what I can see it is a male.

 

[Tony K T]

I would get him/her a peachick mate.He/she also needs to be fed a gamebird feed,a chicken feed is not good for gamebirds.Gamebird feed contains meds in low dosage to prevent blackhead which peafowl are susceptible to.Shouldn't really be housed near chickens or ducks.
In N.H.,Tony.

 

[Garden Peas]

I would get him/her a peachick mate.He/she also needs to be fed a gamebird feed,a chicken feed is not good for gamebirds.Gamebird feed contains meds in low dosage to prevent blackhead which peafowl are susceptible to.Shouldn't really be housed near chickens or ducks.
In N.H.,Tony.

Hold on a second... Yes, peachicks need higher protein than average chicken feed, so gamebird feed is a good idea. But too much protein at some growth stages has been associated with twisted tibia, a crippling or fatal leg condition which occurs in peafowl (as well as turkeys and other birds).

The main difference between chicken feeds and gamebird feeds is the amount of protein. Gamebird feeds (sometimes also sold as "show" feeds for chickens, have higher protein levels, ranging from 18% to 28% protein -- read the labels in the feed store. These feeds may also be sold as turkey starter. Note that continuing on a 28% protein feed may be problematic for twisted tibia, so it may be safer to stick to 18%, particularly as the chicks go through the rapid intermediate growth stage.

To prevent COCCIDIOSIS -- a disease which frequently kills peachicks (and kills quickly), it is important to feed a MEDICATED feed. Specifically, a medicated starter feed which contains amprolium -- not all starter feeds are medicated, and not all gamebird feeds are medicated. To get medicated feed with amprolium in it, you must READ the bag in the feed store. The bag will be clearly marked as to whether it is medicated, and whether it contains amprolium as the medication. The availability of medicated gamebird starter varies -- I have difficulty finding it where I live at times, and I have not found any higher than 18% protein. Other folks are able to buy a medicated 28% gamebird starter crumble, so check your local feed stores.

While buying the medicated starter feed, you may also wish to buy some Corid (amprolium) powder and some dimethox powder to have on hand in case of a coccidiosis outbreak. The level of amprolium in medicated feed is enough to prevent coccidiosis in most -- but not all -- cases. It can still occur, and must be treated rapidly or you will lose your chick(s).

Blackhead (histomoniaisis) is a completely different disease. It is caused by protozoa which are carried in cecal worms. Chicks raised on wire away from adult chickens and turkeys are not likely to have blackhead during their early weeks. It does, however, frequently affect older birds, especially those which are kept with chickens, and especially turkeys. To prevent blackhead, worm frequently with a wormer which will kill cecal worms, such as fenbendazole. Ivermectin and wormers such as Wazine are INEFFECTIVE against the worms which carry blackhead protozoa. Blackhead can be treated with metronidazole. You can read more about blackhead here:

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/poultry/histomoniasis/overview_of_histomoniasis_in_poultry.html

Your peachick may get along just fine with the chickens -- mine were quite fond of their chicken friends. If you would like to have a pair, might as well wait until you have figured out gender. If you were to bring home a second male without realizing it, you could be setting yourself up for serious problems two years from now. Even males which have been raised together and who have always gotten along, can become violently aggressive towards each other when adult hormones hit and it's breeding season. Unless you have room for separate pens, best to make sure of what you are adding

Congrats on the new baby, and welcome to the peafowl forum!

 

[hadouglas]

Here is Blue at 5 weeks, starting to see some greenish blue hues on his/hers head & back of the neck! I believe it's an "India Green", is anyone familiar?