Questions for Peafowl with poultry

[averkademay]

Hello All!
I am planning on getting some peafowl next month. I want to put them into an old chicken coop that is connected to a newer chicken coop. The two coops have a wall between them so I can separate my poultry from my peafowl. I also have separate runs for the peafowl and poultry. Now my question is that I have been hearing about the Blackhead disease and how it is highly contagious to peafowl and chickens may carry the disease but are not affected.

I have heard some people say its ok to keep peafowl and poultry together if I continually worm them every three months and then I have heard some say "no no no no no no no." Can anyone confirm?

My nineteen chickens are very clean and I keep very good care for them. (I spoil them) So would It be safe to keep the peafowl near the chickens yet also seperated by a fence?

The place where I want to keep my peafowl has a run that was previously used for chickens for a long time. Since the black head disease is found in the dirt, can I use a dewormer powder and grind it into the dirt to get rid of the disease? (if there even is any at all in my flock)

Will Cayenne prevent blackhead disease if I use it on my flock?

Also since the coop was previously used for chickens, what can I use to completely desensitize for the prevention of any other issues?

Is there anything else about keeping poultry and peafowl near each other that I should know?

These peafowl are costly and I would be very sad to loose them to any disease.

I am planning on build a separate coop for the peafowl durning the summer so i can avoid any problems, but for now all I have room for is in the old chicken coop and separate run.

Anyone got any ideas?

:-D

thank you in advance.

Cheers!

 

[casportpony]

Many people raise peafowl with chickens and don't have issues with blackhead, so you might get lucky. Feeding cayenne is fine, but it's no guarantee they won't get blackhead, and some people say that acidified copper sulfate will help prevent it.

Peafowl are expensive, especially the fancier colors, so I think the best way to protect your investment would be to find an avian vet that's had experience treating blackhead and develop a relationship with them, and stock up on Safeguard or Valbazen, metronidazole, and Baytril, just in case they get sick. You may never need to use any drugs, but if they do get sick you have about three days from on set of symptoms to start treating before they die.

Will you be getting chicks, juveniles, or adults? Not that it matters, but whatever you get, I suggest getting a baseline weight one them. If chicks, weigh weekly to be sure they are gaining properly, weigh juveniles once a month, and once a year for adults.

Learn to spot the signs of a sick bird and understand that peafowl hide illness better than other fowl. Learn what normal peafowl poop looks and smells like, and feed them a proper diet.

Nothing can be done to treat the soil.

 

[peacock12345]

I have my peafowl mixed with my chickens and rabbits and they all get along just fine

 

[casportpony]

I have my peafowl mixed with my chickens and rabbits and they all get along just fine

Welcome to BYC!

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome! I would have fecals run on your chickens, to see if they have the gapeworms that cause issues with peafowl and turkeys. If yes, , and you still want those peafowl, have them on new clean ground, separated from the chickens, and away from any ponds you may have. Having to worm your peafowl frequently to keep them alive isn't fun. Mary

 

[casportpony]

Don't forget cecal worms... they are what most of us peafowl breeders really worry about.

 

[Folly's place]

Cecal worms are what I was thinking of; sorry about that! Mary

 

[casportpony]

Cecal worms are what I was thinking of; sorry about that! Mary

I am the cecal worm master, lol. Gapeworms are more common in gamebirds than chickens, so definitely one to watch for as well.

As most know, I have blackhead here, but managed properly constant worming is not necessary.

 

[Folly's place]

If peafowl didn't SCREAM like they do, they'd be more interesting to have! Mary

 

[casportpony]

If peafowl didn't  SCREAM like they do, they'd be more interesting to have!  Mary

They only scream half the year.