Thin 4 year old Peahen new to Homestead

[GJRacingGirl726]

Hi all! I'm so thankful for this group and knowing that you experienced bird lovers will be able to help me!

Some background information- I purchased 3 juvenile peafowl (2 males (oops!), 1 female - about 6 months old at the time) 2 months ago from a local gal who has raised them for a few years. Her peafowl live with chickens and with pheasants and with pigeons, so I naturally assumed that they could cohabitate with multiple species with no issues. I have just tonight read on here that it is not recommended that they live with chickens because they can be susceptible to Blackhead disease. These 3 babes are in an enclosure all by themselves and are doing great, though they aren't friendly yet, I am working on spending some time with them each day. I of course got the bug that I tend to get with all of my farm animals, in which I decided that despite my husbands chagrin, I needed more peafowl in my life. I found another gal nearby who has raised peas for many years, at one point having a flock of over 50 birds. These guys were approximately 4 or 5 years old, and she had many successful clutches from these birds. I purchased a bonded pair of Black Shoulders, and a single white female that I just loved. She's fairly friendly, isnt difficult to "catch" and will sit with me calmly while I hold her and talk to her. I promptly put them in my "quarantine/new bird" pen with some chickens that I am using to restart my flock of layers, but there are also 2 turkeys in that pen too. No one has ever shown signs of blackhead, none of my chickens (who I know I read could just be carriers) but none of my turkeys either, and Ive raised up hundreds of them. The problem is, she is so so thin. I mentioned this on the day I bought her (about 2 weeks ago) to the gal I got her from and she said that she's always been smaller, but I can pretty easily feel her keel. I brought them home and on the first day they ate like they hadn't been fed (adequately) in quite some time. I monitored her for a week, did some research on here, and decided to deworm all the peas, as I see many of you do it routinely. I haven't seen any worms up to this point, but I know chickens can get awfully thin from a heavy worm load, so I figured it would be where I should start. I searched somewhat quickly, but thoroughly and found that @KsKingBee recommended in a semi-recent thread (sometime in 2023, I forget the date) to use Valbazen, and to use it orally. The thread said 3cc per mature cock, 2cc per mature hen, and so on down the list. I dewormed 1x on 1/6, and was planning to do it again on 1/16, 10 days from first dose. Then tonight when I went to do some more research, I found different lesser dosages listed on the sticky thread about Safeguard Usage and Molting. I read all 38 pages of the thread and didnt find more information that said that was in fact accurate for Valbazen and Im worried I may have dosed them too high, as I know that Safeguard dosage is in fact the 3cc, 2cc and so forth. Can someone please point me in the right direction regarding this? Should I have been dosing for 3 days and then 10 day later do it for another 3 days? Did I overdose them? @casportpony I know you were key in the measuring and reporting in the thread that I read, I also recognize it was 10 years old and there may be more new methods that I missed in my research. I live in Arizona and we got uncharacteristically cold weather (and snow today!) so I am extra worried about them anyway, but then today I also found foamy yellow liquid in the run, so Im suspecting maybe it is blackhead? I read that blackhead is a quick killer of peafowl but she was so thin to begin with, Im not sure if its a combination of both? She's stilll eating and drinking just fine, and hasn't changed in personality at all. The other 2 peas are acting fine as well. The chickens and turkeys in with them seem fine too.

So I guess my questions are:
Did I overdose on Valbazen? Do I repeat on 1/16, if so what dosage?
I am placing an order now for METRONIDAZOLE CAPSULES, says they are 200mg so I'll need to know dosage to give her when it arrives?
Any other meds I should order or use Im ordering from Jedds.
I have 10% liquid Enrofloxacin already on hand, can I give her that before the metronidazole arrives? If so, can you help with dosage?

Should I dose the other 2 peafowl with the protocol for the blackhead as a preventative or only if I see symptoms?

My plan is to move the peafowl into my call duck aviary, its huge. Are they okay with waterfowl? Just not to be kept with chickens and turkeys?

Thank you in advance for your help!

 

[Waterfaery]

It's great that you're doing so much research and getting prepared with having meds on hand. You're right, they can get sick so quickly so it's very important to be ready. Here is a post with a good list of things to have.

I wouldn't be so quick to medicate with antibiotics based on one dropping. From what I read, that yellow foamy dropping could have come from any of the birds in your quarantine pen, is that right? Have the chickens and turkeys also been wormed? Are there also plenty of normal droppings in there? I would spend some time observing the peahen you're concerned about so you can see which droppings she is doing.

Has she put on any weight since you got her? If you're not sure, I would advise you to start tracking that. Give her plenty of high protein feed and help her get to a normal weight.

You should definitely repeat the worming after 10 days and I would absolutely trust the dosage @KsKingBee recommended.

Are the other birds in your quarantine pen also new or have you had them for a while? If you get new birds from different sources it's a good idea to quarantine them separately, otherwise you need to double the length of their quarantine time because they could catch things from each other. I would be inclined to avoid mixing them with even more birds by putting them with your call ducks. If you can get them on their own, that would be great. Otherwise, I would let them complete their time in quarantine and then introduce them to your other peafowl when you're sure everyone is healthy. Do you have a long term plan for housing three mature peacocks so they don't fight?

 

[KsKingBee]

While keeping mixed species together is not recommended many people do it successfully. Waterfowl soil the drinking water and the peas end up drinking unsanitary poo-water. Turkeys tend to breed blackhead so if you mix them with peas you need to deworm at least quarterly making sure to do the five-day treatments to ensure you kill the capillary worms.

Keeping chickens with peas will be a problem if you do not treat for cocci. Chickens tend to withstand cocci and certainly much more so than peas. Having said this we have one pen with pheasants and peas that exhibit no health problems with our regular treatment plan and we have one chicken and pea pen that is also staying healthy.

Avoid stress as this will cause any opportunistic pest or disease to prevail. What they can normally live with can flourish and kill an otherwise healthy bird.

Do not be concerned about overdosing with Safeguard, birds can withstand higher than recommended dosing with no ill effect. I have read where people have given four or more times the dose and the bird showed no ill signs of hurting them. Valbazen, fenbendazole, is not as forgiving so care must be used. If giving orally it is a good idea to switch between the two wormers so not to cause resistance to a single drug.

 

[KsKingBee]

The normal dose for metronidazole is 250mg per day for three to five days. The tablets can be crushed and fed via tube feeding if the bird is not eating or the tablet can be wetted and shoved down the throat if it is eating and drinking. We like to wet the tablet with vitamin E so it goes down smoothly.

 

[GJRacingGirl726]

While keeping mixed species together is not recommended many people do it successfully. Waterfowl soil the drinking water and the peas end up drinking unsanitary poo-water. Turkeys tend to breed blackhead so if you mix them with peas you need to deworm at least quarterly making sure to do the five-day treatments to ensure you kill the capillary worms.

Keeping chickens with peas will be a problem if you do not treat for cocci. Chickens tend to withstand cocci and certainly much more so than peas. Having said this we have one pen with pheasants and peas that exhibit no health problems with our regular treatment plan and we have one chicken and pea pen that is also staying healthy.

Avoid stress as this will cause any opportunistic pest or disease to prevail. What they can normally live with can flourish and kill an otherwise healthy bird.

Do not be concerned about overdosing with Safeguard, birds can withstand higher than recommended dosing with no ill effect. I have read where people have given four or more times the dose and the bird showed no ill signs of hurting them. Valbazen, fenbendazole, is not as forgiving so care must be used. If giving orally it is a good idea to switch between the two wormers so not to cause resistance to a single drug.

I so appreciate all of your knowledge and help! I dosed with Valbazen at the 3ml for the cock, 2ml ea for the hens, I found you had recommended that in another thread but I think that's the dosage for safeguard. What is the correct dosage of Valbazen?

 

[GJRacingGirl726]

It's great that you're doing so much research and getting prepared with having meds on hand. You're right, they can get sick so quickly so it's very important to be ready. Here is a post with a good list of things to have.

I wouldn't be so quick to medicate with antibiotics based on one dropping. From what I read, that yellow foamy dropping could have come from any of the birds in your quarantine pen, is that right? Have the chickens and turkeys also been wormed? Are there also plenty of normal droppings in there? I would spend some time observing the peahen you're concerned about so you can see which droppings she is doing.

Has she put on any weight since you got her? If you're not sure, I would advise you to start tracking that. Give her plenty of high protein feed and help her get to a normal weight.

You should definitely repeat the worming after 10 days and I would absolutely trust the dosage @KsKingBee recommended.

Are the other birds in your quarantine pen also new or have you had them for a while? If you get new birds from different sources it's a good idea to quarantine them separately, otherwise you need to double the length of their quarantine time because they could catch things from each other. I would be inclined to avoid mixing them with even more birds by putting them with your call ducks. If you can get them on their own, that would be great. Otherwise, I would let them complete their time in quarantine and then introduce them to your other peafowl when you're sure everyone is healthy. Do you have a long term plan for housing three mature peacocks so they don't fight?

The other birds originally came from my flock as chicks, but then I took them back on as the gal had to move. I checked all of their poops at her place, sprayed then with Elector PSP, and moved them to my place in the quarantine pen. I had them for 2 weeks before getting the mature peas, but as pent those 2 weeks thoroughly observing and checking poops regularly. I knew I was extending my quarantine period but I fell in love with these Peacocks and they were a Christmas Present to myself, ha! Ill attach some pictures later today. I've seen about 8 liquid yellow or light brown stools total, and only over the past 3 or 4 days. The first week with the peas all stools was normal. I'm going to go see if I can catch who is doing it, but we are also building turkey pens on the other side of the yard today so I haven't been able to watch them poop as much as I'd like to. Can peas have tunafish? They loved the peas I gave them yesterday, but did not care for the green beans. Any other high protein things you can think they might like? Okay, off to finish out what I can for the last hour of daylight. Thank you so much for your help!

 

[Waterfaery]

I know, it's so easy to fall in love with birds!

Maybe you could post some photos of the yellow droppings? Maybe some of the more experienced members might be able to tell you something about them. Not knowing if they're from chickens, turkeys or peafowl might make a difference, though. Have you compared with some photos online? There are lots of threads and photos on here and elsewhere online about chicken poo but this thread is about healthy and unhealthy peafowl poo in particular and is really useful.

A droppings board might be a good idea to identify who's doing normal and abnormal droppings. If you take note of who's roosting where before bed, you can make a good guess when you see the droppings in the morning.

A camera is one of the best things we have bought for our peafowl. We have one with a motion sensor aimed at one of the feeding stations but with a good view of as much of the aviary as possible in the background. It gives a really good overview of their behaviour over the full day. When I had sick birds recently, I was able to put it in with them in isolation and watch everything they did. Of course spending time with them in reality is so important but it's great to have the extra information from the camera as well. Also, they do act differently when we're around and they try to hide their illness so it's good to get an idea what they're like when they don't know they're being watched.

Yes, they can eat tuna and other seafood. They really love shrimp and it's so good for them.

Eggs are one of the best things to give them. Mine love them scrambled but you could cook them however is easiest for you.

Mealworms and other insect products for birds are high in protein. Animal derived proteins are great because they eat a lot of that in the wild (crayfish, amphibians, insects etc.) but some vegetables that are high in protein are good and contain other important nutrients as well. If they like the peas, that's great. Any of the other legumes like chickpeas, lentils, beans etc are good as well. If you're giving beans they need to be cooked.

You can also give nuts and nut butters. Mine love walnuts and they love peanut butter in their wet mash but we buy one that doesn't have added salt or sugar. @KsKingBee told me recently that nuts aren't easy to digest but that was in relation to a bird with a compromised digestive system. I always give nuts to my healthy birds as well as seeds like sunflower and linseed.

Their commercial feed is so important to get right. If they have come to you undernourished, I would find out what they were eating there and avoid it. The only commercial feed I have available here uses soy as the protein so I supplement with other things. I also don't trust the commercial feeds as a complete diet because anything even remotely high in protein is usually aimed at birds intended for eating and doesn't really have their longevity in mind. You might be able to source a very good commercial feed with animal or fish protein where you are. Or maybe you can even buy fishmeal to add. If you fill in your profile details in your account, people will be able to see where you are which might be useful and maybe some members can advise you about what you have available locally.

Apart from protein, there are lots of other foods that are good for them for a variety of nutrients including viatmins, minerals and other micronutrients. Leafy greens are so important and other fruit and veg as well. Bananas are great and would probably help with weight gain as well. Some grains like oats, millet, sorghum, quinoa etc can also be added. I've read that wild peafowl in India seek these crops out to eat.

I'm not an expert but I am especially interested in getting their nutrition right so have done a lot of research. I think the key is everything in moderation and a good balance. There is a thread in the stickies section that has some good ideas about peafowl diets in general.

 

[GJRacingGirl726]

I so appreciate all of your knowledge and help! I dosed with Valbazen at the 3ml for the cock, 2ml ea for the hens, I found you had recommended that in another thread but I think that's the dosage for safeguard. What is the correct dosage of Valbazen?

Busy weekend-built two turkey breeding pens and a new silkie pen. I spent what time I could in the quarantine pen, and no more abnormal droppings, and Ive also been able to see what poops are Odette's (my thin white peahen who is the subject of this post), and all appears normal. I'm working on adapting a diet for them that we can implement when quarantine is over, but also providing some healthy protein snacks to help her gain weight. How do you suggest I track her weight, @Waterfaery , any tricks? We had a brainstorming session and per your recommendations @KsKingBee and we will divide the call duck aviary so that the peas get 2/3 of it, and the call ducks get the other third. Its a 60'x22' hoop coop aviary, I think its 10ft tall, so I think this will work out for both species, but also separate them so the peafowl don't drink the soiled duck water. This means the peacocks will not be with any other birds and will help us keep from worrying about any diseases that one species carries or is more vulnerable to than the others. Today is day 10, Im going to go out and dose the peas with round 2 of Valbazen, is anyone available by chance to confirm dosage? I went with 3ml for the cock, 2ml for the hen with the 1st dosage but am concerned that that may have been too much as the sticky thread I mentioned about the safeguard and feather damage that had valbazen dosage was much lower. Ill add some pics of my girl this week and see if you guys have anymore ideas to help her get to a healthy weight. Thanks all!

 

[KsKingBee]

The Valbazen dosage is slightly less than the SG but not enough to be concerned about. It will not harm your birds.

 

[GJRacingGirl726]

The Valbazen dosage is slightly less than the SG but not enough to be concerned about. It will not harm your birds.

Thank you!!