Chewed looking tail feathers

[KsKingBee]

Upon further review, I can see a lack of preening. The keratin shaft is not being cleaned off of the feathers. Cocks normally preen it off by chewing on it. You can catch him and use a soft brush and your fingernails to remove the keratin if you wish. Some birds do not preen as they should, you can do it for them or wait and most of it will wear away as the summer continues.

 

[chicknmania]

Ivermec won't hurt to use, but I would also check the roost space, or any other place he hangs out a lot. I had a roo break most of his tail feathers halfway off just to fit into his new favorite sunning spot.

He roosts on a rafter in our barn, unfortunately not easy for me to get to to spray with anything, but the roosts are not constricted in any way and he has always roosted in the same places for the past ten years, and this is the first year ever that he's looked ratty. Do you think it could be a nutritional deficiency? He does not go outside as much anymore since we lost his brother and best friend last August. I give him catfood treats and they have Flock Raiser, but I can't really feed Gamebird food because the chickens eat with them. I could feed him Gamebird food as a treat though and he would eat it from my hand, if you think it might be a protein deficiency issue?

 

[chicknmania]

Upon further review, I can see a lack of preening. The keratin shaft is not being cleaned off of the feathers. Cocks normally preen it off by chewing on it. You can catch him and use a soft brush and your fingernails to remove the keratin if you wish. Some birds do not preen as they should, you can do it for them or wait and most of it will wear away as the summer continues.

Oh, good, so do you think I should use the Ivermec anyway? No I never see him preen or clean himself in any way. I could, however, just walk up to him and use a soft brush on him and he probably would let me do that, especially if I do it when he's flirting with the hen. He lets me stroke his tail, now, so it shouldn't be a problem.

But why would the shafts look chewed?

Also I am getting ready to deworm the flock today or tomorrow with Levamisol. I read somewhere that you can use Ivermec as a dewormer too, in the drinking water, and it also helps with external parasites that way for everybody, but I don't know what the dosage would be if I put it in the water, for the combined flock of chickens and peas. Do you think I should try to do that, or just stick with the Levamisol dewormer?

My last thought (sorry this is so long) is that I wonder if our peahen might be picking on him. I have never seen her do this, but she's a strange bird, lol. She just in the past year has started being interested in Sapphire..she's seven years old but she just never really seemed to have an interest before now. She loves to harass the chickens, and so maybe she is harassing him too? Has anyone seen the hens mess with the peacock's trains?

 

[KsKingBee]

In my opinion, the train is not chewed on and does not show any damage from lice although he could have some lice as most birds do. The problem you are seeing, or not seeing, is the bird is not preening himself and removing the keratin shaft that covers the feather as it grows. Maybe after you brush the train you will see what I am referring
to.

 

[chicknmania]

In my opinion, the train is not chewed on and does not show any damage from lice although he could have some lice as most birds do. The problem you are seeing, or not seeing, is the bird is not preening himself and removing the keratin shaft that covers the feather as it grows. Maybe after you brush the train you will see what I am referring
to.

OK, thank you , I see. I will try that. I understand that what looks like the chewed part is just the Keratin buildup that he didn't remove.

 

[chicknmania]

But I still think, after looking again, that his tail looks too thin..there don't seem to be as many feathers as there should be, or have been in past years. And why would he be dropping them? He hasn't dropped a lot, but I've picked up three or four. I've never seen that before, either...until they drop them as they should, in late summer.

 

[KsKingBee]

But I still think, after looking again, that his tail looks too thin..there don't seem to be as many feathers as there should be, or have been in past years. And why would he be dropping them? He hasn't dropped a lot, but I've picked up three or four. I've never seen that before, either...until they drop them as they should, in late summer.

Any number of reasons, age, stress, environment, worms, arthritis, or nutrition just to name a few.

 

[chicknmania]

Any number of reasons, age, stress, environment, worms, arthritis, or nutrition just to name a few.

Thanks for the advice!