dying birds…please help

[zazouse]

gizzard (gĭz'ərd) A muscular pouch behind the stomach in birds. It has a thick lining and often contains swallowed sand or grit, which helps in the mechanical breakdown of food.

 

[appps]

Grit works in the gizzard not the crop

as we like to say "same difference" lol

 

[zazouse]

But it s not the same, the crop hold the food that makes it's way to the gizzard that grind it up, if the gizzard can not grind food up the food in the crop it just sits there and you have sour crop

people have high acid content in their stomach to to aid in digestion that is why we do not need a gizzard

I know this is a chicken but it is pretty much like peafowl

 

[casportpony]

Quote: Huge difference!

http://www.exoticpetvet.net/avian/anatomy.html
"The digestive system has some unique avian features. We have already talked about the crop, the outpouching of the esophagus. The esophagus connects to the crop and then travels through the bones at the top of the keel. The esophagus then connects to the stomach. The avian stomach is unique. The first portion of it is called the proventriculus, and this is the part with glands in it that secretes gastric juice. The second part of the stomach is called the ventriculus, or gizzard, and it is where digested proteins are broken down and where grinding occurs."

-Kathy

 

[AugeredIn]

Several things come to mind... worms, E. coli, blackhead, clostridia and coccidiosis. Please post poop pictures.

If they were mine I would de-worm all of them orally with Safeguard at 0.5ml per 2.2 pounds for five days.

Peafowl Amount (1 ml = 1 cc)
Large Adult Male 3 ml
Small Adult Male 2 ml
Large Adult Female 2 ml
Small Adult Female 1.5 ml
Large 3 month old chick 1 ml
Medium 3 month old chick 0.8 ml
Small 3 month old chick 0.7 ml


Baytril in water is not a good way to treat them, it should be given orally or by injection, and Baytril will not treat some things like clostridia or blackhead. For clostridia and blackhead you would need metronidazole. Clostrida dose is 50mg per 2.2 pounds twice a day for 10-14 days, I think. Blackhead dose is no less than 30mg per 2.2 pounds for five days.

Best treatment for coccidiosis is Corid (amprolium).
Corid powder is 1.5 teaspoons per gallon for 5-7 days.
Corid liquid is 2 teaspoons per gallon for 5-7 days.

-Kathy

Follow this post to keep the birds alive. I would additionally treat with the Corid at the same time as the Safeguard.

 

[AugeredIn]

Birds that are too young to lay should *not* be eating lay pellets or lay crumble, there's way too much calcium in it for them.

-Kathy

We start 5 month old birds on 22% layer pellet. I can't honestly say we are not hurting the birds but I see no evidence of it (yet).

The problem, of course, is that ANY commercial layer food has to much calcium if you believe the literature. I don't know how to, practically, avoid that level of calcium. Don't even go down the mix your own or specially mill paths. Been there, ain't practical. Even game bird chow has calcium added.

 

[DylansMom]

We start 5 month old birds on 22% layer pellet. I can't honestly say we are not hurting the birds but I see no evidence of it (yet).

The problem, of course, is that ANY commercial layer food has to much calcium if you believe the literature. I don't know how to, practically, avoid that level of calcium. Don't even go down the mix your own or specially mill paths. Been there, ain't practical. Even game bird chow has calcium added.

Curiosity compels me to ask what health problems could result from too much calcium? We switch from grower/finisher to layer around the end of March, all adult birds male and female eat layer until Oct. when we switch back to grower/finisher. We used to feed layer year round simply because we didn't know any better, my birds seem to have thrived even with too much calcium so I am curious as to what can happen. Inquiring minds want to know.

 

[KsKingBee]

Curiosity compels me to ask what health problems could result from too much calcium? We switch from grower/finisher to layer around the end of March, all adult birds male and female eat layer until Oct. when we switch back to grower/finisher. We used to feed layer year round simply because we didn't know any better, my birds seem to have thrived even with too much calcium so I am curious as to what can happen. Inquiring minds want to know.

I read here somewhere that they thought that it could cause too rapid of bone growth causing leg problems in young growing chicks. Nothing on adults I have heard of.

 

[Trefoil]

We have livestock guardian dogs and my other birds have free ranged with no worries from predators…should I turn them out at the least during the day? (we have 940 acres, but most animals stay on the front 30 except the cattle). I am wondering if they would thrive more if they had access to grass and other grazing. I will complete baytril. What sort of cocci stuff do you recommend? and how much safeguard in their water? Just sent off for a product called Avio 4-1which their breeder recommended. She says they need to be up off the ground, but I don't really have cages to support that. Thank you all for the input.

Somewhere I missed where you are (state), so am not sure about your climate. Generally speaking, free range poultry of all kinds are going to be healthier than confined. The problem with peas is that they usually aren't over enthused ( or enthused at all) about going to shed at night like chickens are. This makes it a potential problem to protect them at night from predators and/or temperatures. Its also a lot harder to treat free ranging peas if problems do come up. The first thing I usually do when young peas don't look "right" is give them access to heat. But I'm from Michigan. That said, if you can convince them to come in at night, if they aren't sick right now, getting some outside time in good weather would be good for them. Especially if its warm where you are. The best thing I can think of, if you do free range, isl to get them accustomed to a "treat" that they really like( Zazoose uses scrambled eggs), this will give you something to put needed medication in to ensure each bird gets their prescribed amount.
If your breeder recommended Avio 4-1, it probably means they use it and it works. From the little reading I did, it sounds like it may be what you need. The only experience I've had with cocci was with an adult turkey, I used sulmet and it worked. But most on here say its too easily overdosed for use on peas, so I would stick with what your breeder suggested, at least until its proven not to work.
With the number of peas you have, it will be easier to individually dose them with medicines and wormers, if you can. Again, good luck

 

[Trefoil]

Kathy- would you send me a link to the studies about ivermectin you quote? Every time I try to find them I just get, mostly commercial, studies from chickens, saying it does, and recommendations from pea breeders.