Feathers, feathers and more feathers!!

[bdfive]

Good grief, I'm up to my eyeballs in molting feathers in the aviaries. Have never noticed them like I do this year having White and Silver Pied peafowl. Does anyone just leave them or must they be cleaned up? I've always collected and put in the compost but can't seem to keep up anymore.

Another question. Have a 2 year old male that has 2 train feathers that just won't fall out. WHY? New train is starting to grow. I'm tempted to put my foot on the end of them letting him pull them out as he moves away but know that hurts so won't do it. Shouldn't he looses them so others will grow in their place?

OK, third question! Is there something extra to give the peafowl that helps them health wise during molting?

 

[zazouse]

I collect the pretty ones and the rains wash the rest into the ground and we been getting alot of rain.

The feather will be pushed out when the new feather comes in behind it, they get stuck sometimes, no biggie.

Boosting their protein levels helps with feather growth i use eggs and real cheese for that , whole foods like fresh fruits, veggies, nuts and fresh cooked beans without salt or seasonings help also.

 

[bdfive]

I collect the pretty ones and the rains wash the rest into the ground and we been getting alot of rain.

 The feather will be pushed out when the new feather comes in behind it, they get stuck sometimes, no biggie.

 Boosting their protein levels helps with feather growth i use eggs and real cheese for that , whole foods like fresh fruits, veggies, nuts and fresh cooked beans without salt or seasonings help also.

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YES, I have a heck of a collection of gorgeous feathers but the little down and damaged sure build up on the ground.

Good that new train feathers will push out those that are stuck. Thanks!

My peas get tons of extra healthy food and always have Purina Gamebird Feed available.

 

[MinxFox]

Yep those white feathers are very noticeable when they shed them! A good rain definitely makes the feathers wash away but every now and then I get an empty 50 pound sack and go around the pen picking up all the feathers. I have often thought about how much of a chore it must be for large peafowl breeders to clean up all those feathers.

I am giving my peas a lot of cat food right now. I am sure cat food or catfish chow will give the peas some good protein for feather growing.

 

[bdfive]

My peafowl loved the Purina Cat Chow Complete but Purina has changed the recipe and they don't like it anymore. What brand do you feed them? I've thought about giving them the feeder goldfish. Can get them at the pet store for ten cents each. I gave them 3 and they gobbled them down. Then thought....how do I know the fish are healthy without disease. Kinda felt bad too, haha!!! Bought a dozen to keep mosquitos from breeding in the rain barrel. Just bought a 100 gallon Rubbermaid Trough for the fish. Maybe if I keep them in the trough for a while before feeding to the birds. What do you think?

I'm still cleaning up feathers. Should go into the down pillow business, haha!!!

 

[Garden Peas]

My peafowl loved the Purina Cat Chow Complete but Purina has changed the recipe and they don't like it anymore. What brand do you feed them?

Mine like the brand that says "cat food" on the bag

So far I haven't tried them on anything in the cat food department they don't like

-- you must have picky peas

What's interesting is that there is a definite disparity between the birds here -- everyone loves cat food, but some of us love it more than others

As in some of us will eat it to the exclusion of everything else, until all the cat food is gone, every day... and then only eat other food because there is NO MORE cat food in the pen

 

[MinxFox]

I feed mine 9lives catfood. I feed them the salmon and egg flavored one. just gota free sample of catfood at Tractor's supply so I will try it out on the peafowl. I think that is just how peafowl are...they always eat their favorite food first and then after it is all gone they eat the other food. it doesn't mean that they don't like the other food, it just means their favorite is cat food. mine eat all the catfood first as well. they scratch through their food dishes to find all the cat food and then they eat the other stuff. Silly peas!

 

[bdfive]

  Mine like the brand that says "cat food" on the bag  

So far I haven't tried them on anything in the cat food department they don't like   -- you must have picky peas

What's interesting is that there is a definite disparity between the birds here -- everyone loves cat food, but some of us love it more than others   As in some of us will eat it to the exclusion of everything else, until all the cat food is gone, every day...  and then only eat other food because there is NO MORE cat food in the pen

I have to be careful or they would eat nothing but cat food. I give them a little every few days.....have to stay in the aviaries and make sure those at the top of pecking order don't get all of it with others getting none. I have one gorgeous 4 year old Emerald Spalding male the others all respect. When he's walking my way the others are all running away. He's hurt a peahen twice and a younger Black Shoulder male during breeding seasons. He corners them and pecks at the top of their necks blooding them up bad. I do believe he'd kill them. I have to keep him penned by himself when he's in that mode. Today I bought some Meow Mix.