First chicks = need advice

[Lil Zoo]

I planned to go straight with colors that amazed me, but: I wish you would all talk more about genetics as it is very interesting. I'm grasping it all quite slowly. I have another problem. My Midnight BS apparently spurred his foot. He is limping really bad. I don't like the looks of it and got some antibiotics to put in his water. Does anyone have a suggestion of what else I could do for him. Would an antibiotic ointment help. Could I bandage it? Where do you all take your peafowl if they are sick or injured? Vet doesn't seem all that interested in seeing him.

 

[Kedreeva]

You can use any triple anti-biotic like neosporin AS LONG AS it doesn't NOT have painkillers in it. You can wrap it with clean gauze and vetrap, which you can buy at any TSC or order online (and it comes in all the colors of the rainbow!).

As for vets, find a vet that takes exotics and birds at the same time. My vet does both, and while they'd only ever seen one pea in their entire business life, they were excited to have a chance to work with Blu when he injured himself. Plain Avian vets aren't always excited about all birds, since they are usually not "avian" vets, they are "cage bird/parrot" vets.

 

[Frosty]

I always have to rely on information found in places like here and common sense. We have two vets in town, a pet vet and a livestock vet. Call about anything poultry related and they both say to call the other.

 

[NateinFL]

I agree, when I had a sick peahen that couldn't walk or move, I called the vet's office and they said I'd have to bring her in. I started asking about the charges and they said she would likely be staying overnight and be under "intensive care". Would have been $100 easily. I posted on here and I'll never forget, Chickenzoo was the one who told me exactly what to do. I also pulled together info. from several other threads. Needless to say, she was cured for very cheap...just the cost of the metronidazole and Cocci-rid and a few other things I bought. I made a "mixture" that included nutrients that seemed good and force-fed her with a syringe (careful to not put it down her windpipe) several times a day and kept the heat on her.

In a week's time she bounced back, and went on to have several clutches until I recently sold her.

I still think it was blackhead that she had. She was trapped as a feral and I kept her in my pen of chickens (wrong thing to do). Live and learn.

I wish I had the "recipe" that I mixed up for her but it was more like "a little bit of this and a little bit of that" type thing.

Good luck with your bird!

Edited to add picture of her on the left and her yearling daughter on the right

 

[chicken danz]

Okay there was a comment about a female pea not being fertile with the breeding? I didn't understand this. Why would the female not be fertile and what combination(s) would produce a non-fertile bird. I sure don't want to go there!

 

[Lil Zoo]

Okay there was a comment about a female pea not being fertile with the breeding? I didn't understand this. Why would the female not be fertile and what combination(s) would produce a non-fertile bird. I sure don't want to go there!

Charcoal I know is the infertile color but the others will have to answer to why.

 

[chicken danz]

Interesting. Yes I would like to know why. I can see I will avoid charcoal.
I find myself wondering if I will still be alive long enough to produce all the ones I want.

 

[zazouse]

Interesting. Yes I would like to know why. I can see I will avoid charcoal.
I find myself wondering if I will still be alive long enough to produce all the ones I want.

I know the feeling.

 

[zazouse]

I agree, when I had a sick peahen that couldn't walk or move, I called the vet's office and they said I'd have to bring her in. I started asking about the charges and they said she would likely be staying overnight and be under "intensive care". Would have been $100 easily. I posted on here and I'll never forget, Chickenzoo was the one who told me exactly what to do. I also pulled together info. from several other threads. Needless to say, she was cured for very cheap...just the cost of the metronidazole and Cocci-rid and a few other things I bought. I made a "mixture" that included nutrients that seemed good and force-fed her with a syringe (careful to not put it down her windpipe) several times a day and kept the heat on her.

In a week's time she bounced back, and went on to have several clutches until I recently sold her.

I still think it was blackhead that she had. She was trapped as a feral and I kept her in my pen of chickens (wrong thing to do). Live and learn.

I wish I had the "recipe" that I mixed up for her but it was more like "a little bit of this and a little bit of that" type thing.

Good luck with your bird!

Edited to add picture of her on the left and her yearling daughter on the right

Beautiful Peas

 

[Lil Zoo]

You can use any triple anti-biotic like neosporin AS LONG AS it doesn't NOT have painkillers in it. You can wrap it with clean gauze and vetrap, which you can buy at any TSC or order online (and it comes in all the colors of the rainbow!).

As for vets, find a vet that takes exotics and birds at the same time. My vet does both, and while they'd only ever seen one pea in their entire business life, they were excited to have a chance to work with Blu when he injured himself. Plain Avian vets aren't always excited about all birds, since they are usually not "avian" vets, they are "cage bird/parrot" vets.

.I googled puncture wound on bird foot last night. I had everything but antibiotic sauve. I have found I can get closer to the birds to look at things at night. I went out cleaned with peroxide. Of course no antibiotic sauve. I took utter sauve found a penicilling pill my son failed to finish crushed it into powder and added to top. Not sure if that works or not. Wrapped with the non stick tape. He only flopped me with his wing a couple of times. This morning I went to town first thing. Went to feed store and got bottle of penicillin and syringe ask them if they had a special antibiotic sauve. Fellow was clueless so went to human pharmacy, found an animal loving pharmicist girl (who plans to stop by and see the peas). She said she'd treat by soaking in epsom salts and then wrap with the antibiotic sauve. She thought 3x's a day for day or two then then leave open and see what happens. She said if wrapped he probably would avoid using it just because it was wrapped. She said use judgement on using the injection of penicillin only use on really bad stuff. Am I the peacock whisperer or what went out unwrapped his foot it looked much better. Soaked for 1 hour. gently rubbing it, put sauve on and bandage. Mr. Gorgeous didn't even flap me with his wing just sit and stared at me and let me do it. When I was finished he hobbled over to the corner of his pen. Local vets are livestock and deal with pets. I will have to check Iowa City area for exoticsin call and see if they are needed that they do deal with peafowl. Probably buy a new bird for what they charge but when you love something replacing isn't the first option.