Help--Feather pecking!!

[RedBugPoultry]

Please help, one of my young peafowl is pecking the feathers off the other one. I think the one pecking is a hen and the one being pecked is a cockerel(do you call peafowl cockerel?). Anyway, the one has the other pretty bald on the chest. Are they missing something in their diet? Can this be stopped?

 

[Phage]

Try a higher protein feed if not already on one.

 

[RedBugPoultry]

Quote:
This will not cause leg problems in my young bird?

 

[trailchick]

Also maybe give them something to eat that requires picking on like pumpkin, squash, corn on the cob, even green leaf lettuce or alfalfa, to keep them busy. They may just be kinda bored & a distraction like picking foods will help. Sometimes, there will be nothing one can do about it. A couple of my free range peas still have picked crests. Also could be a parasite like mites, or a heavy molt - are there a lot of other feathers (flight, tail, downy) lying around? Do some more investigating, check the skin area to confirm nothing else is causing the feather loss.
good luck

 

[RedBugPoultry]

Quote:
Thank you! I have checked for mites and thought about heavy molt but I see the female actually pecking at his chest. I will try something to keep them distracted as that might be the case. Thank you again for answering!!

 

[trailchick]

I even had an old friend tell me they would give meat bones for cannibalizing chickens to pick on (her grandmother would give it to her chickens).

Pea people generally feed a 20% protien & some believe a gamebird feed with 24% is better. I try to get the egg maker w/ 20% for them, and younger sometimes get the higher gamebird for a good start. Some give cat food for treats because it has 30% protien. I also give it, as they get a high protien content when free ranging, as insects are a very high protien food, & the weather for bugs is winding down..
Your welcome for the advise & maybe some others will have more suggestions. I know that picking in parrots can be a big problem with pets / owners & isnt always fixed.

 

[RedBugPoultry]

Quote:
Thank you for your time on this--I am feeding them a 20% chick feed at this time and about once a week I feed a little egg yolk. I also have been grinding cat food and mixing a little with their food once or twice a week. They are in a big hutch and may be getting bored. I gave them some whole romaine lettuce leaves a little while ago but that only lasted about 10 minutes at the most. Every day I cut some romaine up for them but thought after the suggestion that I would give it to them whole. They so love the stuff. I also buy them endive which they also love! I gave them a half apple a few minutes ago (I do not have any squash but need to get some). It is funny, as I went out to give the apple my coral blue guineas were out in front or the peachicks pen and the one I think is a male was calling to them! It was not a scream like help but a little deeper, but a call and I am so glad I got to hear it! These are such interesting and beautiful birds!! Thanks again!

 

[konopswj]

When my older peas were young, they started picking the crests of each other (winter when indoors a lot). I did hang cat toys and such from their roosts for them to play with. Not sure that was the solution, but it didn't happen anymore.

Hope this helps,
Walter