Help with Peachicks Please

[Waterfaery]

I have 10 peachicks being raised naturally by two peahens co-mothering them. They were two weeks old yesterday.

I noticed today that they're trembling a bit. It's sort of like a whole body quiver. I don't think they're cold because they're under the peahens on and off all the time. When they're out and about they're all full of energy as usual. I've noticed them doing this trembling a couple of times before but they seem to be doing it a bit more today. They're not trembling all the time, just on and off. Can the trembling be normal if they're acting otherwise normal, eating, drinking, flying around, displaying their tails, having dust baths etc? Or is it a sign they're unwell?

I also noticed some poo today from my peahens that I don't know if I should be concerned about. There is one runny, white poo and some dark black, solid poos. I don't know if they are from the same peahen or if both are pooing like this. I'll attach photos. Can anyone please advise about these?

I've been trawling through other posts about these sorts of things and I read advice about weighing them daily. I haven't weighed them until today so I have no baseline data but do these figures look normal for 2 week olds? The majority of them weigh between 125-135g but two are much smaller.

There is a little one that weighs 110g who also has some issues flying. I have a series of platforms / steps leading up to the roost. When the others started roosting, the little one couldn't get up there, even with the platforms. Now all of the others are flying straight to the halfway platform and then straight to the top but this one is struggling to get up via the platforms. She made it all the way up for the first time last night. At first I thought my non-flyer was one of the bigger ones but it is actually one of the little two. I noticed that her wings look a bit different and at first I thought she just had some different colouring but now I think she might have something stuck on her wing. She's had it since she hatched. I'll attach a photo of her which hopefully will show the white on her wing. Can anyone advise what to do with her?

The other little one only weighs 102g and she has had a funny looking eye since she hatched. I thought it might be some sort of deformity rather than an infection but maybe someone can advise? She can close it fully but she doesn't seem to be able to open it fully. I have a feeling she may be blind or partially blind in that eye because when she wants to look at something closely she turns her head all the way around to use the other eye. She's just as active and eating, drinking and pooing normally like the other peachicks. So far, there is no strange peachick poo, only the ones from the peahen(s) today.

Even though the funny eyed one weighs the least, she seems to have a relatively high position in the social order and is nearly always first to the treats. The non-flying one on the other hand, is always last and I have seen her being picked on a little bit by some of the others.

I was planning to start worming them in another couple of weeks. As for coccidiosis, they are on a medicated chick starter containing monensin as the coccidiostat. I was also planning to buy some coccidiosis medication to have on hand. I'd rather not dose them with preventative medication but I want to have the right thing on hand and be vigilant so I can treat quickly if I need to. Do any of these symptoms suggest I need to do either a worming or coccidiosis treatment now? Or any other treatment?

If anyone can help with any of these issues, I'd appreciate it.

 

[KsKingBee]

At two weeks it is too early for the chicks to have developed worms so you can rule that out for now. Feeding medicated chick starters will do nothing to ward off cocci, it is a false sense of security. Go here; https://globalpigeonsupply.com/collections/pantex/products/pantacox-100ml and buy the pantatex to start treating your chicks at least every four weeks. This actually kills cocci not just retard it like a Corid and other coccidiostats do.

The black tar poo could be a sign of bacterial infection but not always. If she is having a creamy yellowish urine drops it could confirm.

 

[KsKingBee]

Treat the chicks as soon as you get the Pantatex and do not allow any other water for the two-day treatment. Use 3.0 ml per quart of water and make fresh both days.

 

[old biddy]

Treat the chicks as soon as you get the Pantatex and do not allow any other water for the two-day treatment. Use 3.0 ml per quart of water and make fresh both days.

This is good to know. I have been using Corid but will try the Pantatex in the future. Should I treat monthly as a preventative like I have been doing with Corid? Or is this just
when I have an already sick bird?

 

[Waterfaery]

Thank you. I have ordered some Toltrazuril from my vet but they won't have it until next week and also, I don't want to give it preventatively, only if they have signs of coccidiosis.

Are any of the symptoms I mentioned signs of coccidiosis?

I'm not really a fan of medicating preventatively. In fact, I'm changing out their food today because I've been reading up about coccidiostats and apparently Monensin, which is the one in my feed, can be toxic to adult birds. I'm so scared that that could be what's affecting my peahen(s).

I haven't seen anything creamy yellow.

What about the wet, white poo? Does it look ok? There were a few more like that since my last post.

 

[Waterfaery]

I've spent the last couple of hours just sitting with them and watching closely.

I'm not worried about the trembling now. I think they were cold. They're spending longer out and about before going back under the peahens and it's always after they've been out for a while that they're trembling, never when they just first come out. It is about 16 degrees C here so not very warm. I assume the peahens know what they're doing? They seem to be doing a good job of bringing them back in to warm them up.

At the moment, my biggest concern is the poo. After more observation, one peahen is consistently pooing normally and one is consistently doing runny poos. The peachick poo is all normal. There has been no more black poo. I posted in the poo thread as well in case more people will read that.

I have changed out their food now because I was worried about the Monensin. I have read about it being toxic and one of the symptoms is diarrhea so I really hope I haven't poisoned my peahen. I'm waiting for an order of unmedicated game bird starter now so for the moment they are on ground up game bird grower.

I'd still love any advice about
- the weights, especially of the smaller two
- the eye
- the white patches on the wing
- also if anyone knows anything about the Monensin

Thank you so much for the help so far.

 

[KsKingBee]

This is good to know. I have been using Corid but will try the Pantatex in the future. Should I treat monthly as a preventative like I have been doing with Corid? Or is this just
when I have an already sick bird?

You have two choices, one you can give preventively and stay ahead of the cocci, or two, wait until the cocci does damage to the organs, that is when the bird starts showing signs of being sick. As you know, I do my own fecal exams but I can't always keep up so we opt to treat the chicks on a regular basis. Losing birds to something that is so easily controlled is heartbreaking.

 

[KsKingBee]

What about the wet, white poo? Does it look ok? There were a few more like that since my last post.

There are two types of poo, the wet watery and white poo is urine.

 

[casportpony]

I don't worry about their actual weight as much as I worry about lack of weight gain.

 

[Waterfaery]

You have two choices, one you can give preventively and stay ahead of the cocci, or two, wait until the cocci does damage to the organs, that is when the bird starts showing signs of being sick. As you know, I do my own fecal exams but I can't always keep up so we opt to treat the chicks on a regular basis. Losing birds to something that is so easily controlled is heartbreaking.

Thank you. I am considering doing this now as it is too stressful and upsetting waiting for them to get sick first. Will a scheduled preventative treatment affect their long term natural resistance to the cocci?