In need of Peachick rearing advice. Anyone help??

[junglefowler]

Hi there fellow peafowl enthusiast.

I have a peachick, hatched a month ago. Ive been looking for advice.
Currently my peachick is on starter. It started off, not eating much so i put it together with a chick to stimulate its feeding habits. Im from a tropical country, so i have been keeping it in a enclosed brooder to prevent the blood-suckers (mosquitoes) from getting to it.

This week, it seemed like it isnt doing so well. It wasnt as active as it was before. Im really not sure what im doing wrong but it seems like its leg muscles arent as developed and strong.

I would appreciate any advice i could get.

 

[bemba]

Peachicks need to be wormed out very regularly for the first 3 months or so, also they are very prone to blackhead.

 

[JRivrVue]

different person replying to your post. how young do you start to worm them? what method? what wormer? more details please, thanks Judy...

 

[Yoda]

Hi there fellow peafowl enthusiast.

I have a peachick, hatched a month ago. Ive been looking for advice.
Currently my peachick is on starter. It started off, not eating much so i put it together with a chick to stimulate its feeding habits. Im from a tropical country, so i have been keeping it in a enclosed brooder to prevent the blood-suckers (mosquitoes) from getting to it.

This week, it seemed like it isnt doing so well. It wasnt as active as it was before. Im really not sure what im doing wrong but it seems like its leg muscles arent as developed and strong.

I would appreciate any advice i could get.

Have either of these chicks been on the ground? If you too the chicken chick from a pen and it was on the ground it could spread disease to the peafowl chick. Pea chicks are prone to Coccidia and blackhead disease which they can get from chickens. At a month old your chick should be walking around so you will need to explain what you mean it's leg muscles aren't strong and developed? I do not know if you have access to a fish antibiotic called fish zole in your country. You should be able to cause I believe they raise discus fish in your country if my memory serves me well so you might be able to get it. You can use this to cure blackhead. Treat it for 3 days at 3 tablets per gallon of water. You can use 1 and a half tablets for half a gallon. If the chick doesn't drink it on it's own, you might have to give it orally to it. After treating for blackhead then treat for coccidia for this I uae Corid again mixed in water 1 teaspoon per gallon or half a teaspoon for half gallon and like stated before you might have to orally dose. Once your chick touches the ground it needs to be wormed within 7 days (that's what I do).

different person replying to your post. how young do you start to worm them? what method? what wormer? more details please, thanks Judy...

Judy,
I start worming around 6 months old. My chicks do NOT touch the ground til at least 6 months old. I worm twice a year as follows: First up is SafeGuard liquid for goats. I mix it with water cause it is easier for me at a dose of 3cc/ml per gallon of water. I do this for 3 days and on the 14 day I will treat them again. I mix fresh batches each day for 3 days again and wait another 14 days. I will then place a 1/2cc/ml of Ivermectin pour on for cattle directly onto the skin at the base of the of the neck between the wings. The chick's feathers will absorb most of the the liquid but at least a 1/4cc will be absorb into the skin and that it. I worm in the fall and then again in the spring before breeding season. Basically it's October and April for me. You can use a needleless syringe to administer or an eye dropper that has cc/ml on it.

Sorry guys I wrote this after 2 am and I did write the word "both" instead of disease. Blackhead can be transmitted by chickens and Coccidia cannot. Thank you Dr Kathy for pointing it out so LARGELY!!!

 

[casportpony]

Chickens get 9 types of coccidia, turkeys get 7 different ones and peafowl get their own type, but I don't know how many that is. Coccidiosis is species specific, peafowl do not get it from chickens.

http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/freepubs/pdfs/agrs52.pdf







-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

I have been worming with fenbendazole 10% (Safeguard or Panacur, liquid or paste) at 50mg/kg by mouth and repeating in ten days, but I have been thinking about trying 20mg/kg three days a row instead. FWIW, per my vet, I have wormed week old peachicks at 50mg/kg and they have been fine.

According to my vet and the AAAP Avian Disease Manual, treatment for blackhead (histomoniasis) is metronidazole (Flagyl, Zish-Zole and Meditrich)30mg/kg for five days and worming with fenbendazole as stated above.

If possible, consult with a veterinarian.

-Kathy

 

[BantyMom]

I hope this doesn't qualify as hyjacking this topic, but my question is related and I'm afraid that if I begin a new topic it will be seen as a duplicate.

Anyway, please forgive me as I piggyback on the replies with a related question.

I have 3 peachicks, 2 are 12 days old, the third is 5 days old. They are all India Blues. I have a feeding question.


I hatched them under a Marans and took them away after day 1 as I had been informed when I borrowed the hen that she might be untrustworthy with newborn chicks. They are in a wire cage (1/2 in sq. holes on the bottom and sides, most of the sides covered against drafts) with a 100 watt bulb for warmth (14" high), red infrared light at night under the possibly mistaken belief that they will sleep better (both were checked with two thermometers for temperature). They are moving in and out of the light as needed and all the poop is going through the wire (tray lined with shavings)

Everyone seems healthy. They eat/drink/poop regularly and the poop looks good. They are especially voracious when I insert the head end of a knitting needle into their food cup and stir it around while calling "bup-bup" (they seem to be very attracted by the shiny metal head; the rest of the needle is red). Eyes are bright, they are all alert and very curious, stable on their feet, and can fly out of the cage when I call them. They have a wooden perch (washed with soap and hot water and baked in the oven) which has 4 flat sides and rounded corners and is 3 inches off the bottom of the cage.


I'm feeding them medicated chick starter mixed 50/50 with HB Egg yolk which I dropped onto a board the first night and pecked at it with my finger while making "bup-bup" sounds. This seemed to work and I repeated this every 30 minutes until bedtime (putting in and removing the wooden board each time), then every 1-2 hours the next two days. After that they began to take food from a cup on the side of the cage. Water was in a cut-down sour-cream container with marbles in it for the first two days, after which they graduated to a yogurt container attached to the side of the cage. Water had sugar added to it at first.

Third chick hatched a week later and and after 24 hours was moved into the cage. It learned to eat and drink immediately from the other two. No bullying was observed. Sugar was put into the water again for the first two days. Everyone is still being fed medicated chick starter mixed 50/50 with HB egg yolk.

I have read that they need feed with 30% protein. My Medicated chick starter is 20% protein. The information I have is that Yolks are 43% protein http://www.cholesterol-and-health.com/Egg_Yolk.html, so that should be good, but eventually I'm going to use up the surplus eggs my bantams are giving me.

1) Can I start using the whole egg (well cooked)

2) Can I add catfood to raise the protein? (I have done some of that and they seem to be eating it fine)

3) Should I switch to unmedicated turkey starter (26% protein)?

3) Is it imperative that I order medicated gamebird or medicated turkey starter (don't know if I can)?

After reading about the different medication added for the different forms of coccidia and the medication used against it in the post by casportpony, I am wondering if the medication in the medicated chick-starter will provide them any protection at all. And what about when I eventually move them outside?

Thank you, and I hope answers to this will also help the OP.

Cheers,
Bantymom

 

[Yoda]

Feeding 30% protein to your chicks can lead to leg issue later. Egg/yolk should be given as a treat not a meal. Medicated chick starter (which I use) or medicated game/turkey starter is perfectly fine to feed them. I add cracked corn when they are big enough to eat it to the starter food. You do not have to give them sugar water everyday either. Picking up chick vitamins and adding that to the water is better for them or just plain is fine too. Here is what I found on UPA website:
Question:
Each year I raise several young peachicks. At around 2 1/2 months old, a small number of these chicks develop some type of
leg problem. In some it's one leg, in some it's both legs. It appears the knee joint turns inward and the feet turn out. They grow
fine and are never sick, but they are crippled for life. I feed 30% quality game bird starter till 3 months old, then add grain and
greens. Can you help?
Thanks, Ellis
Answer:
Ellis, I think the problem you are having is something we have all ran into at one time or another and that is that the protein level
is too high. This causes the young birds to grow too fast and their legs don't strengthen fast enough to support the extra
weight. There may be other factors but I feel this is the major problem, you may want to consider trying 20-22% feed.
Here's my answers to your questions:
1. I would not, let them eat the starter instead. No need to they are still kind of young
2. No if you add cat food you will need to supply grit in order for them to digest it.
3. no again, the medicated will help boost the immune system
4. Not really medicated chick starter will work fine for you. But if your birds like Casportpony's keep getting blackhead then yes switch to a medicated turkey starter.

The medication in the crumbles is not going to prevent Coccidia, it is going to help the chick fight it off easier. As the chick fights it off with the help of the medication it's immune system gets stronger towards the disease. So yes your chick can still get a mild case of Coccida. The same with medicated game starter except it controls blackhead disease. Not everyone's birds get coccidia or blackhead disease. Mine knock on wood so far have not caught either. But I still give the medicated starter just in case

When your birds hit the ground you will want to worm them. If you do not want to do it orally you do not have to. You can mix it to the water for 3 days then repeat in 14 days. Deerman always told me never mix meds so I do not care what any Vet says I will not do it. As far as I know he NEVER lost any birds treating them his way and I will not change it. I do not know what type of reactions will occur when mixing drugs. Lets be real every drug has side effects - everyone! I will not place 2 drugs in my expensive birds because a Vet I do not know said so. My bird Vet knows Peafowl cause her father breeds them so I shall check with her before one that has to look it up in a book. I had to take pills for an infection and the side effect put me in the hospital, so please do not mix your drugs.

 

[junglefowler]

Hi there,
Thank you everyone for the advice. Yes ive let it touch the ground already, only because it wasnt doing very well in its brooder. Its getting much more active now. I will have in mind that im suppose to worm it regular basis while its young.

After more observation, i noticed that its actually Limping on one leg. Had to give it a closer look and i noticed its right leg join (knee? Not to sure whats it called) is oddly grown compared to the left.

More background, this is actually eggs from a first time hen. Could this have anything to do with its Leg. Or is it an injury?

Terima kasih banyak
( thanks you lots!!!!)

 

[junglefowler]

Hi there,
Thank you everyone for the advice. Yes ive let it touch the ground already, only because it wasnt doing very well in its brooder. Its getting much more active now. I will have in mind that im suppose to worm it regular basis while its young.

After more observation, i noticed that its actually Limping on one leg. Had to give it a closer look and i noticed its right leg join (knee? Not to sure whats it called) is oddly grown compared to the left.

More background, this is actually eggs from a first time hen. Could this have anything to do with its Leg. Or is it an injury?

Terima kasih banyak
( thanks you lots!!!!)