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Ha! A saint! I've never been described with that term before- at least not on a public forum! Thank you for your kindness.
I think Green Peafowl is the most appropriate term. If a bird is a cross between different green peafowl with no Indian or domestic mutation genetic pollution - that's a composite.
Personally, I refer to these green composites as Evergreen, something the peanut gallery will burst with contempt over. I've yet to hear or read any other suggestion but am looking forward to any acknowledgement of the problem by the hobbyists with the most invested in peafowl. There are quite a few evergreens in the country. Tragically, a large % of the individuals who procured imported stock from Europe recently, have taken to crossing them with American stock of unknown provenance in an effort to artificially select traits that will mislead many people into thinking the birds are "pure imperator" "pure muticus muticus" whatever they decide on. That stock is evergreen and still invaluable as a genetic bank but a typically pathetic move by the people that truly know better. I don't see any attempt at managing lines or documentation. It's a free for all with everyone claiming their nationalistic identity and right to do whatever they feel with their personal property as being far more important than the conservation of a highly vulnerable captive population. I am truly saddened by what I've been learning about the situation. It's as if these people have a contempt for the birds themselves.
I don't think anyone should feed any any species, not a duck, a chicken, flamingo, pigeon or pheasant much less a peacock on GMO soy. I can assure you there is no GMO free soy available to feed manufactures as it's a commodity- it's all about the profit margins. Don't feed it. What I don't understand is the person that sells farm fresh eggs right out of their farmer's market -knowing that the egg yolk might as well be soy as that's what went into building it. They'll argue that their birds scratch around find bugs and such but really- if the bird's maintenance diet is soft pellets or crumbles and they eat it every day as their basic nutrition- everything else they find to eat is just a treat. It's not contributing much to the diet. I've heard arguments for and against the use of soy. no point in demonizing something that is a miracle of agricultural science and that is helping to feed the world. Nevertheless, it's not going to feed anyone in my family, my community ( from eggs sold from my farms) or fed to any bird or mammal in my care.
I can't believe I used to feed it to my birds every single day 365 days of the year. It never occurred to me that this is why the immune system of the birds was wobbly. Once I stopped using it the hard to rear birds starting reproducing more consistently and problems with female reproductive health have for all intensive purposes ended.
Scratch grain is a fine food when mixed in the proper ratio with a good supplement. Obviously I'm biased toward UltraKibble but maybe there are other soy-free products on the market that I don't know about. If there are snatch em up. The scratch just fills the crop- helps the birds feel satiated- the supplement is the whole diet.
I have some beautiful green hybrids free ranging - opal spauldings and white emeralds. So- don't think I'm a purist. I find that there are true masters of selective breeding and I will purchase their master pieces as readily as heirloom pear tree or oil painting. The birds do make their moves- but at least white coloured birds don't tend to wander too far from white backgrounds. But I wouldn't suggest it for folks with neighbors.
I'm worried that I'm going to be charged with hijacking this thread. I hope I answered some questions about the white feathering- of course I have lots of my own about the phenomenon.
In my experience, when birds are fed on the appropriate diet they will moult out the feathers and grow in plumage with rarely a single white plume.
That's been my experience and anyone can experiment for themselves but it begins with cutting soy feed out entirely. Also, resist mixing vitamins and minerals as supplements into feed that has already been pre-formulated. I'll start a new thread on diet sometime-probably about live food- if anyone has a question just PM me. Chores are calling me too.
only the best
K.
