King Shiva

[birdman5000]

Hello everyone and thank you for all the information your website has. I have been able to maintain having a peacock for a month now. I got a peacock recently that is roughly 5 years old and about 7ish feet long from tail to head. We have become very good friends. He has been by his self for roughly a year inside a coop. No pen or free ranging going on. I have read peafowl get lonely but feel he is better off than he was. I built a pen and run under my deck that is 20ish feet by 12 feet and bringing him in the garage at night since its been cold and rainy. He has become a good friend he crows real loud when my dogs alert me. He seems to fit in the family well but I haven't let the dogs in the pen with them yet 3 chihauha and a german shepherd. I also have 4 chickens and some fish, 2 kids and a wife. The reason for my concern and post is I recently noticed red mites around and he has been pacing the pen today which isn't really normal behavior for him but I've only had him a month. I think the mites are bothering him. The chickens are about 15 yards from him and acting normal. A few questions

1. Will these mites hurt him or the chickens?
2. What is the fastest way to get rid of the mites?
3. I read to spray the peafowl with water. I have earned a lot of trust with this bird he perches on my arm lets me pick him up ect. Is this something I should do. His legs do not appear agitated yet but I just noticed him pacing and the bugs today.

 

[KsKingBee]

Can you take a very close up pic of the bugs?

 

[KsKingBee]

Sometimes you have to blow up the pic to see bugs. This is face lice drinking at the eye. It is also a bird going blind, the reason for the pic in the first place.

 

[drumstick diva]

poor bird

 

[birdman5000]

I will take a picture. Should of thought of that earlier. They are not out right now. They seem to appear around 530ish pm. These are little red bugs with brown towards the bottom of them. I think the brown are the wings.

 

[KsKingBee]

http://www.chickenvet.co.uk/health-and-common-diseases/mites-lice/index.aspx

Do they look like this?

 

[birdman5000]

They almost looked like this but more red tinted. They could fly and seemed to have a hard shell. When i popped them it would splatter. He seems fine this morning but rained hard last nite he doesnt have anything crawling on him. Eyes look very bright and clear.

 

[KsKingBee]

Too big to be a mite. IDK...

 

[CannedMonster]

Those look like some sort of beetle.
I doubt they have anything to do with the birds.

 

[birdman5000]

I was hoping that was the case. Just want to preventative if needed. Might have to do with the tree his pen is beside.