Need Advice With Our Greens feather picking

[horseshoecreekranch]

We have some Greens who wont stop picking eachothers neck feathers out. They pick until they are bleeding. With the cold weather Im afraid of them getting cold. I have heat lamps with them now. I have tried giving them greens, alfalfa, ect and they are on high quality feed. They have a huge pen and are not crowded. I was told to put bits on them. Need some advice on what to do? Has anybody used bits on there peafowl? We love these birds and dont know what to do.

Thanks for any help!!

 

[DMFarm]

I have never use any but I know a few breeders that has. I don't know why the greens like to pick on each other. I have some bits I bought several years ago that I have never use and Sid might be coming down Sat. I will give some to Sid and you can have them.
Doug

 

[Kev]

That's somewhat of an odd feather pattern.. looks more like self mutilation than strict picking feathers off other birds. Notice all the feathers on heads and upper necks just barely out of their own beak's reach are intact.. looks pretty similar to parrots who self-pluck.. when it's peafowl picking feathers off other birds, the crest very often is among the first to go.


No idea here either why greens feather pick more than Indians.

p.s. may be OT.. but just in case, has it been found out how to treat self-pluckers in parrots? Just in case it may be some relevance here?

 

[horseshoecreekranch]

I appreciate it Doug. I was going to call Sid in the morning. These are all Imperators. I just don't get it. I guess my only option left is to put bits on them. I only have one that won't pick at himself if I saperate them all into seperate pens.

Josh

 

[Kev]

So, they ARE picking themselves?

 

[horseshoecreekranch]

I have seen them pick eachother when they are together and when I separated them they pick their own feathers. Only have one that wont pick at himself.

 

[chickenzoo]

Could they possibly have some kind of parasite that is making their skin itch..... causing them to pick? I was thinking down here in the south we get chiggers that burrow under the skin...... just a thought. If not perhaps doing something to keep them busy like hanging a whole cabbage or things they like so they can pick at that, hiding wild bird seed and other treats under hay, in logs etc to give them something to do. Also flock raiser makes those flock blocks, perhaps picking at that instead might help?

 

[horseshoecreekranch]

Quote:
They do not have parasites. I was told that this is common in these young green peafowl. They have plenty to do in their pens, it almost seems like they like the taste of feathers? The only thing I haven't tried is a flock block. I have tried everything else. They are going to get the bit

It's a good thing I only purchased six of these. My non-green peafowl do fine. I have never had any problems with them.

 

[chickenzoo]

Perhaps because the Greens are less domesticated, they need more stimulation than more domesticated varieties.....? I don't know if they would like the bitter spray they use on parrots to help keep them from picking. Some parrots do well with it, others seem to like it.....? My Quaker parrot started plucking when I went back to collage, he was almost bald by the time I graduated. I ended up braking my foot and was home for a month and he grew them all back. He was upset that I wasn't there. Stress of some sort is the cause of a lot of those problems in parrots. I know chickens will pluck each other if given too much corn, corn seems to deplete the protein levels...... Sorry, just grasping at straws .......

 

[Resolution]

Quote:
Please don't use bits. That's just not necessary. Green peafowl are highly carnivorous. They require a high % animal protein diet with a healthy level of fat.
They will also crave non soluble fibre.

Get them some foragecakes and big stalks of celery. Put them on Ultrakibble or make their daily ration at least 75% catfood.