New Peacocks but chickens are now dying :(

[ChickenAloha]

I am new to all of this and have had free range chickens for about 2 years now thanks to BYC. Although, I now have a problem in which I haven't been able to find an article on in BYC. I told a friend of mine that I have always wanted to have peacocks and he was nice enough to get me 4 mature birds (2 males/2 females). It has been two weeks now since I got them and just in the past few days I have found two of my chickens sick in which they died that same day. When I found them, they both looked very weak, they both could not walk and could barely hold their heads up. On the first one I didn't see any signs or anything although on the second one I noticed she had blood coming out from her nose and had black spots on her face around her face. Please help!!! Mahalo

PS- I have a 10 x 30 fenced coop that I have split in half. Although they don't co-mingle they do share a wall/fence.

 

[zazouse]

Oh wow,

i never heard of black spots unless it was pox, perhaps someone in the chicken section might know, it is more likely the pea would have gotten something from the chickens verses chickens getting something from the pea but they could have giving them something more serious i guess, just don't know what.

Sorry for your loss , mabe someone here can be more help than me.

 

[casportpony]

I doubt the peafowl made them sick, but it is possible. Would be best to have a necropsy done to find out what they died from. Are you in the US? If so, what State and I'll find a necropsy lab for you.

-Kathy

 

[MinxFox]

I thought blackhead could give black spots like that?? I am not sure...

 

[new 2 pfowl]

Perhaps you could post a picture of the spots?
There is spotting associated with avian pox:

 

[casportpony]

I thought blackhead could give black spots like that?? I am not sure...

Nope. I think people call it blackhead because in the advanced stages the caruncles of the turkey can turn purple from lack of oxygen.

"Blackhead Disease Does Not Really Cause Black Heads
By W.R. Davidson
& G.L. Doster
NWTF W

ILDLIFE BULLETIN NO.25


Histomoniasis is caused by a protozoan parasite named Histomonas meleagridis. Often called blackhead disease, histomoniasis primarily affects gallinaceous birds (chickens, grouse, partridge, peafowl, pheasants, quail, turkeys). The old name “blackhead disease” is a misnomer because the heads of birds infected with histomoniasis do not turn black. Despite the limited number of confirmed reports, histomoniasis is an important disease of wild turkeys."

Source: http://www.nwtf.org/conservation/bulletins/bulletin_25.pdf

 

[casportpony]

Perhaps you could post a picture of the spots?
There is spotting associated with avian pox:

Pox would be my best guess, too, but it doesn't usually kill them unless they have the wet form. The wet can cause them to starve or suffocate them.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

The hen is these pictures had a severe case of wet and dry pox.
















-Kathy

 

[ChickenAloha]

Thank you for your responses... Just as I thought, woke up this morning and my lovely araucana had died. She was very weak and couldn't walk yesterday Attached are some pictures of their coop and the poor chicken.

dead araucana with blood around mouth nose

Inside mouth with what seems like cold sore



Coop (separated) Left = Peacocks Right = Chickens

 

[KsKingBee]

I would get a baggy and collect some fresh poo and get it over to the vet for a fecal exam. If the bird hasn't been dead too long put it in the fridge until you can get it to the vet for a necropsy.