New to Peas - chick questions

[Koeyohte]

I meant investigate the use of herbs for a nutritional boost. Kale, for example is supposed to be full of good stuff we, and peas need. IMO, stay far away from antibiotics and other drugs until a pea is ill or needs worming. And, unless positively proven to work, stay away from most "natural" wormers and cures. Again, this is only my opinion, but for example: If you want to use DE to try to cut down on the presence of parasites, fine, but once you know they have parasites its too late for DE, get rid of them with something that works. There are many herbs that are supposed to boost the immune system, the idea is to keep them healthy so they don't need drugs. Once you notice something is wrong,act quickly to get a diagnosis and treat, unless you weigh frequently like Kathy, by the time an illness is noticed its probably critical and the reason drugs are so "popular" is because they work.
Okay, I'm off my soapbox. Forgive me for the rant, I just lost my purple bs male that was diagnosed with a bad heart valve at 6 months. I feel awful but at least he had a year, it just seems like there should have been something I could do.

No problem, it is very helpful. I appreciate your advice. And I am very sorry about your baby I am aware of things (especially greens and veggies) such as kale, carrots, etc that they can and probably should eat for added nutrients (plain old dry crumble is something I feed as a "base," but I imagine that's all it really is... pretty boring too although my birds love and it won't touch watermelon, spinach, etc ). I do use DE to dust them and the area they are in, but I certainly have wormers on hand and will use them at the first sight of unsafe guests. I will check the locked pea thread and what people here have already said and make a specific list of things I should have and will need to add.

3. Peas DO NOT need the same amount of protein as a turkey. I feed mine medicated chick starter crumbles. It helps the chicks build an immune system against Coccidia and if blackhead is a problem medicated turkey starter crumbles helps build an immune to blackhead. These will not stop the birds from getting the disease but will help them fight it off easier. I feed mine the crumble til they are about 5 months then I start mixing in pellet food and cracked corn to into it. Once they are on pellet food I switch out the crack corn for whole corn. I will also add some bird seed to the mix. Then start giving them veggies esp in the winter months.

I had read that they needed 22% minimum protein... my turkeys get between 24 and 25%. Would this be bad for peas? Could they share the same food?

Just add vitamins to the water, they are helpful and they do work. Vinegar I read doesn't really do much of anything and you do not know if it is actually damaging the bird. People said they put in 2 tablespoons per gallon and it makes the gallon of water have a 2.0 acid level and Coke is 2.5 acid level.

Also read that you said your birds had a sinus infection - Tylan will cure that

I kept reading when I started with my pheasants 3 yrs ago that ACV helps with neutralizing stomach acids and also aids in warding off some antibacterial members. Is this acidity a potential problem? I add 2 tbs per gallon when I do and I use ACV with "the mother," every once in awhile. Some vets have prescribed it to small parrots with infections.

I learned with pheasants that they, at least, are very prone to problems and death just by being scared or surprised. Thankfully the turkeys are pretty unsurprised enough my anything to "freak out," but I definitely will, if I get peas, handle them a lot as chicks and into adulthood so that they will be used to it.

Poultry don't get colds like people do. The respiratory diseases (MG, MS, ILT, coryza) that they get are chronic and make carriers of them and the others exposed, for life (IB up to a year.) Tylan should never be used as a preventative, or the disease will eventually develop resistance. If your other fowl had a disease in the past, and you still have those birds, your new birds will be exposed because they are carriers. As you say clean water, good food, a worming schedule, plus clean litter and ranging areas along with some probiotics and vitamins occasionally will keep their immune system in order. Some people do use the antibiotic Denagard as a preventative when they have had frequent outbreaks of MG. I'm not a fan of that since eventually any antibiotic will develop resistance, and I feel that the best way to deal with chronic respiratory disease is to cull. Of course there are milder strains of each disease, and there are bad ones. One thing most people should do is to get a diseased bird tested (or necropsied) to know exactly what they are dealing with, so if meds are used, they are the right ones.

I wasn't sure about "colds," but assumed that was a general term for the mentioned respiratory diseases... as you said it makes them carriers for life, which is good for me to know. My turkeys have never been exposed to any of the diseases my previous birds had (I got the turkeys a year after, I specifically waited a full year and spent time cleaning with a very strong cleaning agent given to me by a wildlife rehabber friend). So any new birds should be fine in regards to that.

This is helpful so I can make a schedule for worming, and adding probiotics and vitamins (and good greens as well) to their weekly feeding schedule. I'll look up the meds and see what I need to get to have on hand again, and will keep checking those out.

Thank you very much!!!

~Koey

 

[Trefoil]

"I kept reading when I started with my pheasants 3 yrs ago that ACV helps with neutralizing stomach acids and also aids in warding off some antibacterial members." Vinegar is acidic and won't neutralize stomach acid. That would be a bad thing. The claims about ACV are varied and I'm not sure how much of them to believe. That said, I even put it in my babies water and have always had good results. For my peas I switch on and off with vit powder because the man I got my first babies from recommended the vitamin powder in their water like Yoda says.
If you can, have a fecal done to get an idea of the parasite load your peas are carrying (not applicable to baby peas), but be aware that a fecal may not be 100% accurate. And then again after you have wormed to check the success of your method.
I love the idea of free ranging during the day and if you can do it safely, its great for them. I can't do it without losing them. Good luck and enjoy them.

 

[Koeyohte]

This sounds good. I had a fecal done with my pheasants and there was nothing at that time so I do hope nothing new will arrive. So far the turkeys are all well and good.

 

[koolkyle08]

I am brand new to pea fowl. Went to a person through Craigslist to get some Bantam D'uccle chicks and he had peafowl. One hen was sitting on eggs and I was fascinated. When they hatched he let me have a chick. It became very attached to me and loved to be held. It died at about 2 weeks old. Looking back I think it was due to isolation from others and heat.
Next after feeling horrible for about a month. I found someone on Craigslist again selling 4 week old chicks so I got a pair. They seemed very stressed from the ride home but seemed to be eating and drinking well. ONE acted lethargic and wanted to sleep alot, but was eating and drinking... it is sumer time in FL and my FL room stays at 79/80 degrees so I have been keeping them there... one suddenly died yesterday. ( sleepy chick) I am distraught. paranoid about my remaining baby pea chick. I have them on Medicated Crumble mixed with Gamebird for added protien. I clean the brooder and make sure the water is clean. I am not sure what I am doing wrong but don't want to lose another baby bird! HELP PLEASE!