new to peas... questions

[zazouse]

The chick I'm stumped on is #2- Zazouse says male, birdrain says female and I say ummmm? This is also the one I'm worried about.

Why are you worried?

 

[Birdrain92]

That was New 2 Peafowl that said IB #2 is a male while I said it was a female.

What makes me think that IB #2 is a female because if you look closely at the primary wing feathers (wing tips) you can see that they are a dark brown and the back and head are a dark brown as well. Now sometimes with female peachicks and the peahen there will be few speck of orangish coloring, still is female, if the primary feathers are mostly redish or orangish then it is male. If you look at the photos of IB #1 and IB #2 side by side and look at the primary wing feathers really closely because I can see the different coloration in the feathers I hope you will see what I'm seeing. These are my notes on sexing IB peachicks so far, this is how I sex my IB peachicks and it worked for me.

Sexing Indian Blue Peachicks
Male: Primary wing feathers are orangish similar to an adult Indian Blue Peacock. Head and neck are a very bright brown/fawn color.
Female: Primary wing feathers are a dark brown that is similar to an adult Indian Blue Peahen. Head and neck are a dark brown color.

 

[Birdrain92]

There is nothing wrong with IB #2 looking at the photo if you look at the chick straight at their face you should see that the chick would be looking like if they're in pain or stressed out if the chick was sick or something wrong. If they have eyes wide open and seem like they have energy then it's healthy. Usually if a bird just drops their wings and if it's really warm or if they're in the sun constantly without shade they are just trying to cool themselves down sometimes they will beat their wings without having the wings leave the body. All of my birds drop their wings when it is really hot outside like 88 degrees fahrenheit or above.

 

[msmolly]

Thank you Birdrain- Thats exactly the kind of info I was looking for. I kept going back on forth about #2 being male, even though it had lots of barring on the wings- I thought there was just some vagueness about the coloring I couldn't put my finger on. Its still so subtle for my inexperienced eye- I'll probably go crosseyed tomorrow trying to see it again.- But this is really fun, and I can't wait to see how they grow up.

 

[msmolly]

Why are you worried?

#2 chick just looks a bit "peckish" to me. (sorry, couldn't resist). He's a little puffier,a little more hunched over, I don't know just little off to me. He's holding his body almost horizontal. I hope I'm imagining it. They're roosted now, so I'll check him in the morning. Got my digital scale ready- Kathy's gonna be so proud! Thanks Zazouse

 

[pedda munnangi]

I'm assuming orange in the last photo is a male while black is a hen and I can't tell if the taller one is orange or pink, I think the small one is also a male and the big one is a female.

The chick you were referring got clearly visible brown primary feathers. Is this not a female ?? everybody else says this grown up chick is a female. I do not see any orange primaries on this chick. I am wondering why you assume this chick a male ??

 

[Birdrain92]

Because I can see orange primary wing feathers you just have to realise that the wing is tucked in so you will see the brown wing coverts and the picture is taken at an upward angle so you can't see the primary wing feathers very well but if you zoom in on the photo and look at the 2 last feathers on the wing closest to the body you will see orange primary wing feathers.

 

[casportpony]

There is nothing wrong with IB #2 looking at the photo if you look at the chick straight at their face you should see that the chick would be looking like if they're in pain or stressed out if the chick was sick or something wrong. If they have eyes wide open and seem like they have energy then it's healthy. Usually if a bird just drops their wings and if it's really warm or if they're in the sun constantly without shade they are just trying to cool themselves down sometimes they will beat their wings without having the wings leave the body. All of my birds drop their wings when it is really hot outside like 88 degrees fahrenheit or above.

You're right, chicks will often look like this when it's warm, but if only one is doing it, and it seems to do it all of the time, that's when I start looking *very* closely for other signs like weight loss, anorexia, depression standing with eyes closed, funny looking poop, etc. Peafowl are very stoic, so often it's the subtle signs that we miss.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

Kathy- Thank you- so glad to have your concern and input. So now I'm on it. I've copied this info, already got a digital scale. Lucy has roosted with the peeps about 9' up. The pen is closed, so I should have no trouble catching the peeps in the am (have my nets) and will get weights on each.(I figure comparative weights between #2 and her siblings may give us some indication)
That is exactly what I do!

I have an excellent vet who specializes in exotics- and I will rush #2 and your info to him ASAP.
Even if your vet thinks he/she is okay, have him give you a prescription for the Metronidazole 50mg/ml, 'cause fish-zole 250mg tablets are just too large for proper dosing of chicks.

In the mean time, The meds I have on hand are...Sulmet (sulfamethazine sodium solution) 12.5%,
Sulmet works on two types of chicken coccidia and three that turkeys get, so I don't know if it works on the type that peafowl get. Heck, I don't even know what type they get!

Duramycin-10. (tetracycline hydrochloride slouble powder),
I prefer to give all medications orally to ensure proper dosing and avoid unnecessary dosing of healthy birds.

Ivermectin (5 mg ivermectin per ml),
I read an abstract that said Ivermectin at 200micrograms per kg was not very effective, so I would not rely on it as a wormer.

and Nutri Drench-Poultry. Will any of these be of help?
It might help give him a little if he is sick.

The chicks have had some Dianeaceous Red Earth dusted on a bit of food a couple times. Other than that, no worming.
My vet advised me to de-worm with fenbendazole 50mg/kg (Safeguard or Panacur, liquid or paste) once and repeat in ten days, but I've been doing some research and I think that 20mg/kg for three days might actually be better and the abstract I read said the it was 100% effective against roundworms, cecal worms, gapeworms and one type of tapeworm. I'll see if I can find that abstract.

Haven't seen their droppings, but will try to examine tomorrow.
I always try to examine the cecal poop and the regular poop.

I may have to pull my old microscope out and see if I can do a flotation to spot cocci. (I used to be a vet-tech in a former life). Vets send stool samples out now, but back in my day-we techs did it. So, if my ancient microscope is up to it, I might be able to find out if #2 has coccidia- soon as I can get a dropping.
Remember that there are many types of cocidia and they live in different parts of the intestine, so one might always be able to see them??? I haven't a clue, really...
Histomoniasis is also a protozoa, but I have no idea what it looks like.

Thank you, Molly
Hope this helps and I really hope he's fine this morning!

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

Here is that abstract:

Source:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6750887
Efficacy of fenbendazole against helminth parasites of poultry in Uganda.

Ssenyonga GS.
Abstract

Fenbendazole 4% (Panacur, Hoechst) administered in feed was used to treat chickens infected with Ascaridia galli, Heterakis gallinarum and Railletina spp. It was also used to treat Syngamus trachea in broiler birds. There was a marked drop in helminth egg counts in the faeces on the second day of treatment and the faeces became negative by the seventh day after the last treatment. Post-mortem examination 15 to 21 days later showed that the drug was 100% effective against Ascaridia galli and Heterakis gallinarum at 10 mg/kg. However, for complete removal of Railletina spp. 15 mg/kg was required. Similarly 20 mg/kg fenbendazole was effective against Syngamus trachea. It was concluded that fenbendazole is suitable for the treatment of the important intestinal and tracheal worms of poultry, a dose of 15 to 20 mg/kg for 3 consecutive days being recommended for use under field conditions.
PMID:
6750887
[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]