Peachicks with leg problems

[LynneJoyce]

Hi, all 4 of my 4month old peachicks legs are very wobbly when they stand or walk. Someone told me I might of given them too much protein and that it might be too late to reverse it. They have been freerange with their momma since they hatched. We live on a winefarm so they walk free everyday and sleep in the trees at night. I have 19 peacocks and give them all the same snacks daily, so they dont get allot. What I need to know is can I reverse it and how. I feel terrible that I could of caused this.

 

[peafowl_Lover]

Hi, first off welcome to BYC, I have peafowl but haven't bred them yet so I haven't come across problems like this, what do you feed them so we can find out what happened. I'll tag some experience peafowl keepers now @KsKingBee @casportpony

 

[Waterfaery]

Hi, all 4 of my 4month old peachicks legs are very wobbly when they stand or walk. Someone told me I might of given them too much protein and that it might be too late to reverse it. They have been freerange with their momma since they hatched. We live on a winefarm so they walk free everyday and sleep in the trees at night. I have 19 peacocks and give them all the same snacks daily, so they dont get allot. What I need to know is can I reverse it and how. I feel terrible that I could of caused this.

Don't feel terrible. It sounds like you're giving them a wonderful life there free ranging.

I feel like the peahen would probably teach them to eat a good variety so I wouldn't be so quick to jump to conclusions about the protein. There might be something else going on. What sort of protein level have you given them until now and what else is available there for them to forage?

When I had a serious illness in my peafowl flock a few months ago, a couple of the sickest ones were struggling to walk and even sort of wobbling and tripping over. So it could be an illness either, depending on when it started coming on and what else you can tell us. How long have you noticed them being wobbly? Have you had a good check for other symptoms?

Also, what do you mean when you say their legs are wobbly? Do they look deformed or out of alignment? Or are the peachicks unbalanced and falling over? Or are they shaky like their legs don't have enough strength?

I don't know much about leg issues but hopefully if you can give those extra details it might help the experts answer you.

 

[KsKingBee]

Pictures or a video would help us help you. There is a bit of speculation that high protein levels in chicks will cause leg issues and there could be something to that IF they are kept in small spaces and can not exercise off the excess nutrition. We feed our chicks 23% non medicated chick starter for the first ten weeks, after that they go to the ground and get 28% game bird feed and live in large pens with no issues. Yours being free range can exercise freely and run off the extra nutrition which builds strong bodies. If they are weak and falling down there is something else going on. The number one killer of pea chicks is cocci, if you have not treated yet I suggest you give them Toltrazuril asap. If they are already sick from cocci it is too late to treat with Corid, you need something that will kill cocci right now and that is toltrazuril.

 

[LynneJoyce]

Don't feel terrible. It sounds like you're giving them a wonderful life there free ranging.

I feel like the peahen would probably teach them to eat a good variety so I wouldn't be so quick to jump to conclusions about the protein. There might be something else going on. What sort of protein level have you given them until now and what else is available there for them to forage?

When I had a serious illness in my peafowl flock a few months ago, a couple of the sickest ones were struggling to walk and even sort of wobbling and tripping over. So it could be an illness either, depending on when it started coming on and what else you can tell us. How long have you noticed them being wobbly? Have you had a good check for other symptoms?

Also, what do you mean when you say their legs are wobbly? Do they look deformed or out of alignment? Or are the peachicks unbalanced and falling over? Or are they shaky like their legs don't have enough strength?

I don't know much about leg issues but hopefully if you can give those extra details it might help the experts answer you.

Thank you for your message x
We have a very large garden with allot of different plants and insects, so they have a big variety of food. I give the 19 peacocks about 4 cups of sunflower seeds spread out where other birds also help them eat. The peachicks dont get allot because the big ones chase them. I also give them cat pellets, but not allot and also not every day. In the beginning when they were smaller I gave them 1 scrambled egg daily between the 4 of them. I dont want to interfere to much with them getting natural food, so I dont give them any other starter foods.

I think it is more like their legs are shaky, not enough strength, so when they scratch themselves they sort of struggle to keep their balance, but never fall over. There are no deformities or anything else wrong. They are very energetic otherwise. They run and play and fly. I have noticed it about plus minus 2 weeks ago. I really hope nothi g is wrong.

We live in Western Cape, South Africa. Peacock food not available here. Well, our local petshop does not have specific food for peacocks. So I just get normal chicken seed mix etc, bjt it is like I say only for snacks. I cannot upload a video, 'fike does not have allowed extension.

 

[LynneJoyce]

Pictures or a video would help us help you. There is a bit of speculation that high protein levels in chicks will cause leg issues and there could be something to that IF they are kept in small spaces and can not exercise off the excess nutrition. We feed our chicks 23% non medicated chick starter for the first ten weeks, after that they go to the ground and get 28% game bird feed and live in large pens with no issues. Yours being free range can exercise freely and run off the extra nutrition which builds strong bodies. If they are weak and falling down there is something else going on. The number one killer of pea chicks is cocci, if you have not treated yet I suggest you give them Toltrazuril asap. If they are already sick from cocci it is too late to treat with Corid, you need something that will kill cocci right now and that is toltrazuril.

Don't feel terrible. It sounds like you're giving them a wonderful life there free ranging.

I feel like the peahen would probably teach them to eat a good variety so I wouldn't be so quick to jump to conclusions about the protein. There might be something else going on. What sort of protein level have you given them until now and what else is available there for them to forage?

When I had a serious illness in my peafowl flock a few months ago, a couple of the sickest ones were struggling to walk and even sort of wobbling and tripping over. So it could be an illness either, depending on when it started coming on and what else you can tell us. How long have you noticed them being wobbly? Have you had a good check for other symptoms?

Also, what do you mean when you say their legs are wobbly? Do they look deformed or out of alignment? Or are the peachicks unbalanced and falling over? Or are they shaky like their legs don't have enough strength?

I don't know much about leg issues but hopefully if you can give those extra details it might help the experts answer you.

Also lifting their legs up very high when they walk as if something is in the way,but not doing it all the time. Hope I am explaining this coreectly.

 

[KsKingBee]

I don't see anything in your replies that makes me think you have anything to worry about.

 

[areeb]

Hey Lynne,
I really wouldn’t think a high protein level caused this issue. Especially since your birds are free range. Generally, protein will prevent the leg isssues you have discussed, not cause them.

I can almost guarantee you that the leg issues are a result of inbreeding especially since its all 4/4 chicks. Of course inbreeding is hard to prevent on a free range operation and you didn’t do it intentionally, but it happens and these are the consequences.