Pls help Peafowl

[Alan443]

I have 3 baby peafowls all of them have become unable to walk but they all look very health and are eating and drinking

 

[casportpony]

Welcome to BYC. Can you take a video of them, upload it to YouTube or Video then copy & paste that link here?

 

[KsKingBee]

I have never seen a peachick look very healthy that are eating and drinking and not be able to walk. Oh, wait, have the legs splayed out from under them? If so it is because of a slick surface and they could not get traction. If all three of them are this way you have a difficult problem that needs to be addressed quickly. Post a close-up pic of them.

 

[DukesDucks]

I am having the same problem with one of 4 peachicks. They are in a brooder with wood shaving so not a problem with traction. The other three are developing well. This one, 3 days old, eats, drinks, and gets around but legs get splayed out sideways.

 

[KsKingBee]

There are a couple of different ways to fix splayed legs but it must be done quickly. One way is to wrap the chick up like a burrito that will hold the legs up against the body in a natural setting position, the other is to tape them to cardboard with holes for the legs and feet to be taped to the underside of the board. Either way is good and only needs to be done for 24 hours. I prefer the cardboard as you can also fix crooked toes and twisted ankles at the same time.

 

[DukesDucks]

Thank you so much. I'm going to use the cardboard method. A question - how do I make sure it is still able to get enough to eat and drink?

 

[KsKingBee]

Thank you so much. I'm going to use the cardboard method. A question - how do I make sure it is still able to get enough to eat and drink?

The chick will not need to be on the board for very long if you catch the problem soon enough. Once the chick starts breathing air the bones start hardening so the longer you wait the longer it will have to be taped down. I think you said the chick is four days old? So it has probably already used the yolk reserve and will need to have something placed close enough to be able to eat and drink. Water is the most important and feed is second. You can place a waterer near but be sure it can not drown in it by placing marbles or something to keep its head from submerging. Feed can be sprinkled under its head.

 

[DukesDucks]

Thanks again. This chick is two days old. I have it separated from others in a Kleenex box in the brooder pen. It was falling upside down and couldn't get up, including beak first into the water. I have been taking it out every hour and holding it so it could get food and water. I like the solution to how to provide water without drowning. I'm hoping that 24 hours will be enough time taped to the cardboard.
I told the other 3 peachicks that if they didn't stop laughing at it, I was going to tape them to the floor for a time-out.

 

[DukesDucks]

We all survived the night. I un-taped the peachick this morning but left it in a reduced space until noon. It is now in the bigger brooder box with the others. While it still wobbles a little when excited it is so much better. Legs straight underneath. Standing upright.
Thanks again for the help.

 

[KsKingBee]

We all survived the night. I un-taped the peachick this morning but left it in a reduced space until noon. It is now in the bigger brooder box with the others. While it still wobbles a little when excited it is so much better. Legs straight underneath. Standing upright.
Thanks again for the help.

Good job!