Possible sick peachick

[Waterfaery]

Oh and another thing is to bookmark anything you find useful on here because otherwise it's often hard to find the right things when you need them. For example, the post I linked to above was something I had bookmarked so I was able to find it quickly. Building your own stash of bookmarks is a good idea.

 

[jsaxman1111]

The vet didn't tell me what parasite. But they treated it with Ivermectin, which I believe I read something about that treatment on one of the other threads as I was reading through some. The vet clinical around here (Western Pennsylvania) don't really see a lot of peacocks. So this site has been great with understanding more (for me), as it helps me to know what is going on so I can discuss it with them. They are wonderful there. It's just that there aren't a lot of peacocks in the area, so they don't deal with them frequently.

And thank you for your concern. I am definitely learning fast with these babies. My birds are not tame. I have worked with them a lot and they eat from my hand now, although with it being the first mating season that I've had them, I haven't sat with them as much. I still give them their treats, and have handfed them a couple of times but I don't often because I know that they can be more territorial at this time of year from what I've read. Although, they really aren't bothered when I am around. Last fall...I would go in and just sit with them and I would read so they got used to me. Then they started eating from my hand. They have been good, but still skiddish. I wanted the chicks to be more tame and one person told me to remove them at birth and put them in the brooder. Is it best to do that? Or leave them with their momma and try to tame them that way?

 

[Waterfaery]

Was it based on the stool sample that they prescribed Ivermectin? Ivermectin is best used for external parasites but there are better things for internal parasites such as worms. Can you get either Fenbendazole or Albendazole? I think Safeguard and Valbazen are the brand names you have over there for those. A schedule of every 6 months for adult peafowl and every month for peachicks is good. I would do the adults now if they haven't been treated already.

I think having them not bothered when you are around but happy to take food from your hand is the ideal amount of tame. Some people hand raise them in a brooder and get them even tamer than that but if they turn out to be peacocks there is a chance they'll become aggressive. You definitely shouldn't hand raise one alone. If you've read about them being territorial with their humans, it's most likely because of that scenario. It's not ideal for them to view us as flock members.

You will probably get different opinions but personally I would strongly favour letting peahens do the work. Peachicks are fragile, as you have seen, and harder work than chicken chicks. They also need to be brooded for a lot longer than chicken chicks. Then you would have the issue of reintegrating them with your adults. Also, if you are concerned about your adults not being tame, I would guess your peahen may trust you even less if you take away her chicks. I don't know for sure if that's true but it's something I would worry about.

I think peahen raised birds turn out to be more intelligent, resilient and better foragers. If the peahen is a good mother she will do an amazing job and teach them so much more than you could imagine. They will be foraging on day 1 or 2 and roosting off the ground within a week.

You can definitely tame them while they are with their mother. If the peahen is already willing to take food from your hand, it will be easy. Even if she isn't, it will still be possible because they will be used to you being around from the start.

I started with 2 peacocks and 2 peahens who were yearlings when I got them and they wouldn't come near me at first. I sat with them almost daily and eventually 3 of them started cautiously taking food from my hands. One of the peacocks never did and still won't do that even after 8 years. The other 3 are more trusting now but still slightly cautious.

Two years ago, the two peahens worked together to hatch and raise 10 peachicks. I spent time with them daily and hand fed them with their mothers. Now they are two years old and they are not what I would call overly tame but they are much tamer than their parents. We don't pet them or pick them up but they willingly come and take food from our hands without caution or any sign of nervousness. The mature peahens are actually even more tame now because of it as well.

 

[jsaxman1111]

Thank you so much! This gave me TONS of information! I am going to try that. My goal was to be able to pet them but I just want them to be healthy. Even you let them get used to meaning maybe once they are a couple of months trying working with them out in their environment. I was also given information on getting them sexed as I knew that its not ideal to overly tame the males. They said that the males tend to try to show dominance. But working with them as I have been should be perfect. The male does not seem to be threatened by me. He eats from my hand. But he doesn't seem to try to answer any dominance. If I'm in there, I let him choose when he wants to come over. I don't ever try to force it. He never bothered me during the cold spells when I went in your check the girls with their eggs. But again...I was very calm and easy when I did. I tried not to make any sudden movements and I always speak to them in a calm voice. They seem comfortable with me.

 

[KsKingBee]

Yes, amprolium is the active ingredient in Corid. I would keep using that with the chicken chicks. As KSKingBee said, make sure you don't give them vitamin B or any multivitamin that contains it while using amprolium.

It's good that you have the Toltrazuril ordered. I would only use that on a chicken in a dire emergency because the safety in eggs and meat is unclear. The amprolium should be sufficient for them anyway if you follow the dosage instructions correctly and catch things soon enough. I would do one round with them now since they were with the peachick. After that, I don't recommend doing preventative treatments with chicken chicks because it shouldn't be necessary and you want them to build immunity. Just keep an eye out.

If you do hatch more peachicks, treat them with the Toltrazuril monthly until their first winter. You don't need to do it as soon as they hatch. I don't remember when exactly to start but I think it might be about 2 weeks old is that right @KsKingBee? Adults don't need any preventative treatment because it would be very rare for them to be affected unless their immune system is compromised by something else.

Do you know which parasite your vet gave you treatment for and what the name of the treatment was? I'd be interested to hear that.

I'm so sorry about your poor little peachick. You did your best for it and it's great that you're wanting to be well prepared for the future. This is a great post about what's good to have on hand.

Outstanding post @Waterfaery! Yes, two weeks should be soon enough for the chicks. Most free-range chicks do not have much contact with cocci but considering the history here I would start with two weeks for this situation and as you said monthly until winter. The trick is going to be able to make the treated water their only water source for two days. There are many things on the med list that someone with only a few birds does not have to have on hand but I have been thankful many times that I did. I have hundreds of birds so that increases my needs quite a bit.

 

[KsKingBee]

Now that I have read all of that I forgot the questions, sorry it is my CRS acting up.

Tame is being able to hand feed but not touch and that is the best way to have them.

I would not remove the chicks at all unless they are going to a new home there is no good reason. Now I see you have a pen for them I would do all feedings in there so you can lock them up to medicate for a few days.

 

[Waterfaery]

Now that I have read all of that I forgot the questions, sorry it is my CRS acting up.

Tame is being able to hand feed but not touch and that is the best way to have them.

I would not remove the chicks at all unless they are going to a new home there is no good reason. Now I see you have a pen for them I would do all feedings in there so you can lock them up to medicate for a few days.

Sorry to ask you but what is CRS? I hope you're ok.

 

[jsaxman1111]

Now that I have read all of that I forgot the questions, sorry it is my CRS acting up.

Tame is being able to hand feed but not touch and that is the best way to have them.

I would not remove the chicks at all unless they are going to a new home there is no good reason. Now I see you have a pen for them I would do all feedings in there so you can lock them up to medicate for a few days.

Thank you. The woman that we got them from had health issues and couldn't clean out the pen. So when the first one got sick, we moved them and cleaned out the pen and needed it and cleaned everything up. Since then, we have had no real issues with the adults after they had been medicated. With that said, we were only given Corid to treat. So when the Endocox gets here, I will treat them with it just to be safe, and then every 6 months as suggested. And also the babies at 2 weeks.

 

[Waterfaery]

Thank you. The woman that we got them from had health issues and couldn't clean out the pen. So when the first one got sick, we moved them and cleaned out the pen and needed it and cleaned everything up. Since then, we have had no real issues with the adults after they had been medicated. With that said, we were only given Corid to treat. So when the Endocox gets here, I will treat them with it just to be safe, and then every 6 months as suggested. And also the babies at 2 weeks.

You don't need to treat the adults with Endocox. I know it's probably been an overload of information. Just to clarify, there are two different treatments you should do on a schedule.

1. Toltrazuril (the Endocox you have ordered) just for peachicks - starting at 2 weeks old and monthly until their first winter - this is for coccidiosis - adults shouldn't need it

2. Either Fenbendazole (Safeguard) or Albendazole (Valbazen) - monthly for peachicks - every 6 months for adults - this is for worms

 

[KsKingBee]

Sorry to ask you but what is CRS? I hope you're ok.

I'd tell you but I Can't Remember S#!t.