Puny 10 day old peachick with yucky poo and not gaining weight

[DewberryJam]

Hi! We are brand new to peafowl and successfully incubated 2 of 3 eggs that were given to us by some church friends who have a handful of neighborhood peafowl where they live. I’m trying to learn as fast as I can, and we have a plan for the second chick who has a couple toes that need straightening but is otherwise doing great, eating, drinking, putting on weight, full of life.

Peachick #1, however, started great but seems to be struggling. He hatched May the 4th and was thus dubbed Skywalker. Chick #2 (“Charlie”) hatched May 10 (right on time, as we were give. The eggs six days apart). By the next day, it was obvious that Charlie weighed more than Skywalker, and Skywalker went from being chipper to puny, not eating or drinking well, and his poop was brown and liquidy. We watched him very closely on Sunday, and after we gave him some boiled egg, he seemed to become a little more chipper again, and I finally saw him drink some, but still not nearly as much as the new guy.

Yesterday he was active and eating more egg, but isn’t eating his game it’s starter and isn’t drinking a lot, and today he seems more tired again, and he is still pooping liquidy brown poop, whereas Charlie is a fat and heavy happy little chick. Clearly there’s something going on with Skywalker’s digestive system, but I’m just not skilled enough to figure out what exactly or how to treat. Sorry for the long intro, but does anyone here have any good suggestions for what we should do next for Skywalker? It seems like we should try some kind of med for his gut and some additional food modifications, but I need some hand holding figuring this out! Thanks!!

 

[casportpony]

Welcome to BYC, sorry your peachick isn't doing well. Do you have a food scale;e that you can weigh the chicks on? It would be good to weigh them daily so you can see how much weight they are gaining or losing.

 

[DewberryJam]

Welcome to BYC, sorry your peachick isn't doing well. Do you have a food scale;e that you can weigh the chicks on? It would be good to weigh them daily so you can see how much weight they are gaining or losing.

Welcome to BYC, sorry your peachick isn't doing well. Do you have a food scale;e that you can weigh the chicks on? It would be good to weigh them daily so you can see how much weight they are gaining or losing.

Hi! I just pulled a scale out and gave them each a weigh.

Skywalker—10 days old—39g
Charlie—4 days old—64g

So, 25g difference with the younger seriously outweighing the older, and the older with liquidy brown poo. He does otherwise seem in okay spirits today though (since we’ve started feeding him egg two days ago).

We are keeping them in separate brooders so it’s not competition for food/water, although they do fight when they get put together, so not sure how to help them learn to get along, but first I just want to make sure Skywalker starts putting on weight and thriving.

 

[casportpony]

Wow, that is small. If I were in your shoes I would treat it for coccidiosis and start tube feeding it. Is a vet an option?

 

[DewberryJam]

Wow, that is small. If I were in your shoes I would treat it for coccidiosis and start tube feeding it. Is a vet an option?

I have no idea where to find a peacock vet. Do you have any instructions on what/how to tube feed a tiny peachick? I’m guessing starter feed soaked into a mush? And that I can mix the meds into the mush too? Should I treat fat little Charlie too? They are in brooders next to each other but we have let them interact together for short supervised playdates (gotta keep an eye on them—they’re both aggressive towards each other). Thanks again for helping me walk thru this new adventure. They’re such fun cute little things! We’ve all gotten quite attached (even the teen boy who doesn’t like the chickens! Lol!).

 

[casportpony]

What's the largest city near you?

 

[DewberryJam]

What's the largest city near you?

Jacksonville, Florida

 

[casportpony]

Jacksonville, Florida

Call this place:
https://exoticbirdhospital.com/

 

[KsKingBee]

Kaytee Baby Bird food from any of the pet store big box stores.

 

[DewberryJam]

Call this place:
https://exoticbirdhospital.com/

Hi! Thanks! I called, and they have a three week wait list for appointments. They did give me the names of some other vets who see chickens and ducks though.

I went to Tractor Supply to look for meds, and the lady there listened and asked a few questions and suggested electrolytes, nutrient boosters, and pre&probiotics to boost the little fella up, and if that doesn’t help and/or he starts exhibiting other symptoms (runny eyes or a constant lump in his throat or blood in his stools) to come back and get meds to treat for coccidiosis. We got that stuff, but went ahead and got the meds too to have on hand, but the meds don’t have poultry dosages, just cattle/etc.