Quarantining Procedure/ New Lonely Peacock

[barkerg]

The lady that sold BoBo to me and has that Java/H% Spalding said she couldn't find any Java or H% hens for him. I noticed you're in Salado, and she's in Dallas. Do you sell any of your Green hens? She said she was thinking about selling him if she couldn't find any good hens for him. There was a thread about him on PO last night. If you do sell any, do you mind if I suggest them to her? She may have already contacted you. Her name is Sharon Shirley.

Yes Sharon contacted me earlier on my FB, very nice lady by the way. I told her I did not have any hens available right now. Mature hens this time of year are hard to find. Good mature green hens even harder anytime.

Gerald Barker

 

[PavoFowl]

Yes Sharon contacted me earlier on my FB, very nice lady by the way. I told her I did not have any hens available right now. Mature hens this time of year are hard to find. Good mature green hens even harder anytime.

Gerald Barker

Oh good!! I'm glad to hear that. I hope she finds him a girlfriend so doesn't have to sell him.. I could tell she was torn about selling BoBo. Yes, she is very nice!

 

[barkerg]

Hello everyone!

It's been awhile since I've posted here but with some of the stuff going on in the FB Peacock pages, I thought I'd post here first. 

Long story shortened, last week I asked for some advice from a specific peacock breeder about my peacock, Mr. PooPoo (the name fits him), that turned aggressive toward me. His only urgent suggestion was to cull him. I was upset, as I'd raised this bird (and my other hens) from a day old (I posted way back in 2014 about them). I told him that my hens are just the sweetest and most gentle birds, and Mr. PooPoo had been up until just last week. I spend at least an hour a day with them, but his flogging made it impossible for me to enjoy their company. If culling him was the only thing I could do to resolve the problem, I would do it. He recommended I contact a woman that bought birds from him to see if she might want him, and if not, to just kill him before he becomes a more serious problem. He also told me I needed to find an adult male to replace him ASAP. I messaged the woman on FB and she told me not to kill him, told me that this guy is bad news, and added me to another peacock group. I got some mixed responses about what to do with my peacock, but managed to find one for sale a mere 400 miles away.

I drove to get him ("BoBo", name will soon be changed) this past Saturday (4/9). BoBo has since been kept in "quarantine" in the 12'x24' wire coop/pen. He's been fence walking nearly constantly since. I really wish the woman that sold him to me would have been willing to sell me a hen to come with BoBo so he wouldn't have to be alone during his quarantine and see my five other peas on the other side of his fence. She wouldn't, though, which I can understand. However, I'm very concerned about BoBo's health and well being due to this habit. I know with horses fence walking can be a detriment to their weight and health (stop eating and drinking, walking off pounds, etc.) So, how long do I need to keep him by himself? I planned to keep him in quarantine for 30 days, then penned up with a couple of hens for at least 3 months. I'm hoping that getting him some girls will help him to settle in and stick around.

I was most concerned about blackhead because we have wild turkeys roaming our land, but then I found out he was kept with turkeys. I really don't want to compromise any of my hens health (nor his), but I'm concerned about how this constant fence walking will affect him. The only thing separating them is 1/4" hardware cloth. I just feel so conflicted about it.. I've never brought any other Peas onto my land other than when I initially got mine as day-olds in 2014. I'm not sure how adults react to be moved and quarantined.

Is there anything I can do to help calm him? How long do I need to keep him by himself? I have only seen him eat a few blueberries, a couple bits of cat food, and a few sips of water.

As far as my original peacock problem, I scared the snot out of him with an umbrella and he's left me alone since. Thankful that I didn't cull or kill him. Now my primary concern is the new peacock.

Thank you all in advance for any suggestions!

I have a very aggressive spalding rooster like that, he waits on the roost and flies across the pen right at my head for a good ole noggin' floggin'. What I have done to remedy this behavior is to carry a blue catch net with me when I enter the pen, believe me every bird fears the net whether they've been caught in one or not. This usually settles him down for a week or two and then I have to repeat.

Gerald Barker

 

[PavoFowl]

I have a very aggressive spalding rooster like that, he waits on the roost and flies across the pen right at my head for a good ole noggin' floggin'. What I have done to remedy this behavior is to carry a blue catch net with me when I enter the pen, believe me every bird fears the net whether they've been caught in one or not. This usually settles him down for a week or two and then I have to repeat.

Gerald Barker

Bringing BoBo has been a decent distraction for him, but I will definitely keep that in mind. I don't have a net, but I really ought to get one. Any suggestions on style/type? Just a plain fishing net? Plastic/filament material or rope netting? Is shorter better for handling, or longer for better reach?

 

[PavoFowl]

I have a very aggressive spalding rooster like that, he waits on the roost and flies across the pen right at my head for a good ole noggin' floggin'. What I have done to remedy this behavior is to carry a blue catch net with me when I enter the pen, believe me every bird fears the net whether they've been caught in one or not. This usually settles him down for a week or two and then I have to repeat.

Gerald Barker

Also, "noggin' floggin'" had me rolling laughing.

 

[barkerg]

Bringing BoBo has been a decent distraction for him, but I will definitely keep that in mind. I don't have a net, but I really ought to get one. Any suggestions on style/type? Just a plain fishing net? Plastic/filament material or rope netting? Is shorter better for handling, or longer for better reach?

Walmart blue fishing net.

Gerald Barker

 

[KsKingBee]

Quote
That is some good looking Poo-Poo ! Doesn't look like a mutt to me, India Blue.

 

[PavoFowl]

That is some good looking Poo-Poo !  Doesn't look like a mutt to me, India Blue.

Haha, thank you!
I suppose "mutt" as in mixed breeding wasn't the right word for it. I meant more like nothing rare or special breeding.

 

[KsKingBee]

Smith Poultry Supply is where I bought my net. It is specially made for catching birds and will not hurt them like a fishing net will.

http://www.poultrysupplies.com/index_files/Page377.htm

 

[Garden Peas]

Hello everyone!

It's been awhile since I've posted here but with some of the stuff going on in the FB Peacock pages, I thought I'd post here first.

Long story shortened, last week I asked for some advice from a specific peacock breeder about my peacock, Mr. PooPoo (the name fits him), that turned aggressive toward me. His only urgent suggestion was to cull him. I was upset, as I'd raised this bird (and my other hens) from a day old (I posted way back in 2014 about them). I told him that my hens are just the sweetest and most gentle birds, and Mr. PooPoo had been up until just last week. I spend at least an hour a day with them, but his flogging made it impossible for me to enjoy their company. If culling him was the only thing I could do to resolve the problem, I would do it. He recommended I contact a woman that bought birds from him to see if she might want him, and if not, to just kill him before he becomes a more serious problem. He also told me I needed to find an adult male to replace him ASAP. I messaged the woman on FB and she told me not to kill him, told me that this guy is bad news, and added me to another peacock group. I got some mixed responses about what to do with my peacock, but managed to find one for sale a mere 400 miles away.

I drove to get him ("BoBo", name will soon be changed) this past Saturday (4/9). BoBo has since been kept in "quarantine" in the 12'x24' wire coop/pen. He's been fence walking nearly constantly since. I really wish the woman that sold him to me would have been willing to sell me a hen to come with BoBo so he wouldn't have to be alone during his quarantine and see my five other peas on the other side of his fence. She wouldn't, though, which I can understand. However, I'm very concerned about BoBo's health and well being due to this habit. I know with horses fence walking can be a detriment to their weight and health (stop eating and drinking, walking off pounds, etc.) So, how long do I need to keep him by himself? I planned to keep him in quarantine for 30 days, then penned up with a couple of hens for at least 3 months. I'm hoping that getting him some girls will help him to settle in and stick around.

I was most concerned about blackhead because we have wild turkeys roaming our land, but then I found out he was kept with turkeys. I really don't want to compromise any of my hens health (nor his), but I'm concerned about how this constant fence walking will affect him. The only thing separating them is 1/4" hardware cloth. I just feel so conflicted about it.. I've never brought any other Peas onto my land other than when I initially got mine as day-olds in 2014. I'm not sure how adults react to be moved and quarantined.

Is there anything I can do to help calm him? How long do I need to keep him by himself? I have only seen him eat a few blueberries, a couple bits of cat food, and a few sips of water.

As far as my original peacock problem, I scared the snot out of him with an umbrella and he's left me alone since. Thankful that I didn't cull or kill him. Now my primary concern is the new peacock.

Thank you all in advance for any suggestions!

My goodness -- too much drama! Did you say this person has 40 years of experience? Or 1 year of experience, 40 times? Somebody's been watching too many Alfred Hitchcock movies. Thank heavens you used your flogged noggin' and broke out the bumbershoot. If we culled every teenager with overactive hormones and confusion, both the human race and all peafowl species would be headed for extinction before Labor Day.

Can't think of any behavioral crisis in a peafowl which would call for immediate execution -- not like a rabid dog or skunk. And can't imagine why the perceived need to add another adult male would EVER be a crisis

Pretty sure both my two year-old hens concur completely in that one. Especially the little spalding hen, who still thinks boys are completely icky and up to no good.

Now as for quarantine, I just want to mention that having birds on opposite sides of 1/4" mesh isn't exactly keeping them from swapping germs. But at least it gives you a chance to worm and do preventative health care. I'm not clear on what your blackhead concerns are -- who is going to give what to whom in your situation -- but yes, it's always something to watch for, and can happen with OR without turkeys. Earthworms are quite adequate to provide it. Mainly you need to be sure he isn't carrying anything or incubating something that could make your birds sick. So watching and listening to see if he's coughing or sneezing, checking BoBo's poopoo, and observing his behavior for subtle signs of illness.

FWIW, it sounds like the urgency of the advice given was inversely proportional to the advisability of following it. That's sadly common, but a good clue for future analytics. Congrats on not drinking the kool-aid.

Oh yeah, and having two males is not gonna help everybody get along during breeding season -- do you happen to have two pens, I hope? Or a post-hole digger?

Good luck with your pretty boys!