I have got two peachicks and they used to be in with a duckling. One of them acts what I would consider 'normal'. The other one has gotten into the habit of holding his wings like this:
He doesn't *quite* drag them on the ground. I pulled him out to make sure he hadn't like.... donged them on the walls and gotten hurt, and it almost looks like he's missing the linking feather between the primaries and secodaries. He holds JUST the primaries down and there's a clear gap between the two. The other one does not do this at all. This SAME peachick is the one with feathers that look.... well, cowlicked, for lack of a better word. He's got more than a few feathers that stick out at the wrong angle- including, if you can see, half his crown. It forms a V on his head because the back half lays horizontally on his head.
Is it possible the way he holds his wings is a result of whatever caused the crown and various body feathers to twist/turn?
Info on them:
They are in a 3x2x2 rabbit cage in my room at 85 degrees. They are 4 weeks old. They are on a mix of game bird starter and medicated chick starter. Their water is mixed with plain pedialyte. The treats they have had in their lives are raspberries and watermelon. I used to let them steal bites of the duck's wet mash (oatmeal, egg yolks, medicated chick starter, yogurt, and pedialyte) but I stopped about a week ago to get ready to move the duckling to the farm. They are on softwood bedding that is changed every 2-3 days. They were hatched here, where adult birds have never been- the ONLY birds that have been here were hatched here and they're the ONLY birds here now. His behavior in all other respects is normal- eats, drinks, poops, runs in circles, makes noise.
As it doesn't seem to be affecting his ability to do anything, this is more just out of curiosity. If it's something possibly genetic then I'd like to know so I can keep him out of breeding stock if I decide to breed in a few years.
He doesn't *quite* drag them on the ground. I pulled him out to make sure he hadn't like.... donged them on the walls and gotten hurt, and it almost looks like he's missing the linking feather between the primaries and secodaries. He holds JUST the primaries down and there's a clear gap between the two. The other one does not do this at all. This SAME peachick is the one with feathers that look.... well, cowlicked, for lack of a better word. He's got more than a few feathers that stick out at the wrong angle- including, if you can see, half his crown. It forms a V on his head because the back half lays horizontally on his head.
Is it possible the way he holds his wings is a result of whatever caused the crown and various body feathers to twist/turn?
Info on them:
They are in a 3x2x2 rabbit cage in my room at 85 degrees. They are 4 weeks old. They are on a mix of game bird starter and medicated chick starter. Their water is mixed with plain pedialyte. The treats they have had in their lives are raspberries and watermelon. I used to let them steal bites of the duck's wet mash (oatmeal, egg yolks, medicated chick starter, yogurt, and pedialyte) but I stopped about a week ago to get ready to move the duckling to the farm. They are on softwood bedding that is changed every 2-3 days. They were hatched here, where adult birds have never been- the ONLY birds that have been here were hatched here and they're the ONLY birds here now. His behavior in all other respects is normal- eats, drinks, poops, runs in circles, makes noise.
As it doesn't seem to be affecting his ability to do anything, this is more just out of curiosity. If it's something possibly genetic then I'd like to know so I can keep him out of breeding stock if I decide to breed in a few years.
