Thin 4 year old Peahen new to Homestead

[Waterfaery]

How do you suggest I track her weight, @Waterfaery , any tricks?

Funny you ask, because I have actually rigged up a fancy weighing trick in the past. I put a digital scales with a bluetooth connection in the doorway between one of the sheds and the aviary so the birds had no choice but to step on it to walk through. It was quite funny watching them inspect it thoroughly and try to avoid it at first but eventually they ignored it and just stood on it. I could watch who was on the scale and read the weights on my laptop. Obviously, that requires having a certain type of weighing scales so it's not the simplest answer.

You said she's easy to catch and that you can hold her so the easiest way would be to weigh yourself alone and then weigh yourself while holding her and calculate the difference.

It sounds like she's doing well, though. I'm not really the expert on these things but if it was me, I'd do it maybe weekly. If she was a peachick or if she was actively sick I would say to weigh her more often but in this case I'd just keep an eye on it until you're happy she's a healthy weight or at least heading that way. If she's severely underweight or if starts losing weight or shows signs of being ill I would take it more seriously but it sounds like you're treating her well so hopefully she'll be just fine.

 

[GJRacingGirl726]

Me again! I'm still worried about the same girl. She acts normal, eats, drinks, and overall seems to be fine, is finishing molting and looks the best she has, feels like she might be gaining weight slightly, but she was picking at her backside the other day and looked like she was "eating " something. I of course wanted to check her over, even though she was sprayed with Elector PSP when I got her. Anywho, weird photo of her vent, but what am I looking at/dealing with and how do I treat her? No visible lice (I've seen it on other birds before so I know what I'm looking at there). None of the other peacocks have vents like this, just her. Above her vent looks like a bunch of pin feathers growing in. Thanks in advance for you expertise and guidance guidance! @KsKingBee @Waterfaery

 

[KsKingBee]

By the looks of your pictures it appears that the digestive tract is compromised as it is expelling undigested corn. The foaminess' is a sign of bacterial infection. Most infections are secondary and due to something else. It could also be from a birth defect that we can not do anything about. If your local vet will do a fecal exam that would be my first step so as to rule out cocci or worms, if none show on the slide that increases the odds of either blackhead or a e-coli bacteria.

If you were doing a single day deworming that will kill roundworms and cecal worms. To get all types of worms the treatment period is five days and followed up with an additional five days to get capillary worms, tapeworms, and gape worms. Controlling capillary worms is the best step to controlling blackhead.

I didn't read that you treated for cocci which could be very likely due to the stressors of moving and weight loss. I wish I could be more helpful and point out exactly how to treat the bird but for now ruling out possibilities and treating for the most common problems is about all you can do.

 

[GJRacingGirl726]

By the looks of your pictures it appears that the digestive tract is compromised as it is expelling undigested corn. The foaminess' is a sign of bacterial infection. Most infections are secondary and due to something else. It could also be from a birth defect that we can not do anything about. If your local vet will do a fecal exam that would be my first step so as to rule out cocci or worms, if none show on the slide that increases the odds of either blackhead or a e-coli bacteria.

If you were doing a single day deworming that will kill roundworms and cecal worms. To get all types of worms the treatment period is five days and followed up with an additional five days to get capillary worms, tapeworms, and gape worms. Controlling capillary worms is the best step to controlling blackhead.

I didn't read that you treated for cocci which could be very likely due to the stressors of moving and weight loss. I wish I could be more helpful and point out exactly how to treat the bird but for now ruling out possibilities and treating for the most common problems is about all you can do.

Okay I swear there are not enough hours in the day! Im trying to get my ducks in a row, but in the mean time, I have switched the peafowl to a corn free, soy free feed. They also get fresh fruits and veggies multiple times a week, but I have cut anything that has corn in it out of their diets. No local vets will do a fecal for me.

I have Endocox powder on the way to treat for cocci. Can you please let me know treatment dosage/length so I can start that once it arrives?

I did the single day worming (and again 10 days later) in January when I first posted about this sweet girl. I'd like to do the 5 day worming, do you suggest I do safeguard this time or valbazen again? Also, I do 5 days, then a 10 day break, and then 5 days again, correct?

Can I do metronidazole for 3 to 5 days while also deworming? Or should I do it in between the worming cycle? Or before I worm? Ducks, chickens, turkeys - Im great with, peafowl - I am totally lost.

I'd like to do all the peafowl at the same time- will it hurt to dose even the ones not showing any signs of "off-ness"? Also, my adult male has started fanning for me, and I am in love. <3 It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen <3

Again, I so appreciate your expertize and help! I *think* it's done being wet outside, so off to get all the things done!

 

[Waterfaery]

No local vets will do a fecal for me.

Would you consider buying a microscopse and doing your own? Maybe not now but for the future it might be worth looking into if you don't have a helpful vet. That is what we have had to do.

I have Endocox powder on the way to treat for cocci. Can you please let me know treatment dosage/length so I can start that once it arrives?

I don't know about Endocox powder but Toltrazuril dosage is 7mg per kg of bodyweight. That works out as 0.28ml per kg of bodyweight for the 2.5% liquid. If your powder is 2.5% I would imagine it's the same (as in 0.28g per kg bodyweight), but I would definitely advise double checking that. There should be instructions with it when it arrives. We do it for two days in a row.

Also, I do 5 days, then a 10 day break, and then 5 days again, correct?

I don't think it matters whether you use Safeguard or Valbazen as long as you use either one correctly. They are both bendazole drugs but the istructions are different for each. The 5 days on, 10 days off, 5 days on as you suggest is what we do for Fenbendazole (Safeguard) and would be perfect. The second round is important to get any newly hatched worms.

Can I do metronidazole for 3 to 5 days while also deworming? Or should I do it in between the worming cycle? Or before I worm? Ducks, chickens, turkeys - Im great with, peafowl - I am totally lost.

I don't know so hopefully @KsKingBee can answer that. Even if they are known to be ok together, I would avoid using two medications at the same time if it's not an emergency.

I'd like to do all the peafowl at the same time- will it hurt to dose even the ones not showing any signs of "off-ness"? Also, my adult male has started fanning for me, and I am in love. <3 It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen <3

Definitely worm all of them at the same time. You could treat them all for coccidiosis if you want. It's probably not necessary but I don't think it's harmful as a preventative. I would definitely not give antibiotics to any bird that isn't sick.

It sounds like your peacock is fine if he's displaying. Is it just the one same peahen you're still concerned about?

 

[GJRacingGirl726]

Would you consider buying a microscopse and doing your own? Maybe not now but for the future it might be worth looking into if you don't have a helpful vet. That is what we have had to do.

Yes, its on my wishlist to get one for myself/the farm. Im thinking maybe our anniversary this summer. Do you have one you recommend @Waterfaery ?

Definitely worm all of them at the same time. You could treat them all for coccidiosis if you want. It's probably not necessary but I don't think it's harmful as a preventative. I would definitely not give antibiotics to any bird that isn't sick.

It sounds like your peacock is fine if he's displaying. Is it just the one same peahen you're still concerned about?

It's the white girl I am concerned about, the other peas act just fine. Is blackhead something I should treat as a preventative for all or just for the one girl? Do you suggest not doing the metronidazole for all the peafowl, only for Odette? Ive had her almost 3 months so I'd think this isn't what the issue is since Blackhead is such a rapid killer, but I still want to rule it out.

 

[Waterfaery]

Yes, its on my wishlist to get one for myself/the farm. Im thinking maybe our anniversary this summer. Do you have one you recommend @Waterfaery ?

I'm in the EU so options are probably very different for you. I also haven't used mine yet but my husband did a lot of very thorough research and we chose this one. We ordered it back in January and it had a lead time of 6-10 weeks but we decided it was worth the wait. It's in shipment at the moment so we'll be testing it soon, I hope!

@KsKingBee does his own and would know more about doing it and also about what's available over there. He has a really good thread about it here.

It's the white girl I am concerned about, the other peas act just fine. Is blackhead something I should treat as a preventative for all or just for the one girl? Do you suggest not doing the metronidazole for all the peafowl, only for Odette? Ive had her almost 3 months so I'd think this isn't what the issue is since Blackhead is such a rapid killer, but I still want to rule it out.

The best preventative for blackhead is to keep them all regularly wormed. They can develop it if they have cecal worms because cecal worms carry and spread the protozoa that cause blackhead. Metronidazole is a pretty serious antibiotic and I would definitely not use it in any bird that isn't sick.

How is Odette doing now? Is she the same or better or worse? It's been going on for quite a while. I do think she would probably have died by now if it was blackhead but I have no experience with it so others might know better.

 

[GJRacingGirl726]

I'm in the EU so options are probably very different for you. I also haven't used mine yet but my husband did a lot of very thorough research and we chose this one. We ordered it back in January and it had a lead time of 6-10 weeks but we decided it was worth the wait. It's in shipment at the moment so we'll be testing it soon, I hope!

@KsKingBee does his own and would know more about doing it and also about what's available over there. He has a really good thread about it here.



The best preventative for blackhead is to keep them all regularly wormed. They can develop it if they have cecal worms because cecal worms carry and spread the protozoa that cause blackhead. Metronidazole is a pretty serious antibiotic and I would definitely not use it in any bird that isn't sick.

How is Odette doing now? Is she the same or better or worse? It's been going on for quite a while. I do think she would probably have died by now if it was blackhead but I have no experience with it so others might know better.

Shes the same. Shes more laid back than the others but also keeps to herself. Felix and Camilla (Black shoulder pair) came from the same place but a different pen. Then my 3 juveniles 1 yr old (2M/1F- 1 male is pending a new home) came from the same place. Felix fans for her all the time, he's trying to win her over but she basically ignores him. She eats, she drinks, she lays in the sun, she wanders the aviary, she roosts- shes just small, I can feel her keel, and she has the weird vent issue still. I did ask my vet when I had the doggies there this week if he would run a fecal for Odette and he said we could maybe send it off to a lab, but he wouldn't even know what he's looking for, and he wasn't sure they would be able to help much, indunno what lab he was talking about. A microscope of my own is going to be my next farm purchase I think. Lemme find a few pictures of Odette,they're a few weeks old, and a picture of Felix showing off this week.