Train washing?

[frenchblackcopper]

My front building where my Charcoals reside all year long,and I add all my Blue birds to for wintering is on sloped concrete.Everytime it rains water runs downhill and thru the building,making a mess because of the pea poo. All birds were fine Thursday but noticed Friday all 3 IB males,Thang and my Charcoal males trains was full of mudd and all was dragging the ground.They looked terrible. So Saturday morning I scooped poop,went and bought 3 bales of wheat straw,spread the straw around then wondered how I was going to clean their trains.I was afraid as early in the spring as it is now,if they broke too many feathers breeding wouldn't even start this year.
I thawed out a garden hose,attached a spray nozzle end then proceeded to grab them while on the roost and wash them clean. I did this to all 5 males and surprisingly none fought me.I moved the feathers around and used the nozzle setting under wide open stream. I spent maybe 10 minutes per male until the water ran clear.
We had to finish up our new dog website and I left for Memphis Tennessee,and then Springfield Missouri at 6am Sunday morning so tonight was the first I had a chance to look at them since the train washing,,I was amazed at how nice they look now.Has anyone else had to do this because of mudd preseason to breeding? If the males lose or break too many train feathers they won't breed? These birds were fine when it was below freezing but after the last big rain and then many days above freezing I guess it was a wake up call to help them.The males actually didn't pull away as I sprayed and opened up their tail feathers to get as much clean as possible.I'm sure they can walk easier now and they aren't dragging their tails in the wet poo-mudd-ect.

 

[zazouse]

Broken or lost tail feathers may only effect how the female accepts him during breeding season especial if there are other males with them.
those long train feathers harden off after a while, no blood in them, you will notice the white of the feather shaft showing threw all the pretty colors those feathers will come right out if you pull them, pretty good defense mechanism IMO predator gets the tail feathers pea gets away,

Guinea fowl will shed feathers when you grab them wrong, you end up with a hand full of feathers of no guinea

Sorry about your pen, it happens, sometimes my entire place floods except the home site and the barn and i have seen it threw the barn 1 time 12 years ago, i am due for a flood..

 

[frenchblackcopper]

Zaz, I used to raise German Trumpeter pigeons when I was in high school.The beauty of those birds was the feathering they grew completely covering their feet.We delibratly pulled all these feathers 2 months before show season for the sole purpose of the birds to have new,unbroken,unruffled "pants" over their feet and toes.Occasionally one or two of those feathers was new and we were stuck leaving them alone if their was blood showing in the quill part. But if lucky enough and all feathers could grow in new they looked spectacular during show season.
I had heard peafowl males train length affects his fertility,,thus why in the fall breeding stops when the train falls out. But if it's just his appeal to the hens thats a diffrent deal alltogether.

 

[new 2 pfowl]

It's really great that you washed their trains for them, fbc.

Good pea-poppa!
I know that when it rains here and the guys' trains are wet, heavy, and dragging, they seem to have a hard time of it. I can only imagine how uncomfortable they must be if they have mud and poop caked in there as well. I'm sure they appreciate your care and trouble!

 

[frenchblackcopper]

New2,even Thang was calm when he figured out what I was doing,,still a little nutts when I first grabbed his tail,but when the water started to flow and his tail started to get lighter he kinda froze until I quit.