Worming Peafowls during breeding season?

[Peafowlssssssss]

After losing many chicks after one week of hatching i called a vet and he came to my place and he told me many things to do, now i have done everything he said and i'm still losing chicks(all of them after they reach one week old or two). And after reading a lot about this problem many topics has suggest to worm the parents, i have decided to worm them and i know the males will be sterile for a while but it seems this is my only and last option. Do you guys think the chicks are dying because their parents aren't wormed?

I'm raising my chicks the same way i did last year and everything went so well last year, the only difference this year is about the parents, last year i hatched the chicks from local birds that i bought from my country, this year i'm hatching eggs from the birds i got from US, the birds arrived at Kuwait on the last week of March, Josh suggest for me to worm the peafowls again after two weeks of their arrival, after two weeks i was going to worm the birds but a hen laid an egg, so i didn't worm the birds cause i didn't want the males to be sterile(i wish i did).

I have sold all the adult birds i have used to breed last year so i don't have any local chicks to compare with these new chicks.
Also i have some chicken chicks that doing well, and they are being raised in the same way that peachicks raised.

Is there anything i can do to help the new hatched chicks from dying? or should i stop hatching their eggs and wait until they lay again after they get wormed?(if they are going to lay fertile eggs again this season)



And again sorry for my bad English.(i'm trying my best LOL)

 

[Arbor]

Worming the adults will not likely fix the peachicks issue, as worms cannot be passed onto the egg as far as I know. I know that some breeders treat for coccidiosis, which is a common problem in chicks of many of the pheasant-like species. I have never done this myself, but I'm sure there is someone (like Kathy?) who might be able to tell you a safe product and dosage. Personally I would stay away from worming now unless the parents are showing signs. What kind of bedding are you raising your chicks on? You could try a fine mesh so that they are not coming into contact with their own feces.

 

[DylansMom]

Worming the adults will not likely fix the peachicks issue, as worms cannot be passed onto the egg as far as I know. I know that some breeders treat for coccidiosis, which is a common problem in chicks of many of the pheasant-like species. I have never done this myself, but I'm sure there is someone (like Kathy?) who might be able to tell you a safe product and dosage. Personally I would stay away from worming now unless the parents are showing signs. What kind of bedding are you raising your chicks on? You could try a fine mesh so that they are not coming into contact with their own feces.

I would also consider trying to change every

thing completely. As soon as the next batch hatches put them in a brand new brooder box. Big plastic storage bins work great for us. Under a heat lamp of course, but place the brooder in a different room preferably a room you've never housed birds in, we keep ours in our bathtub for the first 2 weeks. Change the bedding often, and don't use wood chips or anything they could eat. I've been told that peachicks can kill themselves by eating their bedding and getting impacted crops. Get some corid to use in the water, and maybe some tylan also to be safe. There should be no chance of them having worms or black head if you do all of this because they could not have been exposed to either. Not sure what else to suggest, I too find it hard to believe that worming the adults at this time will help these chicks, future chicks maybe, but this just doesn't seem like worms in the parents would be the cause.

 

[Peafowlssssssss]

Worming the adults will not likely fix the peachicks issue, as worms cannot be passed onto the egg as far as I know. I know that some breeders treat for coccidiosis, which is a common problem in chicks of many of the pheasant-like species. I have never done this myself, but I'm sure there is someone (like Kathy?) who might be able to tell you a safe product and dosage. Personally I would stay away from worming now unless the parents are showing signs. What kind of bedding are you raising your chicks on? You could try a fine mesh so that they are not coming into contact with their own feces.

This is the one i use, last week hatch are doing well until now but i had to get them out of the room due to sterilization the room, and i will not bring them back in the room so the chicks from the next hatch don't get contact with any old chicks. Their parents looks fine and they don't have any bad signs, so is it safe for the parents to wait until the breeding season ends to get wormed? Or could i just worm the hens and leave the males so they could still fertile?

 

[Peafowlssssssss]

I would also consider trying to change every

thing completely. As soon as the next batch hatches put them in a brand new brooder box. Big plastic storage bins work great for us. Under a heat lamp of course, but place the brooder in a different room preferably a room you've never housed birds in, we keep ours in our bathtub for the first 2 weeks. Change the bedding often, and don't use wood chips or anything they could eat. I've been told that peachicks can kill themselves by eating their bedding and getting impacted crops. Get some corid to use in the water, and maybe some tylan also to be safe. There should be no chance of them having worms or black head if you do all of this because they could not have been exposed to either. Not sure what else to suggest, I too find it hard to believe that worming the adults at this time will help these chicks, future chicks maybe, but this just doesn't seem like worms in the parents would be the cause.

I have almost changed everything even their room, but since you both think worming the parents will mostly don't solve the problem right now i think i will change everything again for the next hatch, i may ask the vet to postmortem one the died chicks to see if they ate their own bedding. I have used corid in the water, and i will use another one for the next hatch, i will also see if their is anything i have forgot to change. I hope things get better for the next hatch.

 

[DylansMom]

I have almost changed everything even their room, but since you both think worming the parents will mostly don't solve the problem right now i think i will change everything again for the next hatch, i may ask the vet to postmortem one the died chicks to see if they ate their own bedding. I have used corid in the water, and i will use another one for the next hatch, i will also see if their is anything i have forgot to change. I hope things get better for the next hatch.

I very much hope things get better next time. I know how discouraging this must be for you.

 

[Peafowlssssssss]

I very much hope things get better next time. I know how discouraging this must be for you.

Thank you so much, i'm not sad that i'm losing these chicks, but i'm sad that i don't know why, if the next hatch chicks dies too i will give up on this season chicks, and properly i will keep crying until the breeding season ends LOL, i'm kidding for sure

 

[casportpony]

To the best of my knowledge, worming the parents isn't going to help the chicks.

Talk to your vet about what coccidiosis drugs are available in Kuwait. Here we have Corid (amprolium), Amprol (amprolium), Sulmet (sulfamethazine), DiMethox (sulfadimethoxine) and Baycox (toltrazuril). Also ask you vet if there is someplace you could send a chick for necropsy.

Given what little I know, I would be suspicious of coccidiosis or yolk sack infections, those I think are the more common killer of chicks.

Do a search for Mushy Chick Disease (also known as Omphallitis ).

-Kathy

 

[Peafowlssssssss]

To the best of my knowledge, worming the parents isn't going to help the chicks.

Talk to your vet about what coccidiosis drugs are available in Kuwait. Here we have Corid (amprolium), Amprol (amprolium), Sulmet (sulfamethazine), DiMethox (sulfadimethoxine) and Baycox (toltrazuril). Also ask you vet if there is someplace you could send a chick for necropsy.

Given what little I know, I would be suspicious of coccidiosis or yolk sack infections, those I think are the more common killer of chicks.

Do a search for Mushy Chick Disease (also known as Omphallitis ).

-Kathy

Thanks for your help, I just talked with a peafowl breeder here in Kuwait and he thinks its maybe coccidiosis, i will go tomorrow to the vet and ask for some drugs for coccidiosis, should i treat the upcoming chicks also or just the sick chicks?
Where did the chicks usually get yolk sack infections from?

Thanks again.

 

[casportpony]

Read this:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/mushy-chick-disease-yolk-sack-infection-omphalitis

Omphalitis
Also known as
Mushy Chick Disease
&
Yolk Sack infection

Omphalitis is a common cause of death in chicks during the first week of life and most common with artificially hatched chicks. It is a bacterial infection of the yolk sac. Various bacteria may be involved in yolk sack infection,
E.coli, Staphylococci, Proteus, Clostridia, fecalis and Pseudomonas.








Understanding the yolk sack
Growth of a chick begins in the small fertilized area at the top of the yolk. A network of blood vessels begins to develop spreading from the embryo out over the yolk. The yolk sac is attached to the chick's navel and the chick draws nourishment from it, producing an enzyme that changes the yolk material so that it can be used as a food by the developing embryo. As the chick hatches any remaining unused yolk is drawn into the chick’s abdomen or “navel”. It will supply nourishment for the chicks first few days after hatching.





CAUSES
~ Egg & Embryo ~
Omphalitis may be caused by a bacterium that enters through the porous egg shell. Unfortunately, incubation conditions are ideal for breeding bacteria as well as incubating eggs. BEWARE the egg that explodes in the hatching tray! This easily contaminates other eggs.
~ Chick ~
As the chick is hatching its exposed umbilicus (navel) can easily be infected by bacteria. More susceptible are those newly hatched chicks resting on dirty eggs, un-sanitized incubators, and also with assisted hatching. A chick removed from the incubator prior to complete healing of the navel is also giving a chance of infection in the brooder.






Symptoms
The chicks become lethargic and die quickly either during incubation or after hatching, with most dying within 48 hours from the infection. Symptoms may VARY depending on bacteria and can include poorly healed, open navels or enlarged navels, subcutaneous edema (large fluid volume in the abdomen), bluish color of the abdominal muscles and often unabsorbed yolk materials that could even smell putrid. Often yolks are ruptured and peritonitis (inflammation of the inner wall of the abdomen) is common. Chicks have little interest in food and water and are attracted to heat. Mortality often begins at hatching and can continue for 10/14 more days.





subcutaneous edema (large fluid volume in the abdomen)



unhealed navel after yolk sack rupture below


Below is an unhealed OPEN Navel


Below is an unhealed OPEN Navel





Below is an image of a duckling's belly with an infected navel.
It hatched with an unabsorbed yolk, and was about a week old in the pic.
The duckling DID survive, and is a loudmouth little call duck juvenile.




Treatments
There is no specific treatment for omphalitis. Most affected birds die.
Prevention is the best method.
A few suggestions for treatment are to clean the navel area with iodine several times a day. I have also used Veterycin gel spray. Freshen up water with multi vitamins or Save-A-Chick daily. Watch brooder temperatures as Chilling & overheating may increase losses at this stage. Isolate chick from others to prevent spread of bacteria and avoid pecking injuries.
Keep the brooder as clean and fresh as possible. Keep in mind that it may be wiser to humanely destroy the more severely affected chicks.






Prevention
The disease is prevented by careful control of temperature, humidity, and sanitation in the incubator and Hen House! Keep the Coop and nesting boxes clean and dry. Set only fresh, clean, non-porous and uncracked eggs. If it is necessary to set dirty eggs, they should be kept away from clean eggs. Gentle sanitizers are available for cleaning dirty eggs. Always wash hands, especially when turning! ALWAYS disinfect incubators and equipment before AND after use!



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A BIG Thank you to all of the image contributors for this Article.​

Disclaimer: Please note this information is offered as friendly advice only and, whilst I have made every effort to ensure it is accurate, I can not be held responsible if it proves not to be useful in your case!








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• Sally Sunshine​