new baby peas pecking each others feathers

[tiggipop]

hi wonder if anyone has ideas / can help.

on weds i picked up my new baby pea fowl after losing my last boy in july. they are from a uk "respected" breeder.

i know warning bells should have been ringing loud in my ears when i was not allowed inside to see the younger birds and the 4 i had ordered were already caught and in a box.....

anyhow long story short they are a bit "manky" .. think not had access to outdoor pen.. 3 out of the 4 had feathers missing off their backs and i have noticed that they are pecking each other.. to the point of drawing blood. (reminds me a little of egg laying hens in the sheds nearby)

not sure if they have bugs or if its just because their living conditions were less than perfect.. they now have access to outside although are still in a pen and have drinkers and feeders scattered around so no problem with access to either.

thanks

 

[Clodagh]

OK, it will now be a habit and the new feathers coming through are rich in blood, and they like blood.
You need to spray them in something that isn't red, purple spray is handy, or anything green/blue in colour. Or cake in wound powder. Red is a stimulant/peck me colour. They needs lots to do so they are occupied and if really bad they will have to be seperated until the new feathers are through. I'm not sure what their favourite things are but maybe a scatter feed in straw, hang some CDs, cabbages, apples up.
Good luck, they will get there.

 

[tiggipop]

OK, it will now be a habit and the new feathers coming through are rich in blood, and they like blood.
You need to spray them in something that isn't red, purple spray is handy, or anything green/blue in colour. Or cake in wound powder. Red is a stimulant/peck me colour. They needs lots to do so they are occupied and if really bad they will have to be seperated until the new feathers are through. I'm not sure what their favourite things are but maybe a scatter feed in straw, hang some CDs, cabbages, apples up.
Good luck, they will get there.

Thanks.. I thought I had been told that hens are attracted to red..

They have a fully stocked activity centre.. with branches on ground and also tied at higher level to encourage their natural instinct to perch. .. have dug up clumps of earth / grass for them to learn to search for food... scattered meal worms.... thrown windfall apples in..... poor things were just shell shocked as had nothing in their pen at breeders.

Will catch them at bed time (easy enough as they sleep on floor.. poor things) and purple spray them.


Thankyou so much for replying x

 

[Widgeon]

Ah, just read this and realised I've posted a very similar question!

You need to spray them in something that isn't red, purple spray is handy, or anything green/blue in colour.

Clodagh would you say purple spray is more effective than the toxic anti-peck stuff?

Will catch them at bed time (easy enough as they sleep on floor.. poor things) and purple spray them.

Tiggipop regarding the sleeping on the floor, with our two most recent ones we had to lift them onto the perches every night for about a week, or they would sleep in the nest boxes. It took them a bit under a week of this until they got the idea and started putting themselves to bed on the perches.

 

[Clodagh]

I’ve never used anti peck. I didn’t actually know there was such a thing!
I know chickens but not peafowl but assumed they were similar. I think it’s the colour rather than the flavour, chooks have a very poor sense of taste.

 

[Widgeon]

I think it’s the colour rather than the flavour, chooks have a very poor sense of taste.

Right, that's interesting. Thanks. I'll get myself some purple spray then.

 

[Clodagh]

Right, that's interesting. Thanks. I'll get myself some purple spray then.

And let me know if it works?

 

[Widgeon]

And let me know if it works?

Yes! Will do. It won't be for a little while because she needs to regrow some feathers before I want to consider putting her back in - but I will save this post and update you when I do!

 

[tiggipop]

[QUOTE="



Tiggipop regarding the sleeping on the floor, with our two most recent ones we had to lift them onto the perches every night for about a week, or they would sleep in the nest boxes. It took them a bit under a week of this until they got the idea and started putting themselves to bed on the perches.[/QUOTE]


hi -thankyou for reply
at the mo they really have no "sea legs" they are now trying to hop/flap up onto the top of the nest boxes, last night 2 of them managed to get into the boxes so we do have progress!

 

[tiggipop]

And let me know if it works?

hi clodagh

i know your post refers to widgeon but thought i would update on the baby peas... i opted for lashings of wound powder in the end as thought less stressful for them than purple spray.. administering was simple and straightforward and this morning it looked like there had been no overnight pecking! just back from work and fingers crossed no sign of blood.

will re do tonight and keep an eye on them.

again thanks for the advice

x x

 

[Clodagh]

hi clodagh

i know your post refers to widgeon but thought i would update on the baby peas... i opted for lashings of wound powder in the end as thought less stressful for them than purple spray.. administering was simple and straightforward and this morning it looked like there had been no overnight pecking! just back from work and fingers crossed no sign of blood.

will re do tonight and keep an eye on them.

again thanks for the advice

x x

Fantastic! I really appreciate updates.

 

[tiggipop]

[QUOTE="



Tiggipop regarding the sleeping on the floor, with our two most recent ones we had to lift them onto the perches every night for about a week, or they would sleep in the nest boxes. It took them a bit under a week of this until they got the idea and started putting themselves to bed on the perches.

hi -thankyou for reply
at the mo they really have no "sea legs" they are now trying to hop/flap up onto the top of the nest boxes, last night 2 of them managed to get into the boxes so we do have progress![/QUOTE]


well the babies have come on leaps and bounds... tea time i could hear the tiny babies doing their bed time squeaking (they are 9 weeks old and hatched under broody hen) i went to see them and 3 of the "giant" babies (the new additions last week) were precariously wobbling on one of the higher branches i had tied!! a few moments later all 4 were up! .... was such a pity when i had to move them indoors for the night.

 

[Widgeon]

Hooray! Love the photo. Also, that's a good idea putting conifer branches in their run to play with, we have loads of those - I might go and hack a few off for them tonight.