After the hatchings....Unexplained deaths

Sandie · **Posted:** Sat Jan 16, 2010 1:06 pm

We have one proud Pea Cock and had four ladies. Now only three thanks to a roaming dog.

They had 15 chicks born in total.

We have lost all but 5 chicks. Two I know tried to swim with the ducklings and found they couldn't. I got there too late to help. The rest, including a pure white one, as all are white and blue mixes, all the others I have found dead at various ages. No sign of ill health, no injury, just dead.

Is this like normal. This is very distressing. They appear to eat well and drink well. They have learnt to fly up onto a gazebo type frame for the night.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

PS I have weeds I want to spray and kill. Any idea which weedkiller I can use with so many chooks, ducks and peacocks wandering about?

Chukar · **Posted:** Sun Jan 17, 2010 9:39 am

No is not normal, if you have any more die you should take the body to a vet for an autopsy because it sounds like some sort of disease which could kill all your peafowl. Were the peachicks hatched from a peahen or a foster chook or an incubator?

Peacocks Australia · **Joined:** Wed Jan 02, 2002 9:14 am **Posts:** 310755

Hi Sandie and Welcome to A.P.F the advice from Chukar is good advice if you have any further deaths then you should contact your local Vet. There are a few health issues that can affect Peachicks from age 0 to 20 weeks. Without clinical symptoms it is very difficult to say with any certainty what could have happened to your Peachicks or if it will affect any more. We strongly recommend you read our Article on Peachick health at: http://www.peacocksaustralia.com/peachickcare.html and contact your local Vet should any more die and request an autopsy. Just a couple of questions though did the Peachick have anybody weight particularly around the breast bone? What age were the Peachicks?

Thanks
P.A :-D

Sandie · **Posted:** Tue Jan 19, 2010 8:54 am

Thanks for the advise. They all were extremely normal. Eat well and drunk well just found them dead in the morning. Considered snakes. But there are no apparent injuries.

They were all between 2 weeks and 3 months old. There were all except one raised by their mothers.

I rescued two and incubated them. One of these has died. Strangely it died the day after I started letting them roam in the back yard. Are there plants that are poisonous to bird life as we have a number of dead and dying dove type birds. These are wild. Last year it was Galahs that dropped from the sky in the area this year it is these dove type birds. We thought maybe some farmer was poisoning them to save his crop but that would not explain my birds dying.

The adults are fine and robust. Just the babies that are dropping. I fed them starter mash then onto raiser mash now they eat grass seed and chook grain and I guess insects etc.

This really is devastating. Thank goodness I haven't weed sprayed or I would think it was that.

The next death I shall indeed take it to the vet. None of my chooks or ducks are dying. Just baby pea chicks.

AUSTRALIAN POULTRY FORUM™

After the hatchings....Unexplained deaths

Who is on the Forum