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 #1859958


Jenna813
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 Pulling blood feathers. yes or no?

my mom would breed cockatiels for years, basically throughout my childhood. I now have one of my own, and he usually has 3-5 blood feathers under each wing all the time. My mom would just pull hers out, but im wondering if other people do that too. I know how bad a broken blood feather can be for them. Also, does anyone know how they get them?
09/15/08  12:05am

 #1861664


Kimforster
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   Message To: Jenna813   In reference to Message Id: 1859958


 Pulling blood feathers. yes or no?

I’m a little concerned that your mum regularly pulls blood feathers. Why????
It can damage the follicles to continually pull the feathers. If feathers are continually pulled from a particular spot it can eventually stop feather growth all together. Pulling blood feathers out regularly really is nothing more than feather plucking, except the birds have a human to do it for them. It is also painful for the birds!

IF you end up with a bleeding feather then you can put corn flour on the end to stop the bleeding.

I don’t recommend styptic powder. It is commonly used to blood feathers but corn flour is a great deal safer to your health as well as the birds health. Please read about what styptic powder can do here:
http://eclectusparrots.net/styptic.html

As for getting them. It shouldn’t be a common thing to occur. If it is your avian vet should be consulted.
It can occur occasionally if you bird has a fall & breaks a feather that is still growing or is playing with another bird & things get a little rough.

It can also occur more commonly during a wing clip. It is possible to be a little more careful with the times of clipping to avoid blood feathers.

Blood feathers are basically a feather that is still growing & not yet fully matured. The feather has a vein running through the center of it. This vein retracts itself once the feather is fully grown. Pulling a bleeding feather out also forces the vein to retract itself but it isn’t advisable to do unless in an emergency.
09/17/08  08:40am

 #1862955


Stina
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   Message To: Kimforster   In reference to Message Id: 1861664


 Pulling blood feathers. yes or no?

I agree with Kim Forster. It’s natural for birds to have blood feathers. Thats how they regrow them when they molt the old ones out. If you keep pulling them they will eventually stop growing back all together. If he’s breaking them often then there may actually be a medical problem that needs to be looked at.
09/18/08  09:57pm

 #1864757


Lovetheleo
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   Message To: Stina   In reference to Message Id: 1862955


 Pulling blood feathers. yes or no?

is she maybe thinking of pin feathers?

i know some people pull of the sheath? that is over these (even though you are not supposed to)

but paybe she means these as i have heard if people taking that covering off never about pulling blood feathers though

just a thought
09/21/08  05:36am

 #1865519


Stina
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   Message To: Lovetheleo   In reference to Message Id: 1864757


 Pulling blood feathers. yes or no?

Why aren’t you supposed to take the covers off? I don’t pull on them but I kinda break them up a little and brush off the dust. My birds LOVE it because they make them a bit itchy (Sort of like when your hair grows back in places that you shave) I didn’t realise you weren’t supposed to. You may be right though, this may be what she’s thinking, not blood feathers.
09/21/08  11:47pm

 #1865576


Kimforster
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   Message To: Stina   In reference to Message Id: 1865519


 Pulling blood feathers. yes or no?

You can ease their itching & annoyance by gently squeezing & rubbing the sheath, there is no harm in this at all & if you watch birds you will see they do this also to remove the sheath. If done correctly the sheath falls off without any effort & I’ve never heard that it shouldn’t be done.

Pulling blood feathers is common amongst some people simply to stop the bleeding & due to miss information but it shouldn’t be done.
09/22/08  03:00am


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