broken feather

[Birdnut]

While giving Moussa a bath this afternoon, he got a broken feather. It is the wing feather nearest the shoulder, I think it is called an alula feather, and it is sticking straight out, away from his body.

 

What attention does this require? Does the feather need to be pulled? Or can I simply clip it? Should we have a visit at the vet to help with this?

[Dave007]

If you're not familar with long broken flight feathers, go to a vet to have it taken care of. Usually, the feather will die out and fall

off or the bird usually pulls it out when he wants or the bird puts the feather back in place. Either way, the feather will die.

If it is actually a wing feather and it's broken near the bird's body you should see blood. If not, either the feather isn't a wing feather or it's a feather that has no blood supply in it. Don't cut the feather because you may make it bleed and you would have to use blood stopper on the bird so if it's bothering you, go to the vet.

[Birdnut]

Thanks, Dave. There's no blood there. It's not a flight feather. It's one of those feathers at the leading edge of the wing.

 

As you say, with my other birds, broken feathers have just fallen out or the bird has pulled it out. I guess I'm just a little more fussy and anxious about Moussa. Since there's no bleeding, I guess I'll just leave it alone.

[hammco]

I agree with u, as long as it aint bleeding, the grey will take care of itself

[Barbara2]

Neo had one of those. He freaked, flew and ran into a wall. He had a feather (not a big flight feather) sticking out. There was no blood. I figured it was just out of place and he would fix it with preening. That didn't happen. After a few days I saw it in the bottom of the cage. It took care of itself.

[Birdnut]

Thanks, guys. That's all reassuring.

 

Like I said, I'm just more nervous with Moussa than I have been with the other birds. He just seems so much more like a "person."

[Barbara2]

I hear you, birdnut. I have two parrots that I have had for sixteen years. Neither of them have made me as nervous as Neo. He is just different.

[KimKim]

I have noticed in the past few days that Babalu has had a flight feather that was looking a bit loose when he flapped his wings. Then tonight he jumped off his perch and it looked like the feather bent... I tried to get a closer look but he kept biting my hand (I had picked him up). So I put him back on his stand and he has been biting at it, but has not gotten it out yet. There is no blood on the papers below him so hopefully he will "take care of it". So Birdnut, you are not alone, I am also a little worried/nervous.. I have never seen a feather like this on him before.

[Dave007]

It may take a while for the feather to come out. If it's only awkwardly bent, it's probably not dead so the discomfort of the feather on your bird is what'll cause your bird to start pulling at it. They never intentionally cause themselves pain so it might still be a painful before he tackles it. Or he may eventually put it back in place and nature will cause it to fall out. Anyway, leave it alone especially since it's a flight feather.

[Birdnut]

If it's any comfort, I will tell you that Moussa fussed at his broken feather for a few days, and then I found it on the floor. I guess he pulled it out.

[KimKim]

Here it is, still there... I know it is bothering him because he is being very nippy after he flaps his wings while we go upstairs.

[Dave007]

Ok, this is what you can do. If you have another person in the house, put your bird on the floor. Have a towel ready. Qickly put the towel on him, wrap him up and go to the kitchen table. Loosen towel so that you can put your hand on the wing. ( if your other person is the one that handles, let that person do it) Slihtly spread the wing open, not much, only until you can hold that feather. Take the feather and put it back in line with the other feathers and take the bird to whereever you want. I would tell how to remove feather but I can see that you probably wouldn't be successful plus it would involve a bit of blood and blood stopper.

If he flaps, and it comes out again, he'll be ready to take it out probably by tommorrow or the next day.

[KimKim]

:confused:... I am not sure if I can do that or not... I can't even watch when the clip his nails! :eek:I hate to hear him scream in the towel, I am a big wuss! I can watch other birds get it done and I have even held a few small ones, but I have never toweled a big bird before.. If he still hasnt done anything with it tomorrow I will take him the the bird store and have the owner do it, or maybe I will try and grow a pair;)

Edited December 4, 2010 by KimKim
spelling

[Dave007]

I can tell you that him being pissed off isn't unusual and him being nippy isn't unusual. Him not wanting you to bother him isn't unusual. If you don't wanna do what I suggested, simply leave him alone and let him take care of the problem himself. That may take time but he will do it.

Now as far as you trying to grow a pair, hmmm, well I have no experience helping people grow a pair. My advice--see a testspecialist.

[KimKim]

LOL, Thanks Dave, I do want to do what you said... But I am nervous.

[Luvparrots]

Ana Grey had a feather like that at one time, I left it alone and she removed it in her own time. So don't worry your grey will take care of his grooming in his own time.

[Barbara2]

I would be one who would take my bird to someone else. I don't even clip nails. I pay for that. (Although I won't be having that done at the vets again. She uses a dremel and I don't like that too much.)

[Dave007]

A dremel is probably one of the safest tools to use on claws. It's just noisy and no bird will be perfectly still when it's done. It may squawk a little but the chore is done quickly. Loads of people here use dremels with no problems and at one time, they knew nothing about dremels.

[KimKim]

Well I was on the way down the stairs trying to get my courage up, and to explain to Matt what we could do, when he started to chew at the feather. He seemed to put it back in place, but it looks like it is hanging still.. I think it is broken or bent? I moved him upstairs next to me and it is popping in and out of place as he is preening.

[Barbara2]

A dremel is probably one of the safest tools to use on claws. It's just noisy and no bird will be perfectly still when it's done. It may squawk a little but the chore is done quickly. Loads of people here use dremels with no problems and at one time, they knew nothing about dremels.

 

It was just bad because it was our first visit and she ended up nicking him and need to do a blood stopper. It was probably more traumatic for me than it was for him. To be honest, he didn't seem to notice.

[KimKim]

Check this out! The second photo gets blurry cause I zoomed (cell cam). He still has not gotten it out.

[Dave007]

Most of the time, it usually doesn't bother a bird as much as the owner. Actually I'm surprised that a problem occured with the dremel unless the vet nicked with the edge of the file. Normally, themost that ever happens is the bird squawking but greys will also do the same squawing when they're being misted or bathed. It's their way of reacting to something that's annoying them. Even deeper cuts don't really bother a bird but having to hold a bird to use blood stopper will bother him, not from the stopper but from the holding.

[KimKim]

Ok its out, but it was broken... and he still picks at the area so maybe some pieces are left behind?

this was a piece that he pulled out after the feather.

And now a video of him feeling better:)

[Dave007]

Yes, it's out just as I said it would ( in a short time). He simply broke off the area where the original crack was and there's a very good hance that there's a part left which is absolutely normal. He'll proceed to take the rest of it out when he was ready. I told you he would work on it when he started preening which he did. There's nothing to worry about because there's no bloood. There's a good chance that the feather was already dead before it cracked nad he''l dislodge and pull out the rest, either in pieces or the entire leftover.

[KimKim]

Ok, good, thanks... I really appreciate the input and help, I might have over reacted a little , but thanks for the advice and encouragement that all was going to be fine! This (a broken feather) has never happened to me yet so I was a little worried. Hopefully others will learn from this too, thats why I tried to get photos of it all.