broken feather

[Dave007]

You're welcome. The next thing you need to do is calmly sit down and have a stiff drink.

[Hayley23]

My question is pretty similar to this thread, so i didn't want to make a new post.

 

Anyway I have a 8 month old CAG and I noticed she has had a couple broken tailfeathers. She likes to jump off things and I'm pretty sure that is how she is breaking her tailfeathers. Anyway the first couple just seemed to come out after awhile, but after she broke another feather I noticed it looked more like she chewed it out. If she is chewing them off, is there something I need to do with the remaining feather left in her? Will the remaining feather fall out by itself or do I need to take her to the vet? Also could this mean that she isn't getting enough play time and she is bored, or is this something normal?

 

 

Any advice would be much appreciated thank you. Oh and sorry for the post if its hard to read, as I am posting this on my phone.

[Dave007]

****She likes to jump off things and I'm pretty sure that is how she is breaking her tailfeathers.****

 

Very common especially when the bird is young like yours is.

 

*****Anyway the first couple just seemed to come out after awhile, but after she broke another feather I noticed it looked more like she chewed it out. *****

 

****If she is chewing them off, is there something I need to do with the remaining feather left in her? Will the remaining feather fall out by itself or do I need to take her to the vet? Also could this mean that she isn't getting enough play time and she is bored, or is this something normal?****

 

There's no need to do anything to the remaing feather/feathers because it's now dead and will eventually fall out or get pulled by your bird. More than likely, new feathers will grow back at different times because the first ones were lost at different times.

There's no need for a vet visit. A bird can't be stopped from chewing feathers. If this goes on over a long period of time, the area can be treated so that it doesn't feel itchy or dry. You can purchase a product from Walmart or other pharmacy called %100% Aloe Vera Juice and mist the bird's area with it. As a matter of fact, you can mist the whole body with it.--about $9 for 1 gallon.

This is a common problem that very young birds go through. They can rough house and it can happen.

 

 

Also very common with young birds when some feathers are lost. Remaining feathers sometimes annoy birds and they chew them off.

[Hayley23]

Thank you very much for the advice Dave! Love this forum!

[KimKim]

Well, we have another broken feather! I read somewhere, not sure where, that if a bird was growing out flight feathers (from being clipped) that the end ones have no protection so that might be why Babalu's keep breaking? I know what happend this time, I had him on my bed and I opened the bath door and it startled him and he jumped off, so on of his new feathers bent or something. Then he finally chewed it off like last time. I stayed calm this time though:) This feather was not ready to come out though as it had blood still in it, a small amount and there is no drippings on the paper below him so I think we are good. But he wanted the chew the end of the feather after I picked it up (he was leaning towards me after I picked it off the ground like he was saying "give that back") to look at it, it was like he was trying to clean the blood?

Edited January 8, 2011 by KimKim
fix picture spacing

[Barbara2]

Sorry about his broken feather and glad he doctored it himself, but GREAT PICTURES!!

[KimKim]

Thanks, I know I like to see pictures of what people are talking about so I try to get as many good ones as I can. Babalu is getting use to me holding my phone up so tonight it didnt even bother him. I am going down to check the paper below him to make sure there is no blood drips. BRB.

Edited January 8, 2011 by KimKim
fix wording

[KimKim]

No blood on paper so I put him to bed.