Tail issue

[DavidH]

Shanti has a red tail feather hanging at about a 45 degree angle to the rest of the tail.

 

I think maybe he collided with a toy in his cage that he's been banging around. It's not chewed on, just dangling.

 

Is this a cause for concern? Is it painful? I thought it would just fall out but it's been hanging for a day or so.

 

Any help would be appreciated.

[Jane08]

Kea did that once as well and like you say the tail feather was at an angel. We just left her to it and she took care of it herself. To be honest it didn't really seem to bother her so I assumed it wasn't sore and when she had her preening session later that night she fixed the feather.

[she]

Shanti will sort the feather out himself,I dont think it is anything to be concerned about.<br><br>Post edited by: she, at: 2009/02/24 13:33

[retronut]

how weird! :ohmy: this happened to Vince only yesterday. i got home from work and he had a feather sticking out of his back, he looked like a shark :woohoo: after being out of his cage for awhile he bagan to groom and it just fell away. he didn't even seem to notice it fall so i dont think they hurt. hope that helps

[judygram]

Greys will take care of feathers that get out of place so just allow them the time to take care of it themselves.

[danmcq]

"Is this a cause for concern? Is it painful? I thought it would just fall out but it's been hanging for a day or so."

 

It is not painful, but a feather out of place or damaged will bug them. As the others have said, Shanti will take care of it just fine. :-)

 

They know how to groom and maintain their feathers as well as we do our hair. Well.... many people do a good job of it, but obviously some have no clue. <br><br>Post edited by: danmcq, at: 2009/02/24 16:06

[DavidH]

Thanks everyone! You have eased my mind.

[shannon]

Yeah, mine have this happen a lot too. Only a maybe a handful of times I have seen where a broken or bent feather actually irritates or even hurts them, they get irritable and pick and pull until they get it out. Once Ozzie did this and when he finally pulled it out a bunch of blood squirted all over the blinds and it flipped me out. I got my bird first aid kit and put some of the syptic (sp) powder or cornstarch looking stuff and and poured on a wet washcloth and clotted the area. It might have already clotted by the time I got everything together (now, I don't bury it deep in a drawer!), but I still got him good and cornstarchy in that area to be on the safe side. I put him to bed early 'cause he lost a bit of blood and everything was fine in the morning. Just same ole' Ozzie, waking us all up at dawn.

[DavidH]

It's on the underside of the tail. I watched him carefully preening the tail feathers today, but the crooked one was not on his radar. It's not an area that's within his touching comfort zone, so I'll just leave it be.