Blood Feather Help Needed Please!

[Stasia]

I've been a bird owner for two years, but have never seen a blood feather until today.

My cockatiel has what I am assuming is a blood feather (a new feather with blood enclosed in the feather). He is not bleeding and it does not look out of place or anything...but the sight of blood in there obviously has me concerned

Is this normal during a moult? Do I need to bring him to the vet right away (meaning the morning since vets are closed here now- except for one animal hospital if need be). Is it possilbe this feather will just grow in or fall out by itself?

Thanks for any advice!!!

[stepht25]

It's completely normal. The blood will "disappear" once the new feather is done growing in. Just make sure he doesn't get too active - or if he's clipped -make sure he doesn't fall from any high places to keep the new feather safe while it's growing in. You only have to worry about a blood feather if it gets damaged in some way and blood starts coming out of it. If that should happen you'll need to apply pressure to the area and put cornstarch (I think that's it - someone will correct me if I'm wrong) to help stop the bleeding and then get him to a vet ASAP to have the blood feather pulled out.

[Stasia]

Oh, that makes me feel much better....thank you!

We actually noticed the blood feather today as we were about to give him a wing trim...but I'm guessing that should wait a few days for this feather to grow in right?

Thanks again :)

[stepht25]

You're welcome. Yes - DO NOT trim any flight feathers until you are 100% sure they are no longer blood feathers!

[Mammabird]

You don't need a vet to pull a blood feather, in fact everyone should know how to pull one and have a pair of hemostats or needlenose pliers in their emergency kit. You will need someone to help to make the job easier. It's kind of hard for me to describe the proper way to hold a bird so I would recommend you have your vet show you or if they do grooming at your local bird store ask them to show you. To pull the blood feather (if on a wing), extend the wing at the bend (I call it the elbow) so you can identify the broken blood feather, place the needlenose pliers close to the skin, make sure you have a clean grab, no skin, no neigboring feathers, squeeze the pliars firmly and give it a quick yank. Don't be scared and don't pull gently, it's a lot like trying to pull a hair out of your head or tweezing your eyebrows - if you pull gently it hurts and doesn't want to give so you have to yank. Make sure you are holding firmly to the wing near the broken feather, you don't want the wing to move when you yank out the feather. If the blood feather is a tail feather it will help to place your fingers on the birds skin on either side of the broken feather to hold the skin taught. After you remove the feather apply pressure using a gauze bandage square. You can use cornstarch but usually pressure will do the trick. Don't apply styptic powders like Quick Stop to the skin, it burns like hedoublehockeysticks but it's ok on nails.

[Bridgette Shattuck]

Great info.... thanks

[Sara Johnson]

My female cockatiel, Mickey had a feather-pulling problem. First one she pulled was of course...a blood feather. Really freaked me out. We've come a long way since then.

Quick note. The larger blood feathers (like those near the tail) I've had my vet remove for me. All Mickey has to do is one of her typical upside-down bat girl routines and the thing will break quickly. A smaller blood feather may be a simple procedure to remove as the others have described. The larger ones are a bit more intimidating so you might want to have a vet take care of that one.

[TonyB.]

emergency kit??? can someone tell a new bird owner what should an emergency kit consist of id hate to not have something that could save my baby one day please tell me im a newbie to birds i have never had anything exotic until a bout 4 days ago i got my sun conure ill be looking for something lol jk but plz help anyone with experience thanks

[Kevin]

Tony, why don't you create a sperate Emergency kit suggestion thread...