Pulling a bloodfeather

[jj287]

I have been reading lots of things about blood feathers, and fortunately neither of my birds have ever had one. I know if they get one that I am supposed to pull it out, but i realized that I don't know the first thing about doing that. Does anyone have any tips/pointers on how to do this in case I ever have to pull a feather?
Hopefully I'll never have to do this but it's a good thing to know.

[New Ekkie Mom]

You're not supposed to pull out a blood feather. Blood feathers are good things! They are the new feathers growing in to replace old, molted feathers. The ONLY time you should pull a blood feather is if it gets broken. Because they are "live" and still have a blood supply going to them, a broken blood feather will bleed profusely. If the bleeding can not be stopped, it sometimes becomes necessary to pull it. ...but not always! And if you are not experienced in pulling these feathers, you can often do more harm than good. It's best to let a vet or someone with lots of good experience do this. It can be VERY painful!!!

[Savery]

Broken blood feathers are easy to deal with, and every bird owner should know how to handle this. Too many people freak out over them, when it's really quite simple.

First off, read this article. It has pictures:
Blood Feathers

Next, go buy yourself a hemostat with wide jaws. If you don't know what that is, it looks like a pair of scissors, but with gripping jaws instead of blades.

Hemostat - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You can either order one online, or try to find one locally. Try flea markets, gun shows, military surplus stores, hobby shops, or anywhere that sells military surplus, emergency medical, or electronics equipment. I actually bought one at radio shack a few years back - dont think they carry them anymore. DO NOT SCREW AROUND WITH TWEEZERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you can't find a hemostat, use needle nose pliars... but get a hemostat!

If you have to pull a broken blood feather, it will likely either be either a wing primary or tail feather, because they're large, and likely to be damaged while the bird is flying.

1. Don't panic.
2. Have someone else restrain the bird, and find the exact feather. If it's hard to locate, wet the surrounding feathers.

Do the next steps quickly (within about 5 seconds):
3. Support the part of the body with the feather in question. Simple for tails, but a wing will need support.
4. Clamp down on the feather with the hemostat. Get close to the skin, but not close. About 1/2 inch or so is about right. Clamp so the hemostat is as parallel to the shaft as possible. This does 2 things: first, gives the most surface area of the feather shaft in the jaws of the hemostat, and second, allows you to pull with the feather.
5. With a deliberate, swift motion, pull the feather in the direction of growth. Pretend like you're pulling a fairly stiff lever. Don't jerk, twist, pry etc.

Now, inspect the feather shaft. There should be a smooth, soft bulb at the end. If this is the case, good job. Let the bird chill out for a minute and check for any bleeding or damage to other feathers. You're done.

IF the shaft broke, it likely broke where you clamped, so hopefully you should have enough shaft for attempt 2. Do it again, but don't panic (this is why it's important to have a hemostat with wide jaws!!!!) If this didn't work, you need to stop the bleeding. Use corn starch and pressure, and call a vet. However, if done properly, it won't likely come to this.

[New Ekkie Mom]

Originally Posted by Savery

Broken blood feathers are easy to deal with, and every bird owner should know how to handle this. Too many people freak out over them, when it's really quite simple.

Thanks, Savery! I had always heard it was better to let someone with experience pull broken blood feathers, kind of like you should have some experience to clip wings or toenails. The technique you described is the best description I have seen. I am sure it is a very good thing to know. I hope I don't even have to do it though.

[MaryG1959]

Great attachment! I have always used needle nosed pliers. Generally, my husband holds and I do the pulling.