Swollen feather shaft

[Flight]

I noticed my tiels feather on his tail looks swollen I have never seen him with a feather like this before I was wondering if anyone here has seen this before?

Thanks for the help :)

[Chicklette]

Here is a link, I don't mean to scare you but he should go to the vets. Scroll down to Beak and Feather Syndrome

Link

Parrots - Judy Leach's Parrots - About parrots, for parrots and for parrot owners

Another

Feather & Skin Disorders: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment Options as well as Prevention

Google Search I did for you.

bird swollen feather shaft - Google Search

I hope this helps.

[Valo's Moirana]

i have never seen this - i guess i would take the bird to the vet to make sure s/he's not sick... looks kind of odd

[Flight]

Thanks for the links :)
I have had him for over two years now and he seems really healthy. His weight is staying steady at 79-81 grams. I emailed the photo to his breeder and they said it looks like an old injury (he is the typical clumsy tiel) When I first got him I thought he would never keep his tail but he has been doing well, with keeping it now that he is older.
His new flight feathers on his wings are coming in fine aswell. The breeder said I should take him in anyway and have it plucked out just to be safe. It does not bother him any but I want to do what is best for him. Iam worried that plucking it out will hurt him and give him a sore tail for a while :( Has anyone else gotten their birds tail feather plucked before?

[Valo's Moirana]

if a feather breaks while growing, it's common practice to pull the feather shaft out to avoid excessive bleeding - i've had that done before when i had pita, and it didn't seem like it bothered him very long

[Lori~D]

So what would be the point of plucking this feather if its only just deformed and not causing any pain or discomfort??

[Flight]

Originally Posted by Lori~D

So what would be the point of plucking this feather if its only just deformed and not causing any pain or discomfort??

Iam not sure the breeder said to get it pulled just to be safe. Could it possibly be infected or get infected somehow or is it only skin that can get infected. My Aunt has infected finger nails so could a bird get infected feathers? The shafts are made out of the same stuff (keratin) as our nails.

[chinniechantel]

I would definitely have a vet take a look at it, you won't forgive yourself if there is something wrong that could have been fixed easily. I don't think plucking it without a vet looking at it first would be a good idea. It may be a clue to something that is wrong...and birds are great at hiding illness and by the time they are acting sick it is almost always too late.

[Chicklette]

I agree with Chantel you need a vet to check that out to be on the safe side. If an infection occurs it could make them VERY ill.

[hollyhawkz]

Have a vet take a look before doing anything. I think it looks like a feather that got squished a bit when it was still a blood feather. If that is the case there is no worry, so best to have a vet take a quick look.