Ask Lafeber

Broken blood feather

With a blood feather, should you just stop the bleeding, or pull the feather. If pull, what is the best way

Hi Tracy,

When a blood feather breaks, the remaining part of the feather will often continue to drip blood as it acts like a straw. The newer the feather, the heavier and stronger the blood flow. New blood feathers are soft, however, so they do not break easily. If blood is flowing from the broken feather, you can pack the feather with styptic powder and rush the bird to the Vet. Sometimes the blood might clot, but if the bird picks at the feather or hits it against something, it will start to bleed again. Removing the broken feather is the best thing to do, but really should not be done by one person. The wing or tail has to be supported at the base of the feather, or you can cause an injury if you just pull on the feather. The bird has to be restrained properly to prevent a break if the bird struggles. This is best done at the Vets or by two experienced people. Also, once the feather is pulled out, the follicle does not always clot quickly. Pressure and styptic powder may be needed and the bird needs to be observed for a while to be sure the follicle has clotted.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda