Broken Blood Feathers

Blood Feathers, very simply, are brand new feathers coming in during a process called "molting".
In order for a new feather to grow, it needs to have a blood supply. The blood supply is found in the shaft of the feather (the thick middle part). In a small feather, it may not be noticeable, but in a large feather, it is easily seen.

Feathers in the wings and in the tail are the largest on a bird and therefore have the largest blood supply going to them. These shafts grow from a follicle in the skin, much like human hair. Because they are supplied with blood while they are growing, they are like pipelines to a bird's blood supply. In a sense, they are like veins themselves.

Once the feather is fully grown, the follicle closes and the blood supply dries up inside the feather shaft, leaving it opaque. There is no longer any danger of blood loss if this feather were to break. The time it takes for a new feather to grow is actually quite fast.

If your bird DOES break a blood feather, don't panic! It does not mean your bird is going to bleed to death! It means, as a bird owner, you should be prepared for an emergency BEFORE it happens.

A few things to have on hand:

• A pair of hemostats (you can buy these from your veterinarian). If not, a pair of needle nose pliers (tweezers are not strong enough).




• Corn starch (preferably) or flour in a pinch. Some say Qwikstop but this is a chemical and it also burns so I don't advise it. Cornstarch is best. Use this to stop the bleeding.




• 2 Q-Tips (preferably vet swabs with the long wooden end): I use Q-tips and swear by them. Give one to your birds to chew on (great distraction).




• Clean water: to dampen the feathers.
  

You'll have to stop the bleeding first thing. Secure the bird. If the break is bad enough and you need too, removing a broken blood feather is relatively simple and the best thing to do.
Dampen the Q-tip in the water to get the feathers wet. (give the other Q-tip to the bird at this time to play with so he or she is distracted and doesn't try to eat your fingers while you’r performing this delicate procedure, haha!) It's easier to wet the feathers and move them aside so you can locate the break. Once you locate the break, get your hemostats (preferably) and lock down on the broken shaft as close to the skin as possible, above the break. If you don't have hemostats, use needle nosed pliers. Make sure the wing you are working on is secured against the surface with one hand, and with a firm yank, quickly pull the broken feather out in the direction it grows in (like you would if you were pulling out a tooth). If you've done it properly, there should be a small bulbous end with a wet substance on the base of the shaft once it's out. You'll notice that your bird might start bleeding from the follicle so you need to put some cornstarch on the area where the feather once was and apply some pressure. That's it. You're done. Make sure to give your birdy lots of love and attention too.