First issue with Perjo, a wing feather

[DRB]

Not sure what to make of this wing feather. It looks like it's just broken, not sure where exactly. Perjo is acting completely normal, doesn't appear to be botthered at all by it, flies like normal, sings like normal. She picks at it, can't seem to figure it out on her own, not sure if she's trying to pull it out.

I don't know if she's completed her first molt yet, hard to say, I've seen tons of white down feathers fall out, not too many wing feathers. Not sure if she's truly started her molt either. She's 9 mo old next week.

Any thoughts on this wing feather, and what to do? She doesn't let me check out her wings too much, so getting in there to even cut it if possible will be difficult.

 

[Taw5106]

Is the feather bleeding? Will she allow you to pull it? If not let it go its course. I had a tiel that broke a feather and she bled out. It was a blood feather, a feather still connected to a blood vessel. Once pulled she was fine. I say monitor her to see if she drops the feather naturally.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[DRB]

I can touch it, and even gently tug it, she then jerks a bit, but it doesn't hurt her. It looks like it's broke about half way between her body and the tip of the feather. It looks like I could cut it, but I'll wait and see what the next 48hrs brings.

No blood anywhere.

 

[Taw5106]

I agree, let it be for now. I'm sure others here have more experience with this type of situation. As long as she is not bleeding you are good. Not trying to scare you, it was a new, big lesson for me. My situation was my tiel broke her feather that was still attached to an open vain.

I arrived home after work and found her covered in blood, the feather shaft was still open to the vessel. Hence the name blood feather. The ER Vets pulled it and fixed it. They were awesome.

So if the feather is wonky, leave it alone. If you see blood take her to the ER Vet!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[DRB]

What is the best way to be sure it is NOT blood feather? If it is not then I can cut it with scissors correct?

 

[Taw5106]

I'll let others advise on cutting the feather. If it's a blood feather you will know and see blood. The risk for cutting is if the shaft is still attached to the vessel. I have never pulled a feather either. I've scritched Buddy's pins to help remove the pin casings but that's it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jugoya]

Blood feathers have a casing around them that gets active blood flow.
If you gently open the wing and look at the base of the feather you will likely see red.

I have hAd this experience with my buddy baby. Blood ended up everywhere and there was no time to get her to the vet.

Had cornstarch on hand but it didn't help.

I pulled the feather at the advice of my friend who is a vet tech and works closely with birds.

I had no other choice.
It is likely a feather she bent in a bad landing.
Common in younger birds.

 

[SailBoat]

It appears to be a damaged primary wing feather. The cause is likely a baby Parrot being a baby Parrot. However, adult Parrots are just as likely to have this happen as part of hard play and/or flight.

If the feather is not causing a problem in hanging-up as the Parrot moves about, I would leave it alone and allow the Parrot to remove it on h/his own. There is always the possibility of a blood feather. As stated above, and if your Parrot will allow you, lift the wing and take a close look.

NOTE: I'm a strong believer in training a Parrot to allow handling that allows inspection of wings, bottom, legs /craws and beak - up close! It takes time and commonly done in very small steps.

 

[SailBoat]

It appears to be a damaged primary wing feather. The cause is likely a baby Parrot being a baby Parrot. However, adult Parrots are just as likely to have this happen as part of hard play and/or flight.

If the feather is not causing a problem in hanging-up as the Parrot moves about, I would leave it alone and allow the Parrot to remove it on h/his own. There is always the possibility of a blood feather. As stated above, and if your Parrot will allow you, lift the wing and take a close look.

NOTE: I'm a strong believer in training a Parrot to allow handling that allows inspection of wings, bottom, legs /claws and beak - up close! It takes time and commonly done in very small steps.

Sorry for the double post - Ooops!

 

[DRB]

I've inspected it closer, Perjo allows me to handle her in such a way usually. It appears to have bent and actually broke, it looks to be literally hanging by a thread about half way up the wing, and there is no sign of blood anywhere. If it was a blood feather and the shaft was bent to the point of a break in the shaft, it would bleed correct?

and I agree about how it happened. she's landed at the bottom of her cage a bit heavy twice this week. Not sure if she was clumsy or playing too aggressively, doesn't matter, she dinged up her wing feather.

She's behaved like she always does, that's what's important to me, no pain and no change in approach to daily life for her.

As a side note I brought her over to my keyboard for the first time this week, and let her sit and listen to me screw around. She didn't seem overly interested. But the next day when I sat to play and she stayed in the other room, she instantly started vocalizing and loudly (she wanted me to hear her over the keyboard) and seemed to think of it as a challenge.

Such a great adventure owning this incredible little creature.

 

[DRB]

Problem resolved itself, albeit with some stress.

We play an elevator or ferris wheel game in which she sits perched on my hand and I move my arm up and down from to get her wings flapping, or move it in circels away and back toward me. She got airborne and flew off into a lamp shade. Her broken feather came loose in the flight.

No harm no foul.

We're all good. Funny thing is I showed her the broken feather and she backed off from it, not sure why it bugged her, she chewed at it for 3 days.

CAG being a CAG.

 

[Taw5106]

Problem resolved itself, albeit with some stress.

We play an elevator or ferris wheel game in which she sits perched on my hand and I move my arm up and down from to get her wings flapping, or move it in circels away and back toward me. She got airborne and flew off into a lamp shade. Her broken feather came loose in the flight.

No harm no foul.

We're all good. Funny thing is I showed her the broken feather and she backed off from it, not sure why it bugged her, she chewed at it for 3 days.

CAG being a CAG.

Great news! As for her backing off the feather, Buddy my GCA is like that. I've picked up and shown him a feather he just dropped and he backs off crying like it wants to eat him.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[MonicaMc]

If it helps.... here is a picture of the difference between a blood feather and a normal, fully grown feather. Feathers from cockatiels.


http://www.prettybirds.net/Blood-feather-normal.jpg