Molting and blood feather questions.

[happycat]

I have some questions about molting and pin (blood) feathers. Ive never really known much about them but that you shouldnt break them.
So when do birds molt? How can you tell when they are molting and that they arent sick? What should you do when they molt?

And about blood feathers, how do you pet them without breaking one? How can you tell if its a blood feather, how do you avoid breaking one and what do you do IF you break one?

Sorry for all the questions. Thanks in advance!

 

[Karigan]

Blood feathers are pretty sturdy, I can rub my sennie's head when she feels like a porcupine and only the old ones flake; I've never had one break on me. Here's a picture.

See how the feathers are dark at the base, white at the shaft, and feathers are sticking out of it? The feathers grow inside a keratin sheath that protects them until they are fully formed and also contain a blood supply. When the feather begins to grow it's all dark, but after a while the tip turns white and this spreads downward. Once it's white, the blood no longer flows to that part of the feather and the keratin flakes off with preening, and this is natural. If you are scritching the head and you see white skin flakes this is good, because without a mate they cannot reach these feathers themselves. it's often appreciated if you can break off the tip of a white feather so that it begins to flake. Just never rub the dark base of the feather because that's where the blood is. If you break a feather, you can leave it if it isn't bleeding too bad, stop it with corn starch, or just pluck it out. It will hurt, but it will stop the bleeding. Just make sure it's a clean tug, or you can damage the follicle.

Birds molt all year round, a feather or two, but once or twice a year, usually in late spring or and fall, they go through a heavy molt that lasts several week where they become pin cushions. Just be patient as the bird can be irritable, and shower it every other day or so to keep the feathers supple and easy to shed. The bird on a very bad molt may play and eat less and be grumpy, but the stool should be normal and often there really isn't much difference in energy at all.

 

[happycat]

Blood feathers are pretty sturdy, I can rub my sennie's head when she feels like a porcupine and only the old ones flake; I've never had one break on me. Here's a picture.

See how the feathers are dark at the base, white at the shaft, and feathers are sticking out of it? The feathers grow inside a keratin sheath that protects them until they are fully formed and also contain a blood supply. When the feather begins to grow it's all dark, but after a while the tip turns white and this spreads downward. Once it's white, the blood no longer flows to that part of the feather and the keratin flakes off with preening, and this is natural. If you are scritching the head and you see white skin flakes this is good, because without a mate they cannot reach these feathers themselves. it's often appreciated if you can break off the tip of a white feather so that it begins to flake. Just never rub the dark base of the feather because that's where the blood is. If you break a feather, you can leave it if it isn't bleeding too bad, stop it with corn starch, or just pluck it out. It will hurt, but it will stop the bleeding. Just make sure it's a clean tug, or you can damage the follicle.

Birds molt all year round, a feather or two, but once or twice a year, usually in late spring or and fall, they go through a heavy molt that lasts several week where they become pin cushions. Just be patient as the bird can be irritable, and shower it every other day or so to keep the feathers supple and easy to shed. The bird on a very bad molt may play and eat less and be grumpy, but the stool should be normal and often there really isn't much difference in energy at all.

Thanks for all the info!