Trimming Feathers

[katie_fleming]

Hey guys!

Jasper had another appointment last weekend for his final crop wash (1 week after completing antibiotics - last crop wash was normal, now waiting on a culture for this one to make sure it's all gone).

I had asked the vet tech to trim two of his flight feathers that have grown in again but unfortunately they forgot. I don't have another appointment scheduled for him so I'd like to try and do them myself. (He lets me trim/file his nails, so I'd like to learn to do his feathers as well)

I've been working with him more to let me open his wings but he doesn't seem to like it. I can extend the right one 80% of the way or so, the left one maybe 20%. We're getting there.

Is there some sort of special technique I should be doing? Once the wing is open fully can I trim with the other hand or do you need to support the feather in any way? I don't want to towel him like I've seen in some videos.

Thanks

 

[labell]

Toweling is the best and safest way. The next time you are at the vets I would ask them to show you. If the tech there doesn't towel I would question it and here is why.

Toweled birds have the material lightly covering their head it makes them less likely to panic and it's easier to get them on their back. When a bird is on their back it is much easier to see if the feather you are about to cut is completely grown out and doesn't still have blood running to it. Cut a blood feather and you better be fast...you must grab it toward the base and pull it fast and hard all the way out from the base of the shaft or the blood pours out like it is coming through a straw and no amount of corn starch or flour will stop it. Terrifying and NOT fun for the bird or human.

When I was cleaning once at my breeder friends house one of her big macs spooked and broke a blood feather in her wing, it was gushing out. Thank goodness I had pliers handy because a macaw wing feather shaft IS the size of a straw, no way was I going to be able to pull it out with my bare fingers. Once the feather is pulled the pore will close with the corn starch but until then it won't stop if the feather is still in place. On a smaller bird and tons of flour you might be able to stop the blood flow temporarily but as soon as they knock or hit the blood feather on something it will start all over again.

In all honesty I believe that people who have birds should learn and be able to cut toenails and trim wings if they want them done themselves. It gives you a better understanding of the anatomy of your bird and what is normal for them and it saves you from taking him for something so simple to a place where other birds (possibly sick birds have been).

I have done it over 25 yrs I have never had it break the bond I had with a bird. Stuff like that, shortly after it's over they forgive. Worst case here but what if Jasper broke a blood feather in the middle of the night or on a holiday? You don't have an understanding of how to towel or what a blood feather looks like.

While I think it is great to get your bird to allow you to pull their wing out and look at it or touch them underneath I still wouldn't trim wings that way unless you are very experienced and even then I really don't think it's a risk worth taking. Looking at the wing from the top allows the secondary feathers to cover the tops of the shaft of the primaries. This has to be checked from the underside imo before you cut any feather because it can look like it is fully out and the blood supply is off and it not be.

 

[katie_fleming]

I appreciate your reply, thank you. I didn't know there could still be blood in the feather even though it's grown out.

I did ask to be shown how at the vets once but they went ahead and trimmed in the back and then realized they had forgotten I had asked.

Last time they forgot again (but I was just going to get them to do it).

I towel trained Jasper a long time ago but never picked him up in it, just wrapped him up like a burrito (I call him my burrito birdie while I'm doing it lol) and that's it.

I might have to make another appointment specifically to see how it's done and go over things like having to pull the feather in emergency.

Thanks

 

[camo]

......OK that's enough, I'm going to start having nightmares, first choking, now haemorrhaging.

Seriously though as always some great advice, so thank you. So just so I'm clear, and hopefully never go through it, support the wing, and it's a straight pull, no twisting or anything?

Cheers,

Camo

P.S. My fingers are crossed for Jasper, that everything comes back clear! How has he been lately? Symptom free, I hope!

 

[labell]

......OK that's enough, I'm going to start having nightmares, first choking, now haemorrhaging.

Seriously though as always some great advice, so thank you. So just so I'm clear, and hopefully never go through it, support the wing, and it's a straight pull, no twisting or anything?

Cheers,

Camo

P.S. My fingers are crossed for Jasper, that everything comes back clear! How has he been lately? Symptom free, I hope!

Yes straight out, pull with more strength behind it depending on the size of the bird. They do not come out easily. You want the bird toweled and the wing (or tail) supported as much as you can and the broken blood feather pulled as quickly as possible. I have only ever had to do it on two birds one was the macaw I spoke of and the other was a cockatiel that suffered from night frights and would break blood feathers in her panic.

 

[katie_fleming]

It must be excruciating for them?

 

[labell]

It must be excruciating for them?

I wouldn't say excruciating, painful yes but much worse to bleed out. I got a fish hook through my foot as a young girl. Hurts going in but worse coming out because there are backward facing barbs that rip on the way out. I think of it opposite for a bird and a blood feather, that breaking it in the first place and having it bleed heavily would be the worst of it. Having it pulled as long as the person was quick about it would be less painful than the initial break but no bird has ever told me in so many words for certain.