Last night I let all of my budgies out for a fly and I noticed a patch of blood under one of my budgies (pecan) wing. One of his blood feathers had snapped in half. After having had this happen to one of my other budgies and previously called the vet to as what to do, they told me to hold a piece of soap up to the wound. I did so and he seems fine now, he is being the usual chirpy little cheeky thing he is.

 

Just wondering how common this is? I have also heard that you should completely pluck out the feather and then hold it with the soap bar, but I didn't want to try that just incase it was wrong.

 

Any thoughts?

Some people will disagree with me but this is what I do.

If a blood feather is broken, the bird will continue to knock it & it will continue to bleed.

Completely pluck the blood feather out and wipe the wound with very diluted disinfectant.

oh i forgot to mention that I clipped the feather just above the cut.

If I can identify the broken feather (don't laugh if you have never tried to do this with an already aggitated, squirming budgie trying to bite off your fingers), I use needle nose pliers and gently but firmly pull it out in the direction of the growth.

 

I've done this 3 times with Sunshine. He was determined to fly with only one flight feather grown in (he was severely clipped when I bought him from the pet store). I finally had to restrict him to the cage till he had enough of them grown back!

 

Plucking the broken feather ensures that it will not continue to bleed or be a bother to the bird or a constant worry to you. I think how much it bleeds is dependent on how mature the feather is. The newer the feather, the more it will bleed and the more urgent it is to get it out so the muscles around the base of the feather can contract and stop the flow of blood. (Like pin feathers that haven't unsheathed yet.) I think that when they are grown out feathers that have a blood supply that is starting to dwindle it isn't as urgent.

 

Bear in mind, I've only been a budgie owner since May.... so don't take my word as gospel, but just as my experiences.

 

Risha