LITTLE TIDBITS OF HELPFUL INFORMATION

BROKEN BLOOD FEATHERS

For those of you who have never seen broken blood feathers before here is a picture. Unfortunately, I had one of my birds break a couple of its tail feathers and I had to pull them out. It is very important to pull the broken feathers out because if it stops bleeding the bird could break it again and cause bleeding to start again. Blood feathers can bleed heavily and cause death for the bird if to much blood is lost.

Here is an article from Linda Pesek DVM

Bleeding
The sight of blood often strikes fear in all bird owners. Don't panic! Instead, try to determine where the blood is coming from by wiping the general area with hydrogen peroxide. The most likely places will be flight feathers of the wings or tail or a broken toenail.

Developing flight feathers have a vessel within the shaft and are known as "blood feathers". When cracked or broken, they will bleed. Using Quick Stop powder to stop bleeding is not a complete solution because the feather will bleed when it brushes against the perch or is groomed by the bird. The damaged feather must be pulled. The best way to do this is to have the bird restrained in a towel by another person while you gently hold the wing (or tail) and use a pliers to pull the feather out, holding the feather as close to the skin as possible. If the feather has broken too close to the skin to grasp, then you will need to have a veterinarian remove it. After removing the feather, apply gentle pressure on the follicle with gauze to stop the bleeding. The follicle should stop bleeding within 1-2 minutes. If not, then keep the pressure on it and get to a veterinarian. Loss of too much blood is a serious matter.

If a toenail is broken or the beak tip is injured, bleeding can be stopped by blotting and applying cautery powder (Quick Stop) with gentle pressure for 30 seconds to a minute. If Quick Stop is not available, flour or corn starch can be used. Keep an eye on your bird for a couple of hours to be sure bleeding does not resume.

*Additional Info:  Kwik-Stop is a styptic powder that contain's Benzoczine which is an anesthetic. Not only can it be used on broken or removed blood feathers but also on injured beaks, toe nail injuries and minor cuts.

Egg Size Comparison

 FROM LEFT TO RIGHT

Green Cheek Conure Egg

Indian Ringneck Egg

Alexandrine Parakeet egg