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Every avian vet or bird breeder has their horror stories about blood feathers. 

Maybe it’s the story of the bird owner who was holding their bird, then discover blood drops coming from their bird.  Or worse, you wake up in the morning and find your pet lying dead in the cage with blood on the floor.  Both cases will cause extreme panic! 

This is usually the cause of a blood feather that has broken, and when that happens immediate attention is needed.  But with just a little education and some regular bird examinations, this will never happen.  And when it does, you will be prepared to deal with it.

WHAT IS A BLOOD FEATHER?

Have you ever examined a bird feather?  It consists of a shaft (called the quill), with the feather growing off of it.  When the bird molts, it will grow back new feathers.  As the feather grows, it is fed blood through the quill until it matures.  The blood will then recede back into the skin and seal itself.

If the bird should break this feature during development, it will have the same effect as sticking a straw into your body.  It will bleed uncontrollably until (hopefully) it clots and plugs the feather.  But in many cases, the blood flow is too rapid, and the bird will bleed to death.

This is why it’s extremely important for the new bird owner to learn how to identify a blood feather, and treat it during an emergency.  If problems develop at night, you certainly can’t wait until the vet’s office opens in the morning.  And there are very few after hour pet clinics that even know how to treat this simple ailment!

PREVENTION/IDENTIFYING A BLOOD FEATHER

The first sign of a problem is when your bird is over preening their wing.  The feather has most likely becoming abscessed and infected, causing the bird a lot of discomfort.  He will mutilate the feathers around it trying to fix the problem, and many times will break the feather, causing bleeding.  Simply touching the sore spot will cause the bird to scream, so you know you have a problem.

In other cases, your bird doesn’t give you any warning.  They may break the feather from preening or even flapping the wings, hitting a perch or cage bars.

Examine each feather and look for one that has a dark bluish/purple quill.  It will have a very thick tube near the skin, and is filled with blood.  Normal feathers will have a gray/white color, and will be thin.  If you touch this feather and the bird is in pain, you need to remove it.  Otherwise, leave it alone and seek medical help as soon as possible.

CAN I SAFELY REMOVE A BLOOD FEATHER?

This is a minor medical procedure.  If you are not sure of what you are doing, you should consult a vet.  I recommend that every new bird owner take their bird to a qualified avian vet when they first get their bird, and ask them to show the proper way to identify and treat blood feathers (and do basic grooming to wings and toenails).  You should know how to do this procedure in the event of an emergency.

I recommend that you get another person to help, and wrap the bird in a towel.  Using needle nose pliers, or a hemostat, extend the wing and locate the blood feather.  Grab hold of the feather near the base and firmly pull straight out, in the direction of the feather growth.  Use a firm, smooth pulling motion, taking care not to break the feather. 

If bleeding develops, apply pressure to the spot for a few minutes using a gauze pad or cotton ball.  If it continues, applying cornstarch or flower will sometimes help.  You can also try using Kwik-Stop (available at most pet store), but this is last resort.

Once the blood clot forms, keep the bird calm and don’t let him fly around or flap his wings.  You can keep him held in a towel for several minutes, or place him in his cage.

You must be sure the entire shaft has been removed.  If a portion remains and you are unable to remove it, immediate medical attention may be required to stop the bleeding.

Like any other product, the cost of birds is dependant on a variety of factors from simple supply and demand, to breeding conditions and expenses.  Let’s face it, breeding and selling birds is a business.  Let’s examine these issues and how they effect to cost of your bird.

AVAILABILITY- Some breeds of birds are quite rare and difficult to breed.  Parents may only produce one or two babies per clutch, and only once a year.  Others, like cockatiels, breed all year long and can average 3-5 babies per clutch.  Because of this overproduction, cockatiels are readily available and very inexpensive to buy. 

In comparison, Hyacinth Macaws were nearly extinct.  With few breeder pairs available, and only one or two babies per clutch a year, they are rare to find.  Prices for these birds can easily cost $8000

BREEDS- Not only do you need look at the type of bird, but also any special breeds.  For example, an “average” grey cockatiel can easily be purchased for $40.  But Latino cockatiels will cost even more.  So knowing exactly what you are looking for is important prior to shopping for your bird.

REGION- Birds are much easier and cheaper to raise in warmer climates, where outside flight cages are used.  In cold climates, it’s necessary to have heated aviaries.  These exotic warm weather birds can not stand the cold weather of northern states.  Shipping birds drastically adds to the cost. Buying birds from distant places doesn’t not save you anything once you add in these costs.

HAND FED OR PARENT FED- The labor costs involved in hand feeding birds can easily add a few hundred dollars to the cost of a large parrot.  But this is also a feature that bird owners insist on, as hand fed babies are more friendly and healthy then babies fed by their parents. 

BREEDER OR PET STORE- Many breeders raise birds as a hobby.  They do it for the love of birds.  Pet stores sell birds for profit.  This doesn’t make them a bad place to buy birds, just more expensive.  And many pet stores are actually supplied by the hobbyist breeder.  If cost is a factor in your decision, look around for an experienced breeder.  Ask local veterinarians, contact local bird clubs, or even animal rescue groups.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS- Other factors to consider are warranties.  Has the bird been checked by a vet, or will that be your responsibility?  That “bird deal” you got may not be that great once you factor in a $100 vet cheque.  It’s tempting to skip this expense, but you could wind up paying far more down the road if your bird was sold to you with health issues. 

BOTTOM LINE- Here is a list of what to expect in price ranges for birds. 

Budgies/Parakeets: $10-25

Canaries: $25-$150 (males cost more)

Finches: $10 - $100 (exotic coloring and breeds cost far more)

Lovebirds: $75-$200

Cockatiel:  $40-$200 (Common breeds are inexpensive)

Parrolets: $100-300

Quakers: $150-200 (Great breeding birds, readily available)

Conures: $300-$800

Caiques: $75-250

Doves $20-$40 (Fancy, show quality doves are much more)

Lories: $400-$800

African Greys $600-$2000 (Older birds cost more…)

Amazons $600-$1500 (Talking breeds cost much more)

Cockatoos $800-$5000 (Various sizes, larger are more expensive)

Eclectus $600-$1200 (Males more expensive)

Macaws: $900-$5000 (High Demand)