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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.