Old Hen Can’t Preen...Help Please

[Carrie Lynn]

Can anyone suggest a way to strip off the waxy cuticle/coating off my old girl’s new tail feathers? I know they are very sensitive but I didn’t do it after her last fall moult because I assumed they would fall off. It took months and her feathers never spread out properly, the poor thing never benefited from their insulation. I’ve been scraping them with a knife blade but there’s got to be a better way.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Generally when the sheaths are ready to fall off I will gently roll them between my fingers to break them up. I used to have to help my polish on their crests every molt.