Blood Feather Issue

[MrKnittle]

After weeks of harmonious living, my two separate batches of Buffs (two six week olds and three four week olds) decided to gang up on one of the four week olds and nip her left wing until they broke one of the blood feathers. She was bleeding badly before I noticed (she kept shrieking when they nipped her). When I realized what was going on, I isolated her and pulled the remainder of the blood feather with needle nosed pliers. I cleaned all of the blood off of her wing and put her back in with the rest and monitored them, but they nipped at her a couple of times before I isolated her in a pen next to them. She doesn't understand what's going on and is crying and shrieking and trying to get through the pen back over with them. I came back in the house and am letting them wear themselves out, but I am going to check on her a few times before bed to make sure only the one blood feather was broken.

How long do I need to keep them separated? Is there anything I can use to cover her wing so they won't keep nipping at her? It's just so heartbreaking, and I don't know how long I can keep them separated as I am building their outside home tomorrow and was planning on transitioning them this week.

 

[Isaac 0]

Hi, welcome to BYC!

Could you give us a little bit more info about what you are keeping them in during the day-night, how much space they have, a few pictures would be appreciated.

 

[MrKnittle]

They spend the night in the large pool (she is separated in the small pool in this picture.)
During the day, they are outside in a ten foot by ten foot pen with fresh swim water from the pond and lots of greens and bugs to eat.

Up until this incident, they have been together for a couple of weeks now, have slept in a pile together, and generally behaved as a young flock.

 

[MrKnittle]

Here's the wing before I pulled the bleeding feather at the bottom.
They did ok separated last night. She's still upset to be isolated, but her wing is looking better. I'm hesitant to put her back in any time soon, but I'm not set up for long term separation.

 

[Ratchnick]

Does not look that bad, when my parrot breaks a blood feather he is covered in blood. Idk what would cause them to turn on each other like that.

 

[MrKnittle]

Everything's back to normal. Thanks for all your help, everyone.