broken feathers

anjbagley

Songster
10 Years
Aug 21, 2009
116
0
109
Star Valley Wyoming
I have a rooster that was "plucked" by another rooster before I got him. I have had him for 3 months now and there has been no new feathers. Someone told me that I need to pull out the broken feathers because the whole feather needs to be removed for new ones to grow. Is this true? That seems painfull. He looks pretty beat up though, no big tail feathers and only "stubble" so to speak around his neck. Any help?
 
If a feather is removed completely it will usually grow back without waiting for a molt. Sometimes it waits for a molt but it will usually grow back. If a feather is broken off or damaged but not completely gone, it will not grow back until the next molt. That's why birds molt. Their feathers get damaged through living and occasionally need to be renewed.

If you jerk the feather out quickly, it doesn't seem to bother them that much. If you slowly ease it out, then it does seem to bother them. Try slowly pulling on one of your hairs versus jerking it out to get an idea of the difference.

Hope this helps.
 
We purchased a little roo whose tail feathers had gotten burned in the brooder. I didnt do anything other than treat the burned skin and the feathers grew back....finally. But it did take months and months.
 

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