broken foot feather, heal on its own?

[beccawchick]

My bantam cochin has a broken feather on the bottom of her foot that was bleeding but isn't any more. I never saw it actively bleeding. Wouldn't have noticed it except my daughter was holding it and noticed when she had her on her back to "sleep" (lol).

If it's not causing her any issues or apparent pain, is it okay to just watch and wait? Or should I be proactive and wash the foot and remove the feather? The thought of pulling it out is really grossing me out. If I need to do it, I will, but has anyone had success letting it heal itself?

Thanks.

 

[GitaBooks]

If it stopped bleeding you can leave it alone, however, blood feathers are like a leaking sink, and it can cause problems. If it keeps bleeding, use some pliers and quickly pull it out with the run of the feather. It will hurt for a moment, but it stops the bleeding. Infection isn't too likely, but you can try washing it and putting some ointment in it.

Best of luck!