Broken Pin Feather?

[mylilchix]

I have a 3 week old salmon faverolle who broke a tail pin feather yesterday. The girls were sparring and doing flight practice when it happened. She was bleeding a bit, so I pulled her out and cleaned up the blood. I also changed the brooder lamp from white to red. I noticed that she was bleeding slightly again this morning, so I cleaned her up. Is there anything I can do to prevent her from re-injuring this pin feather? Should I seperate her until it heals? Thanks for your help!!!

Sonja

 

[WikkitGateFarm]

The best thing to do for a broken blood feather is to pull it completely out.

Get gloves and make sure you have a scratch-proof and peck-resistant grip on the bird, and find a pair of needle-nose pliers. Hold the bird, grab the feather near the base firmly with the pliers, and pluck with a decisive, smooth motion (don't yank it out, pull it out.)

It might bleed a little, but it will heal, and the chance of re-injury is not there, as it would be with the broken feather. You can put some cornstarch and a little pressure on the spot to stop the blood flow.


[Edit: Would this be better in the Injuries and Cures thread?]