clipped wings and chicken show in 4 months HELP!

[Andrew10]

Hi, I have a show hen that is a year old, and I clipped her wings after she repeatedly escaped. But when I clipped them it was late August, and her wing primary feathers still haven't grown back. And I have a 4-H show in four months. Please respond.

 

[RWise]

They will not grow back (be replaced) until she molts which usually happens at 18 - 22 months old the first time.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

If you take a pair of wire pliers and pluck out the stubs of the cut wing feathers she will regrow the missing quills. I am unsure however if this can be accomplished in time for the hen beauty pageant.

Confucius say, "When nothing is ventured nothing will be gained."

 

[aart]

If you take a pair of wire pliers and pluck out the stubs of the cut wing feathers she will regrow the missing quills. I am unsure however if this can be accomplished in time for the hen beauty pageant.

Yep, that should work...probably not a fun job tho.
I've never plucked a live bird, tho did have to yank a bleeding pin feather out of cockerels tail once.
4 months should be plenty of time for them to grow out.

 

[Andrew10]

Thanks for the help. But will the feathers bleed when their plucked?

 

[aart]

Thanks for the help. But will the feathers bleed when their plucked?

They might a tiny bit...but not sure as I've never done it.

I've never plucked a live bird, tho did have to yank a bleeding pin feather out of cockerels tail once.

Let me expand. This bird was young(6-7 weeks) and had a new pin feather growing out that got broken/bitten by a bully. New pin feathers are full of blood, they are often called blood feathers, and if broken can bleed and bleed and bleed. The bleeding can be staunched with powder, but that doesn't always work so the feather needs to be fully plucked out to stop the bleeding.

Older feathers don't have this blood in them and you should be able to pluck them out with no harm done.....other than the bird will NOT be happy and I would guess it does cause some temporary pain.