First Chicken doctoring

[mamahen2011]

Well, I guess it was inevitable that I would sooner or later have to doctor a chicken for something or other.

When I went to check on the girls this evening 2 were sitting on the roost and 1 was scratching the ground. When I walked up to the pen the 2 on the roost hopped off and there was a little puddle of blood on the ground and on the roost. It was quite a good glob of blood but I didn't panic, after all ... nobody was laying on the ground. Anyhow, since Justina was scratching I figured it wasn't her ... so I grabbed the first sister to check her out and lucked out in it being her. It was one of her foot feathers ... I think one of the new feathers coming in (are these called blood feathers???) Anyhow, after gently separating the surrounding feathers I found the split one. Part of the feather was still there and I thought I remembered reading that if a feather breaks and bleeds like that that you had to remove the whole sleeve and remaining feather ... so I did. It came off VERY easily, I don't think it was hanging on by anything. Anyhow, it was still bleeding a little so I took some flour and patted it around the little nub that was left after taking the feather off. It stopped bleeding right away and she was happy to go back with her buddies.

So, first chicken doctoring experience IN THE BOOKS!

Thank goodness it wasn't anything serious.

 

[maybejoey]

I would have completely panicked and checked for big life threatining things and taken her to a vet.

 

[nurse_turtle]

Yay! you dun good! Yes it's true if a blood feather is cut or pecked or damaged in such a way to start bleeding, you gotta pluck the feather to stop the bleeding. Keep in mind, if you thought human blood was hard to get out of your clothes, bird blood is forever.

 

[wholewheatchicken]

What is a blood feather and are they on all birds?

 

[mamahen2011]

Good to know Nurse_turtle

Thanks. Will make sure to keep any chicken blood off my cloths LOL. Luckily it wasn't real bad and contained with a paper towel

mabeyjoey - yeah, the red blood splatter was at first a SURPRISE, but I have 5 Jack Russells so it wasn't my first rodeo in doctoring at home.

I've done my fair share of fixing up at home vs. the trip to the vet. Plus I use to be a vet tech and saw and did a lot in practice, use to seeing blood and not getting too worked up without checking things out thoroughly.

 

[elmo]

Quote:
It's a new feather growing in that still has its blood supply, and is still wrapped in its quill, a papery sheath. And, yes, all birds have these during their molts.