Help! Can I cut feathers???

[Lucysmom002]

I have a black chicken that looks like a Polish but it's not, it's a "C" word bird... anyway
She has that big crest on her head and she can't see! She flies into walls, falls over cliffs in the yard and she has to stand real tall to see the other chickens!
Can I trim the feathers around her eyes????

Thanks in advance!

 

[emys]

Yes, just do it carefully so you don't poke her in the eyes. (They squirm.)

 

[Lucysmom002]

yes, I have moved them to see her eyes and she is squirmy. She is such a nice hen and so funny. I just wanted to be sure I can't hurt her by cutting the feathers. I will be very careful and get my husband's help.
It just seems like she can't see!

 

[saddina]

same as a haircut.

 

[Lucysmom002]

OK! Thanks!

 

[Rose66]

I have some 10 week old polish hens who all have trouble seeing due to their beautiful large crests. I want to trim their crest feathers but have questions first. Do I cut the feathers all the way at the base or only 1/2 the way down or what? Will the feathers bleed at all? How soon will the feathers grow back? Do I need a special kind of scissor or can I just use regular household ones? Maybe the bandage type scissors would be good since they have a blunt bottom blade???

Thanks!

 

[emys]

It is only when the feathers first come back in after a molt (or trauma) that they can bleed, during this time they look like porcupine quills rather than feathers, and are called "blood feathers". Once the feathers are fully formed they don't bleed and you can cut them as far down as you want. (But why cut farther than needed to see? That won't be very attractive to cut way down, and their heads could get cold in winter.)

Use any kind of scissor. The feathers will grow back after a molt, and after they have grown back in past the blood feather stage you can trim them again.

 

[nurse_turtle]

Try wrapping the bird's body in a towel and hold it's neck steady using your non-dominant hand (kinda like you would hold a broom). A bird's neck is very strong and their trachea is not collapsible like humans. Keep your grip up close to the base of the bird's head. Don't be afraid to hold tightly. I would snip the feathers about 2/3 the way down. Be careful! Good luck. Before and after pics would be fun!

 

[Rose66]

Exactly the info I needed. Thanks so much! We're going to trim the crests tomorrow. I love my polish chickens but I want them to be able to see better. I'm hoping that if I trim a few feathers around the bottom of the crest, then they will hold up the longer feathers further up the crest. We'll see. I'll take before and after pictures and post them too. Again, thanks for the help.

 

[RoosterRidge]

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