Need Immediate Help - Feather Shaft Broken and Bleeding on Foot

[jlwquilter]

This just happened today to my light Brahma Penny. She had a complete health check late morning and she was fine. Now she’s limping and this is what I found.

I am soaking her foot now to clean off the congealed blood to see if it’s clotting up or still bleeding or what.

I don’t think cutting the feather shaft where it’s broken seems like a good idea...? It’s definitely causing her some pain when I touch it.

I have neosporin and iodine. I also have vet wrap but have never used it.

Help!

 

[CochinFancy]

I Had this happen to my silkie earlier this year.

My guy stopped bleeding eventually, before I even noticed the blood, but a silkie breeder I talked to said to pluck the feather straight out and then hold a compress on it until it stops bleeding. This is common with growing feathers on feather footed birds, as the feathers need a blood supply to grow.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I Had this happen to my silkie earlier this year.

My guy stopped bleeding eventually, before I even noticed the blood, but a silkie breeder I talked to said to pluck the feather straight out and then hold a compress on it until it stops bleeding. This is common with growing feathers on feather footed birds, as the feathers need a blood supply to grow.

That's my understanding too.

Kwik stop is an aid to stop bleeding. Corn starch works in a pinch.
Apply the powder to the bleeding spot after pulling the feather out and apply pressure.

 

[twendt]

Yes, pluck the feather and hold pressure until the bleeding stops. Styptic powder will work too, cornstarch stops bleeding in a pinch.

 

[jlwquilter]

Thanks for the quick reply!!

The feather broke off during the struggle to hold her and apply neosporin to the area. Maybe we don’t have to pluck it now as it’s not now waving around moving? We’ve isolated her in a small coop area covered in pine shavings. It’s actually the sun roost nest box that I’m considering locking another hen into. They could be together.

Penny was under a lot of stress and making labored breathing sounds. I thought she was going to heart attack out on me right there! So I didn’t wrap it, just got her in a safe place so she could calm down.

 

[twendt]

@21hens-incharge , we think alike!!

 

[jlwquilter]

Do I still need to pluck it??

 

[21hens-incharge]

Do I still need to pluck it??

I would. A stump will get banged around and likely cause more bleeding.

 

[jlwquilter]

Ugh. Ok. Going to get cornstarch and paper towels for compress. I’ll report back.

 

[jlwquilter]

We’re soaking it again. It’s bleeding quite a bit.

Pliers or tweezers to pull it out?