Tons of Bloody Tail Feathers on Rooster

[User4477]

I found my rooster bleeding profusely from his tail area- I found tons of broken tail feathers, like feather stumps on his tail that were bleeding A LOT. I applied syptic powder to the area and it has stopped pouring blood for now.
What should my next step be? Should I pluck the feathers? Keep monitoring it and applying more powder when it starts bleeding again? Should I just leave him alone or is it likely I am going to have to keep applying syptic powder? Should I clean the area and then apply powder again tomorrow? Will it heal?

He is 7 months old, and he seems fine- alert, eating, drinking, but it does hurt him when I touch the area. He used to be picked on by others which caused the broken feathers, but it never bled. He's been by himself for 2 months since he got sick and just yesterday he started living with one other hen. It could have been her or him who caused it to bleed I guess.

 

[Ascholten]

Better ask one of the pros but typically you will want to remove broken / bleeding feathers.
There is a chance the bird can bleed out if it's a new feather coming in / blood feather that got broken.

also, other chickens can turn into real a holes if they see / smell blood on this one, they can actually attack the bleeding one and kill it. Typically you can hold the area firm and pull quickly on the feather to remove it. Once it is out, the hold /holder in the wing should close up and it should stop bleeding.

Occasionally my cockatoo will break a feather being stupid and start bleeding and I'll have to remove it. He is NOT happy but understands and almost like he knows it has to happen so he'll tense up and let me pull.

Aaron

Edit: If he's got a lot of bleeders, you may want to make sure that nothing else is bleeding too that he got tore open or something. Is he in a molt?

 

[User4477]

Here are some photos. The yellow is the syptic powder I applied.

 

[Ascholten]

How many bleeding feathers are there? Is it JUST feathers? Im going to go with, you will end up having to remove those. He is also going to be VERY tender around there too, and in pain so there is that too.
Aww that poor baby.
Aaron

 

[User4477]

How many bleeding feathers are there? Is it JUST feathers? Im going to go with, you will end up having to remove those. He is also going to be VERY tender around there too, and in pain so there is that too.
Aww that poor baby.
Aaron

Several, like at least 5 I think. I'm pretty sure it's just feathers..

 

[User4477]

Better ask one of the pros but typically you will want to remove broken / bleeding feathers.
There is a chance the bird can bleed out if it's a new feather coming in / blood feather that got broken.

also, other chickens can turn into real a holes if they see / smell blood on this one, they can actually attack the bleeding one and kill it. Typically you can hold the area firm and pull quickly on the feather to remove it. Once it is out, the hold /holder in the wing should close up and it should stop bleeding.

Occasionally my cockatoo will break a feather being stupid and start bleeding and I'll have to remove it. He is NOT happy but understands and almost like he knows it has to happen so he'll tense up and let me pull.

Aaron

Edit: If he's got a lot of bleeders, you may want to make sure that nothing else is bleeding too that he got tore open or something. Is he in a molt?

Thank you, I doubt he's in a molt- it seems the ones that are bleeding were previously broken feathers from the hens he used to be housed with

 

[Ascholten]

How exactly are the feathers injured. Are they split down the shaft / tore off, what?

If they are just split and you managed to get the bleeding to stop, you might be able to save them, if they were growing in. If they busted off and it's like a nub, like they got tore off, busted off, then you probably will want to take them out.

I have dealt with a broken feather or two but 5 or more. eeps. That's a lot of pulling in a small area, hopefully one of the others will chime in with some affirming advice. I have no problem saying pull a bleeder, but a whole patch, that I am not sure of.

The most important thing is to STOP the bleeding TOTALLY. If it is even just seeping it's bad. Keeping it clean is going to be an issue too and if there is that much tore up and blood, absolutely do NOT put that bird back with the others, I can almost guarantee they will continue the attack.
Aaron

 

[Ascholten]

If the feathers were whole, kind of surprised they were bleeding, once they grow out, I believe the blood flow should all but stop on them. If they broke them and they were bleeding then the feather was not fully grown in. If they are bleeding again after being picked on, you will end up removing them.

Something does not sound right here. If those feathers were already in, and previously broken off, and they are bleeding now, is the blood coming FROM the feather nubs or are the feathers just wicking the blood up from an injury to the skin / flesh?

If you grab a feather to pull it out, you typically hold the 'bird part of the bird' in place and pluck the feather, if you just yank the feather, the bird body moves with it OR if you twist the feather or pull it while bending it back and forth or sideways, then you will tear the skin too and cause bleeding. If the other birds did this to him, I can bet they twisted and tore on him and there is more than just a feather injury there, you may have tore skin too.

Can you wash the area off and get a good look at her and see if she's got any body injuries. If she does she'll need them cleaned, maybe a disinfectant on it. Careful not to scrub too hard to cause the clotting stuff to unglue but you should be able to clean it without too much abrasion.

Aaron

 

[User4477]

If the feathers were whole, kind of surprised they were bleeding, once they grow out, I believe the blood flow should all but stop on them. If they broke them and they were bleeding then the feather was not fully grown in. If they are bleeding again after being picked on, you will end up removing them.

Something does not sound right here. If those feathers were already in, and previously broken off, and they are bleeding now, is the blood coming FROM the feather nubs or are the feathers just wicking the blood up from an injury to the skin / flesh?

If you grab a feather to pull it out, you typically hold the 'bird part of the bird' in place and pluck the feather, if you just yank the feather, the bird body moves with it OR if you twist the feather or pull it while bending it back and forth or sideways, then you will tear the skin too and cause bleeding. If the other birds did this to him, I can bet they twisted and tore on him and there is more than just a feather injury there, you may have tore skin too.

Can you wash the area off and get a good look at her and see if she's got any body injuries. If she does she'll need them cleaned, maybe a disinfectant on it. Careful not to scrub too hard to cause the clotting stuff to unglue but you should be able to clean it without too much abrasion.

Aaron

It looks like the blood is coming from the feather nub, like the end of it and I haven't seen anything directly on his skin, but I can't really get a great look at the extent of his injury because he keeps squirming and the blood is matted on his feathers.
I can try to clean him with hibiclens tomorrow and get a better look. So far it doesn't seem like he's bleeding anymore at least.

 

[MysteryChicken]

He's molting, I see lots of pin feathers, & they bleed quite abit when they get damaged.