# Has anyone plucked a blood feather?



## TJsGirls (Apr 6, 2013)

My 5 month old BR, though not molting completely, has some new feathers coming in and has been pecked at. I went to put some neosporin on her today and found a small string of blood coming from about a cm long feather shaft near the base of her tail. I googled that this was a broken blood feather and it's said that I should yank it out with needle nose pliers. REALLY??? I'm so new to this I never thought I'd have an issue with a chicken so soon and just want to know if this is he best thing to do. It's not spewing blood but looks almost like an exposed vein or string of blood. Can any of you tell me what I should do? Do I need an avian vet? What if I pull it and it bleeds more? Does that happen? Thanks, I need some schooling!


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## Apyl (Jun 20, 2012)

I pulled a wing blood feather from one of my picked on polish. I just did it fast. It only dripped a little blood luckily. I dont know what would happen if you pulled a blood feather from a larger chicken.


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## TJsGirls (Apr 6, 2013)

Apyl said:


> I pulled a wing blood feather from one of my picked on polish. I just did it fast. It only dripped a little blood luckily. I dont know what would happen if you pulled a blood feather from a larger chicken.


Apyl, you always come to
My rescue. I called the vet and because there is no feather left, just a bit of shaft, he said pull it. I'm afraid, but if I don't it'll just keep bleeding right?


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## Apyl (Jun 20, 2012)

Just do it really fast  I promise she wont even notice. Just have a paper towel with you to dab it just in case.


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## TJsGirls (Apr 6, 2013)

Apyl said:


> Just do it really fast  I promise she wont even notice. Just have a paper towel with you to dab it just in case.


Here goes nothin'


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## GenFoe (Apr 3, 2013)

Good luck! I never heard of this. Now ill know what to do if I come across it!


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## TJsGirls (Apr 6, 2013)

Ok, I recommend getting some hemostats from the vet, needle nose pliers were not so great, so to the avian vet we went. One good yank and no bleeding! Dorothy was a trooper. Now there are no bloody spots to attract attention, however she has a bald patch the size of a silver dollar on her back. We've been watching closely and the other pullet doesn't seem to bother her much but the rooster does. He's going back on Wednesday and until then he's got a sectioned off piece of the attached run and no coop to sleep in but a crate and short roost. It's all I can do. I hope the two pullets will be good together, after all she's been through, Dorothy should have the comfy side of the coop, right?


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## JudyLandauer (Apr 1, 2013)

TJsGirls said:


> Ok, I recommend getting some hemostats from the vet, needle nose pliers were not so great, so to the avian vet we went. One good yank and no bleeding! Dorothy was a trooper. Now there are no bloody spots to attract attention, however she has a bald patch the size of a silver dollar on her back. We've been watching closely and the other pullet doesn't seem to bother her much but the rooster does. He's going back on Wednesday and until then he's got a sectioned off piece of the attached run and no coop to sleep in but a crate and short roost. It's all I can do. I hope the two pullets will be good together, after all she's been through, Dorothy should have the comfy side of the coop, right?


Have you tried using a red heat lamp bulb in the coop until it heals up? It makes everything red, so there's less pecking.


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## TJsGirls (Apr 6, 2013)

There's a thought. I haven't electricity in my coop but I could paint a battery op bulb. Her bald patch isn't bloody, but skin colored and free of feathers


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