Need more bird advice from the experts..............

[Darth_Kitten]

Got to examining my bird's wing this afternoon. Some of her feathers look like quills with just some feather left on it (it looks like these were cut the last time her feathers were trimmed in August) One looks like like a quill, no feather on it (do they really cut so much off during a trim?)

Had the crisis yesterday with the blood and the feather that came out. Gee, when I see the vet in a couple of days, should I mention they should maybe take a closer look at this wing? Will these "quills" have to be pulled? Or will they come out eventually? These wouldn't be those nasty blood feathers? (but if they were in wouldn't there still be some bleeding?

I don't know what to think. Still confused and a little concerned. I'm taking Murphee to the vet's in a few days' anyhow, to be boarded and she usually gets her wings done.

[Kat45]

1. It sounds like Murphee is molting.

Birds go through a molt, I think it's once or twice a year but I'm not sure of the frequency. Older feathers fall out and new ones grow in. When the new feathers are growing in, they look like little spikes. It's the feather's shaft, with the feather coming in inside it. When they're ready, the shafts come off, leaving the growing new feather.

When she's molting, my Grace sometimes looks like a little porcupine, with all the quills sticking out, especially on her head. Molting takes a lot of energy, and sometimes the quills can make the bird itchy. She might appreciate some gentle scritches, emphasis on gentle because it could be a bit painful for the bird if you touch the area too hard. (Sometimes a bird won't want you to touch them there because they might get sore from it.)

Give Murphee a kiss for me. Grace says 'hi' to her. :hi:

[Beetwasher]

2. They Might Need To Be Pulled

It really does depend though. How old is Murphee? She may just be molting but most definitely have the vet take a close look at anything you are concerned about. More calcium in the diet and Iodine supplements might take care of it if it's just blood feathers.

One of my birds has a feather condition that became apparent when he was about a year old. His feathers don't grow in properly and they look like "quills" as you put it or "pin feathers". He has no flight or tail feathers because they don't develop enough. This happens occasionally to birds and they are called featherdusters.