# Blood on Feathers



## SammySam (Nov 25, 2016)

Sam has broken two feathers, both of which had dried blood on the ends. This one broke off about an hour ago, but I just saw the blood on it. They have both been wing feathers.

What do I need to do about it? I dont know what she does, but they break, then fall off about an hour or day later.

First feather:


Second:


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## aluz (Jul 24, 2011)

When you say broken feathers, do they actually look damaged, bent and truly broken or have they naturally fallen out during preening?
If there is real damage done on the feathers and this happens often, then it will best to observe your budgies' behaviour, to see if there is over preening involved or if another bird is bullying Sam or trying to get to her feathers to chew them.
Another reason that could make the longest feathers to fall off prematurely is through trauma, as the consequence of a night fright where budgie can lose a few flight and tail feathers during the commotion or shortly after if one or more feathers have gotten more loose.

If your Sam isn't bleeding, then you don't have to do anything, your budgie will grow back the wing feathers in a few weeks' time.
The trace of dried blood on the feather tip isn't cause for worry, this can sometimes be visible even in naturally moulted feathers on the wing and tail area.

*EDIT:* I see you have added pics to your post and in this case it seems the feathers have fallen out prematurely since these feathers were still in the process of growing and the blood on the tips is still fresh. Wasn't there a recent night fright or some kind of accident, like a crash landing or bumping into something while flying?
Does this only happens with her flight feathers?


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## SammySam (Nov 25, 2016)

Its only her flight feathers. She often freaks out and jumps off the bed or something, normally because Bud bothers her. Ive never found blood anywhere on her though.

And they both came from the left wing.

As for night frights, I can't say. As far as I'm aware, there havent been any.


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## philw (Aug 22, 2014)

What I've found over a number of years (and I'm not a fan
of having a birds wing clipped) since when the new wing feathers grow back (usually they clip primaries) and since in a short clip when new wing feathers grow in they aren't protected by larger feathers on the wing and are not as protected by other wing feathers. Clipped birds are more likely to suffer this kind of long feather damage.


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## SammySam (Nov 25, 2016)

They were clipped when I got her in november. I'm wanting them to grow out. But theyre not really getting anywhere, obviously.


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## philw (Aug 22, 2014)

For now, until her wing feathers grow in, I'd get a separate cage for her (away from Bud) and kept quiet and not given outside of cage play time, until she's fully flighted. Flight feathers fall out in an order that usually isn't all at once so if she's kept on the quiet side, it seems that she'd do better by herself until at least until she has 4 or 5 primaries on that side. Good luck.


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