Urgent Possible Blood Feather On Face?

[birdlady91]

I have a 4 month old baby gcc, Leo..On his the right side of his face, just below his beak, there's a pin feather that has a very thick sheath...The sheath is not delicate or flaky or "crumbly" (not sure what other words to use lol) like normal pin feathers where rolling them very gently loosens them. it's thick and stiff. I tried rubbing it very softly and gently and he screamed so I left it alone. Is this a potential blood feather? It's pretty small but very stiff. I have a vet appointment June 18th, is there anything I can do at home to keep him comfortable til then? I'm very inexperienced in dealing with this type of issue. He doesn't seem uncomfortable or anything other than when I touched it. He plays a lot, eats, etc. He scratches that part of his face sometimes (he was scratching it after I tried touching it). Could something bad happen to him from it if I just leave it alone til the 18th? Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!

 

[rocky'smom]

First thing all feathers are blood feathers, that is how they grow. If it's possible please take a picture of this, we can tell you how to handle this better seeing image. Try not to worry, it may be just a little slower at growing out.

 

[birdlady91]

First thing all feathers are blood feathers, that is how they grow. If it's possible please take a picture of this, we can tell you how to handle this better seeing image. Try not to worry, it may be just a little slower at growing out.

Thank you for your reply! I thought pin feathers are the ones that are easily rubbed away, and blood feathers are the stiff, difficult ones! I wish there were a way for me to take a pic but I have to hold him with one hand and use my other hand to move the other feathers around his beak to see it, so I am unable to . If I can describe it more, the base of it is under his skin but there is also a thin layer of skin on top of the base covering it, if that makes sense. The sheath is thick and stiff all the way to the tip. There is no soft part of the feather peeking through at the top like there are with any of the normal pin feathers I've seen before. (or maybe there is, but a very teeeeeny tiny part of the tip). It is about half a cm long. There's no blood that I see at the base or anywhere else.

 

[Mizzely]

A pin feather is feather still within the keratin sheath. A blood feather is a feather still growing and still has blood flow going to it. So a blood feather is almost always going to be in a keratin sheath, or a pin feather. All feathers start as blood feathers.

Blood supply is needed to grow a feather and the keratin sheath helps it emerge from the skin and protects it until it is finished growing, at which time the blood retreats. The feather can now be removed from the sheath or pin, and the sheath becomes easier to remove.

If the sheath is still hard and your bird protests touching it, it is not done growing.

 

[birdlady91]

A pin feather is feather still within the keratin sheath. A blood feather is a feather still growing and still has blood flow going to it. So a blood feather is almost always going to be in a keratin sheath, or a pin feather. All feathers start as blood feathers.

Blood supply is needed to grow a feather and the keratin sheath helps it emerge from the skin and protects it until it is finished growing, at which time the blood retreats. The feather can now be removed from the sheath or pin, and the sheath becomes easier to remove.

If the sheath is still hard and your bird protests touching it, it is not done growing.

Thank you! Finally I understand the difference.

 

[flappergirl35]

My birds get these from time to time, and I find that it's best not to touch them if at all possible. I've lost a lot of blood from touching them the wrong way! I don't think it's anything abnormal, from the sounds of it.