Worried about Prudences Primary Feather

[KimKimWilliamson]

You may remember a while back I posted that Prudence had a crash landing the first days with us and lost one of the clipped primary feathers. Well, after her molt a perfectly unclipped primary replaced the lost clipped one. It looks silly, and I was worried it would cath on things but left it untrimmed on the advice of others who have done the same.

http://forums.avianavenue.com/healthy-highway/25751-single-primary-makes-appearance.html



Well, this lone primary feather gets WAY over preened so it looks a little scruffy, but until today it hasnt seemed to cause any other issues. But today, I noticed during her preening session that she was pulling this feather all the way around to have it facing in a direction feathers dont naturally grow.....it appears to be dangling at a very odd angle. There is no blood, and as far as I can tell no discomfort on her part, but every now and again it falls the opposite direction it is supposed to and hooks on foot or something. Im worried that this could cause heavy bleeding or injury if it gets snagged and she pulls.....Im worried what it might already look like in the way of injury at the flesh, but cant seem to get her to let me look. I havent toweled her to so do for fear I'll make it worse!

Aaakk Im rambling!! Do you inderstand??? I will try to get a photo.

Anyways, Im wondering if I can cut it back so it doesnt get snagged as easily.....maybe to the same lenght as the others...? Or should I leave it and it will fall out when ready?

 

[ferdinand]

Ajax does that every once in a while and it always seems to be broken down low in the shaft. I pulled one out and he pulled the other out...when I pulled the feather out it broke off where it was previously broken. I only pulled it out because it seemed to be causing him pain if it was moved in the wrong direction (he didn't seem real happy with me pulling it out either)

 

[KimKimWilliamson]

I kinda thought the best plan of action would be to pull it, but since I have never done this, Im nervous to try.

I would take her to work with me to have a Dr. there try as Ive seen them do it, but Im worried about stressing her out un necessarily, as there are other animals there all the time.

I will scan the net trying to figure out a good and safe way to pull it.
Thanks!! Glad to hear other birdies experience this same thing!

 

[atvchick95]

most of the time when our birds get a broken feather like that, and it just turns every which way but yet at the same time hangs on "for dear life" , we leave it eventually the bird removes it their self while preening
but we've had to pull a couple that were being stubborn and not coming out on their own, they weren't hurting the bird, it was just more of a pain in their behind , it would get caught on things when they played
and we just pulled it with our fingers

but the more "stuck" ones i guess is how it would be said, most of the time just a quick pull with a pair of needle nose pliers works well

 

[JLcribber]

If it's not hurting him there is no need to pull it. It's probably just broken on a dead part of the shaft. All you have to do is cut it off there. The rest will fall out when it's ready. If it was broken on a live/blood part of the shaft it would hurt him and bleed if it's cut there.

 

[KimKimWilliamson]

Okay - since cutting it back sounds SO MUCH easier than trying to pull, that's just what I intend to do!
Thanks everyone for being ever so helpful. I feel like John needs to be granted god father or something, with the amount of influence he's had on how I raise her! LOL
Heck, why not the rest of you too! I wouldnt know what Id do without you all!

 

[KimKimWilliamson]

BTW - here are some photos!
Full View of Wonky Wing (Taken with cell camera, sorry for size and watermark.)

Up Close - All Wonked

Here it is from an inside angle before it began twisting outward.

 

[KimKimWilliamson]

SO - No go on cutting it either - at least not without restraint. We tried a few times last night and again this morning, and she is terrified of the scissors just coming in her direction and I cant seem to blind her. I think we may have to towel her OOORR - I could leave it....we will see.