# Prevent blood feathers?



## CookieTiel (Feb 6, 2012)

I am wondering if there is a way to prevent blood feathers from breaking? If you keep the wing feathers always trimmed, does that help?


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Not always...blood feathers tend to break, it happens, but if they aren't fully broken off and have stopped bleeding you can leave them alone and let them fall out on their own. They're just extremely sensitive is all.


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## CookieTiel (Feb 6, 2012)

Thanks, roxy culver. So there is nothing I can do to prevent them from breaking? They just break because they are sensitive?
For the past 3 weeks my 2 tiels have gotten a broken blood feather every week. The male has gotten 2 so far and the female 1. We had to pull out the female's feather because although it had stopped bleeding, it started to bleed again after 2 days. Now the male just got another one today, but thankfully it fell out on its own and stopped bleeding. I'm afraid that it will start bleeding again at night or something, when no one is watching...is it common for blood feathers to bleed again once they stop?


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Not that I've heard of...they should be fine. All a blood feather is, is a brand new feather coming in. So once your birds are done molting, they should stop falling out. Its frustrating, but especially on young birds they can break often (because they're so clumsy.)


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## WendyBeoBuddy (Dec 12, 2011)

Blood feathers are there because the bird is gaining new feathers. if he didn't molt the feathers every twice a year, he would be in very bad condition. As far as i know, there are no ways to prevent them from breaking except for keeping a close watch and making sure he is not startled or runs into anything  a large cage is good to because Tiels when bored, will flap their wings around and if their wings hit the cage bars, they can break them.

Blood feathers have nerves at the base so they are very sensitive


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## CookieTiel (Feb 6, 2012)

Thanks! very helpful


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

> If you keep the wing feathers always trimmed, does that help?


Keeping the wing feathers trimmed is actually a major cause of broken blood feathers. With an unclipped wing, the feathers that are already grown out help support the new feather that is growing in. With a clipped wing, the new feather sticks out by itself and is much more likely to get knocked loose.


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