# Broken Tail Feather; What to do?



## mlj722

Recently, I've noticed that my 'tiel has snapped one of his tail feathers. In the pictures, you can see that it's still slightly attached, and I assume he got it from possibly falling awkwardly in his cage. 
However, I don't know what I'm supposed to do about it. 

Am I supposed to cut it? 
Leave it? 
Will it even grow back? 

He's only three months old if that matters. (Almost 4)


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## tielfan

It looks to me like the quill is still attached to the skin but has broken fairly close to the end. If you just leave it, it will probably break through completely before long. If it seems bothersome, you can get a pair of scissors and cut it off yourself. The feather will grow back when he molts out the broken one. 

It looks like his wings are clipped, and babies with clipped wings are notorious for breaking their tail feathers in bad landings. So don't be surprised if he gets some more broken tail feathers.


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## vampiric_conure

What Tielfan said  I usually just let them fall off on their own. My old brood hen, Mindwipe, is notorious for losing her tail feathers from falls and she grows them back like a pro


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## TamaMoo

Joey was forever snapping tail feathers when he was a baby. He wasn't clipped, just clumsy. Because none of them bled. I just left them and he molted them out.

He was 11 months old before he finally started actually keeping a tail. I was afraid he'd have a duck butt forever.


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