# Pluck tail feathers?



## Dazzyp (Apr 6, 2013)

Hi all, my tiels tail feathers are nearly all broken, how long will they take to fall out and grow new? Also I've seen posts where people pluck the broken feathers to force them to grow through without having to wait out for a moult, would you recommend this? If so how would I go about plucking them painlessly?

Thanks


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Does your bird have flight feathers or is it clipped? If clipped, I wouldn't pull the tail feathers. Any new ones that grow in will just get broken again. I made this mistake with Pankakes he broke three sets of tail feathers before I finally told the hubby to leave his tail alone and let them fall out with a molt. It depends on the bird how long it'll take the feathers to fall out. I would leave them and let them come out on their own, they'll grow back when the wing feathers do and have less of a chance of getting broken.


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## Dazzyp (Apr 6, 2013)

She's not clipped and files very well. So we're saying a no no on the plucking? Is it painless for them to pluck?


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Its not painless, it actually does hurt a little bit. Pankakes always squawked when my hubby did it. Its totally up to you, if she has her wing feathers then the tail should grow back OK. Any idea how all the feathers broke? This is normally seen in really young birds who never fledged properly.


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## Dazzyp (Apr 6, 2013)

Yh she broke them trying to fit into the budgies bath, we've got her a huge cockatiel bath now so shouldn't happen again. How do I go about plucking then? Will the feather root bleed?


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

No only new feathers bleed...old feathers shouldn't. You wanna make sure you get the whole feather out though which is why I don't recommend doing it.


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