Molting/tail feather questions

[Kissed82]

My B&G Nero has started molting, he his a giant pin at the moment.

Normally his tail feathers are straight and all lined up nicely but a few days ago I think 3 are kinda bent out to the side. After his bath yesterday I noticed a very small amount of crusted blood at the base of one of those feathers. He is tender there but it's not red, swollen, or draining... No sign of infection.

Did he hurt himself somehow without me noticing or is this normal for molting those giant feathers? He has lost other tail feathers but this didn't happen with those.

Here is a photo, not the best but you can see how they are angled.

 

[Kissed82]

This is what they normally look like

 

[Kissed82]

Anyone have any thoughts, suggestions, input?

 

[Kissed82]

bump- hoping someone might know something about this.

Also it was only crusted that once... skin looks normal now. if this was injury will they grow back in normally once he molts those feathers or will it always be out to the side now?

 

[BoomBoom]

Sorry I don't have enough experience to answer this one. I'm giving this thread a bump though and hope someone who knows sees it...

 

[Kissed82]

Thanks! Love the "my technicolor chicken" My husband calls my B&G Nero "Thunder Chicken"

 

[Frumpydumple]

He probably damaged a new feather so it bled. It sounds like he has fell when you weren't there. He might straighten the bent feathers himself, but if he has damaged them slightly they might stay that way until he molts them out. If the bent ones are old feathers he should molt them pretty soon. It definitely isn't permanent damage.

 

[Kissed82]

I guess bent wouldn't be correct description ... They now seem to be angled out from the skin. The feathers alone look perfectly fine.

So if he had a fall and the feathers look fine, then could they be angled out from the skin? Damn age under the skin?

Or could his new feathers be pushing the old ones out funny? Kinda like how adult teeth pushing out baby teeth? I guess that is what I am wondering, if it were due to molting, could this happen?

I'm watching it closely and will take him to the vet if it changes.

I will see if I can get better photos tomorrow. Thanks for helping!

 

[Frumpydumple]

I don't think they would be damaged under the skin, but I don't know for sure. I don't think it is molting causing it, especially since one was bleeding. I think he just fell and damaged them slightly. I wouldn't worry. And you're welcome.

 

[Birdbrain91]

I wish I could help you on this but I don't know. It might be something he can work out on his own like an ingrown hair for us. Does it seem to bother him? I would call Dr. G and talk to Eve she can tell you if he needs to be seen.

 

[Kissed82]

Originally when I posted this it was very cold here, negative 10 ish, highs of +10. So I didn't give Nero a good soak down bath for a while. Last week he received a super soaking bath. After he dried his feathers straightened out a lot, still slightly off but you really had to look or know what you were looking for to see it.

Nero is also molting and yesterday lost the middle feather in that group of three, it was the one that looked a little crusted. Well the feather looks very strange. What you do you guys think? photos attached, I hope. )

the right angle was hard to get but its kinda curled, u shaped ish...

Also, he dropped his second to longest tail feather today....end to end 17.5 inches! I cant wait till his longest one drops.... hehe I feel like a kid in a candy store. Wonder what the longest tail feather recorded is??? Hmmmm now I am getting off topic. Thanks for reading!

 

[Kissed82]

Has anyone seen a feather like that before?

 

[Kiwibird]

I've seen similar feathers come out of amazons on occasion before. Weird calamus (think thats what the end is called ?) and slightly off in texture/color. Don't really know the reason, but I've always just assumed they just occasionally grow in the odd deformed feather. I wouldn't worry about it too much, but if it really concerns you, hold on to it and take it in to ask the vet about on his next checkup.

 

[Kissed82]

His feathers were all perfect then one day 3 went off to the side. After a bath I noticed the base of one of the feathers was kinda crusted with a little blood scab. His feathers remained like that during a cold snap. After it warmed up I gave him a good soak down bath and the 3 feathers half way went back to normal. Then this molted out....

If it was a deformed feather wouldn't have been that way the whole time? The color seemed pretty normal but the tip clearly isn't and the barbs of the feather kinda curled. Just seems strange that they were all aligned, then not, then almost, then this weird one comes out. I'm sure I'll ask the vet next time Nero has to go in, but that isn't for another nine months....unless something unexpected happens.