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My budgie broke a blood feather. Should I remove it or see a vet?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Bird | Unknown - Bird | Male | 1 month and 2 days old

My very young budgie broke a wing feather which bleed. The bleeding stopped quickly but he is new to me and young and I'm afraid trying to catch him will cause more damage. Is he better left alone or do I need to have the wing feather removed? Thank You. Concerned Mom

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Rebecca, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on June 22nd, 2018

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach. It is recommended to remove a broken blood feather as it could potentially cause large amounts of blood loss if it breaks open again. If unsure of doing this yourself, I recommend contacting a veterinarian that treats birds. Here's some articles with a bit more info https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/pin-or-blood-feathers-in-birds https://www.aav.org/page/basiccare?

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    Answered By Todd Cecil

    Veterinarian

    Published on December 30th, 2019

    Thanks for reaching out about Blue and including a photo. The loss of a blood feather is not a concern as long as there is no active bleeding. Bird adapt to blood loss (per size of animal) better than mammals do, even though some bleeding can appear to be significant. This would be a good time to review diet to ensure that nutrients lost in the feather and bleeding are able to be replaced. If blood loss is significant, a veterinary visit is recommended to assess. Good luck.

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