Broken Blood Feathers

A chicken's body is covered in feathers and is referred to as plumage. Feathers grow from feather follicles in the skin. Once a year, chickens undergo a molt which is the replacement of old feathers with new ones. The new feathers that emerge from the feather follicle are called pin or blood feathers. They resemble blue porcupine quills or spikes and are encased by a feather sheath made up of keratin.

The new developing feathers have blood actively flowing through and are surrounded by a network of sensory nerves. The presence of these sensory nerves is why molting birds are very sensitive about being touched or handled.

As the feather continues to grow, the blood will gradually recede back down into the follicle starting from the top. When chickens preen, they will gradually remove the feather sheath which will reveal the newly formed feather. Once the replacement feather is fully grown, the supply of blood to the feather stops.

If a pin feather is damaged during the regrowth process, it can bleed heavily due to the active blood supply flowing through the sheath. This heavy bleeding can cause the chicken to lose a lot of blood in a short amount of time. Therefore, it is important to quickly intervene and try to stop the bleeding.

Apply a blood clotting agent (styptic powder, corn starch or flour) and/or gauze and direct pressure over the damaged part of the feather to try to stop the bleeding. If after several minutes the bleeding continues, you will need to either pull the damaged blood feather or seek immediate veterinary care. You must pull the damaged feather from the base to stop the bleeding. Keep in mind that the process is painful for the bird and there is a risk of permanently damaging the feather follicle.

To remove the feather from the base, use tweezers and gently pull the blue shaft straight out while applying counter pressure to the surrounding area to prevent tearing the skin. Do NOT at an angle or by wiggling it. Once the feather shaft is removed, coat it with a blood clotting agent until the bleeding subsides. You will see an empty hole which is the feather follicle. A new blood feather will form and regrow in about 4-6 weeks.