'Poof' clipping...

[Jsto]

My little Silkie girl is 9 weeks today (as far as I know, anyway) and the feathers around her face are already going crazy. She's having a bit of trouble seeing, occassionally running into things and having a bit of a problem eating snacks if they aren't put down on ground level. She's managing to get in and out of the coop as well as eating and drinking, but it's just so pitiful looking.

I want to clip a bit around her eyes, but am quite scared to do it. Just wondering if there are some techniques that I can use to reduce the risk of hurting her. I've clipped wing feathers, hair around dog's eyes, and all manner of other things, but this is a first and she's just so little and her eyes so huge.

Any help would be greating appreciated as Charro's head poof is getting quite large and out of control, the dear!

 

[alex]

i don't know what to say?????? well, i guess you should just try your best...and just clipp them a little...but, not to much...you had experiance in other animals..as you said, so, i sont think this should be to hard...sorry
alex

 

[Frozen Feathers]

Maybe use school scissors...the ones with rounded tips. I used those to trim my daughters bangs so I wouldn't poke out her eyes. She still has both her eyes...

Other then that I don't know. Maybe wrap your silkie in a towel so she can't move around much and trim away??

 

[barg]

Well here I go again.
I know parrots not silkies but.....
Do they have a vein running up the shaft of the feather?
If they do I'de be afraid of causeing any bleeding.
Again, Most of my knowlege comes from parrots so if im asking a stupid question... I just feel its better to ask and be wrong then to not ask and be right.

GL

 

[Jsto]

That's my fear, Barg...cutting something that shouldn't be cut and causing pain. When wing clipping, you clip the 'dead' feather that have no blood flow, but I can't imagine feathers around her face are 'dead.'

I just don't want it to get so bad that she can't see her food or find her way up into the coop, as it's sometimes difficult for her to get up the ramp anyway because of her size. For now, I've been putting a bit of water on my fingers and smoothing the feathers from the top of her head upward and the ones from her beard downward, but this doesn't last very long. They don't happen to make chicken hair gel, do they?!

 

[bantymum]

I just saw this, I always give my silkies a haircut!
I use the school scissors , my son holds her in his lap and with one hand holds her head still, and I also hold head still with my free hand if he cant!!!
I clip slowly all around the eyes and then clip the overhanging parts of the "poofs" or is it poofe'!!!pronounced "poofay"!!!!!lol.
There was another thread about this subject months ago, and we all agreed that the bantams love it, they can see and they really enjoy not running into trees etc!!!
try it, its really easy!!!even if you need to wrap in a towel to keep her still!

 

[Mulemom]

We have one poilsh that was geting pecked bald by the other girls. We bought the black salve and put on the bald spot, but they would still peck at the other white feathers on her head, so my husband gave her a hair cut and I gave her a black dye job (with the salve). I never even thought about cutting the feathers on her head hurting her untill I read this thread! I'm new at this chicken thing. I'm happy to say, it didn't hurt her, and she's doing well. With her new disguise, she looks like everybody else. The feathers that were cut seem to be growing, but the bald spot is still bald. Does anyone know if it will grow back?

 

[FarmerDenise]

Don't worry, the feathers do grow back.
In many ways chickens are quite amazing and that includes their ability to heal.
One of my chickens had had her butt chewed off by some predator (below the vent). By the time I noticed it (she was sitting every time I looked at her) her behind was covered in maggots, Ugh! GROSS! I took care of her and six months later everything had grown back - skin and feathers. You couldn't tell her apart from the uninjured chickens.
I still can't believe it. I also pay much closer attention to my chickens these days. If I even think one behaves differently, I check her.

 

[barg]

Some bird feathers have a blood vein going up the shaft.
If you cut the feather its like opening a vein and blood squirts out. It doesnt hurt them as far as pain, I dont belive there are any nerves there, but they could bleed to death.

I just wasnt sure if silkies had the vein in their face feathers.
But as a side note, if you want to clip your chickens wings, its always good to have some stiptic around to stop bleeding, just in case.