How To Remove Damaged Primary Feathers?

[hannahsocal]

Hello y’all! I have an absolutely gorgeous hen that I’m planning on showing in the next few months at a few exhibitions. The issue is that my dad mistakingly clipped her wings because he mixed her up with a different girl. So she has 8 primary wing feathers (4 on each side) that are cut in half. Obviously I can’t show her like this, and I can’t wait until she molts naturally because then she won’t be eligible for the pullet category anymore. How can I safely remove these “damaged” flight feathers so that new ones grow in their place?

 

[Amer]

Pull them out with your fingers.

 

[hannahsocal]

Pull them out with your fingers.

They’re really stuck in there though since they’re primaries, won’t it hurt her?

 

[AMM10]

They’re really stuck in there though since they’re primaries, won’t it hurt her?

You can pull the damaged feathers out as quickly as possible by hand or trim them short with a pair of scissors. It doesn’t hurt them when done right and they will grow back.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

You can pull the damaged feathers out as quickly as possible by hand or trim them short with a pair of scissors.

Trimming them short won't do anything to make them come out faster

 

[AMM10]

Trimming them short won't do anything to make them come out faster

True, but the OP was concerned about causing pain so I was just giving them another option that has worked for me.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

True, but the OP was concerned about causing pain so I was just giving them another option that has worked for me.

They won't regrow then, which is what's needed for showing.

 

[AMM10]

They won't regrow then, which is what's needed for showing.

All I’m saying is that if the wing feathers are still deeply attached to skin and you have trouble yanking them out…It’s gonna hurt them more than just cutting them short will.

 

[FunClucks]

They're going to hurt when you pull them out. Probably quite a lot.

Honestly, I wouldn't do it. I know you were super excited to show her, but sometimes life just happens, and it sucks for a while.

Not trying to upset you here, but thought you might like to know (I'm about to talk about processing meat birds, so if that's a problem, please skip the rest)


I raise meat birds. As part of skinning them, I have to remove the primary feathers from the wing. They are so entrenched in the skin and the bone that I can't pull them off with the skin like I do easily with all the rest of the feathers, I actually have to cut them away from the bone with a very sharp knife. Maybe you'll have better luck removing them one at a time if you pull hard and quickly, but based on how hard they are to remove even after the chicken doesn't care about it, that is something I will never do to a chicken by choice.

 

[Amer]

True.