Jenday Conure feather problem

Question
My conure has new tail feathers growing in and two of them have a "shaft".  I thought that it would eventually grow on out but it has been there for more than a week.  Should I do anything or will Sancho take care of it?

Answer
Hello Paula,

Sancho will take care of it. The head feathers are the ones he will need help with. To preen those feathers start at the tip of the feather (not the base of the head) and gently rub the casing between your fingers. You will soon learn what is ready and what is not, Sancho will tell you.

The casing protects the growing feather. Growing feathers have a blood supply so extra protection is needing to prevent damage that can cause bleeding. Depending on the bird the molting and regrowth of a single feather can take days to weeks. I'm not concerned about 1 week. However if the new feather has completely grown in and still Sancho does not take care of this can indicate a couple of things. One, that Sancho didn't learn to properly preen from exposure to adult birds. Or that Sancho is sick. In either of these cases Sancho would need to be examined by his avian veterinarian.

Jennifer
www.feathersandscales.com