Fretted feather advice please

[Guest]

Now the wing is something I have never studied and as a relative newcomer to serious long distance racing I'm not used to having birds return with badly fretted flights. My good cock 17 who returned from Tarbes 2/3 weeks late, I looked at his wing last night for the first time since the day he came back. His 3rd flight which he probably dropped in the basket has now grown in both wings but has a very bad fret in each and the flight is 'withered' if that makes sense.

This new flight will be no good for racing next year, how do I rectify, I haven't got a clue, would you pull it, or is that a complete no no! Advice gratefully recieved.

Thanks

Alan

[Guest pigeon82]

boil a kettle and place the feather over the steam then use your hand to sort the feather out should work i done it with a few of mine

[Guest]

boil a kettle and place the feather over the steam then use your hand to sort the feather out should work i done it with a few of mine

 

The feather is withered though, smaller in width than it should be, are you saying that it will help the feather grow to its proper potential, it's not a question of a bent feather.

[Guest pigeon82]

not sure about helping it grow but when you said withered i thought you meant the feather is not lying flush as a stright feather crinkled up mite be better way of putting it

[Guest]

not sure about helping it grow but when you said withered i thought you meant the feather is not lying flush as a stright feather crinkled up mite be better way of putting it

 

Sorry, its difficult to explain it has not grown to its full potential either in length but only just short or in width, apologies to anyone with such a disbility but if you have seen someone with a withered hand it's that type of comparison

[Guest pigeon82]

if its not fully grown would it be possible it might reach its potential size or is it a no hope

[Guest grizzler]

freets can be caused by strees, if it was my bird i would pull the feathers and hope they grow back normally.

 

steve.

[Guest IB]

Alan, the feather is deformed, and will remain so until replaced at the next moult. Wait until the bird is fully recovered and has resumed moulting (or until after he has thrown & is regrowing No10, your choice) then pull both deformed flights. They will grow in together as new.

[Tony C]

I'd pull the flights in this instance. I've been told if you cut the top 2/3rds of a week before you pull them it makes it less painful for the pigeon.

You may find these new flights will be a little shorter than if were moulted naturally.

I would avoid pulling them whilst the pigeon is going through the body moult.

[Guest joshdonlan]

I'd pull the flights in this instance. I've been told if you cut the top 2/3rds of a week before you pull them it makes it less painful for the pigeon.

You may find these new flights will be a little shorter than if were moulted naturally.

I would avoid pulling them whilst the pigeon is going through the body moult.

 

Very true, makes it easier to pull out aswell  

 

 

[pjc]

Cut it and pull it as has been sugested but wait until the rest of the mouly has finished. If you cut and pull while still moulting you could cause the bird stress which would result in another fret!

The only problem that you could also get is that the bird could go into a second wing moult from the pulled flights.

[Guest stb]

scars of a hard time Alan  , wait until hes on his 6th flight then pull them and let them re grow, i do it with mine and have had no probs, ;)

[peterpau]

I would never pull a feather under any circumstance. Any new feather is likely to be stunted and pulling feathers is said to be very painful more so than cutting the skin.

[Guest stb]

I would never pull a feather under any circumstance. Any new feather is likely to be stunted and pulling feathers is said to be very painful more so than cutting the skin.

Theres ways of doing it properly my freind, ;)

 

 

[Guest]

Thank you all for your comments and help

[Guest kev d]

hi alan , it,s got a fret mark because you know your self it, had a damed hard fly getting home

and it,s a way of saying it,s knackerd  i would not pull flights what so ever just leave it be it will rest up over winter

and will be good as new for next year but just my opinon .

cheers kev

[Guest shadow]

only ever pulled a flight on a bird and when the new one grew it turned out to be a blood flight never  pulled another one

[Guest IB]

Must admit to being a recent convert, in the past would never have pulled a flight feather, there was a thread years ago on this, when I posted an X-Ray pic showing that they are rooted in bone, and likened it to pulling teeth, so thought it must be painful.

 

2 years ago I had a young cock with a badly fretted flight, which I reckoned would break at some point during next year's racing. A clubmate suggested pulling it after Primary 10 had grown. Well did that, gingerly, holding wing (gently) at bone directly beneath feather shaft, and with a steady pull on flight, came away no bother, put cock back on box floor, he started birling & crowing, so sod-all pain there I thought. Flight also regrew with no bother - raced following year & dropped.

 

Last year I had a yearling hen lay out for some time, came back with both P3's stunted, not that I noticed at time! Was during next winter flyout that I noticed what appeared to be a bird in flight still in the moult? Checked her over and discovered completely moulted out, except for these primaries. So pulled them both, skeptical that they would grow in? They did, no problems, and the bird went on to fly 518 miles (2nd day) this year.

 

On advice to cut, don't see that having any bearing on pulling flight, or pain, (1) pull from base of the feather, not the top, and grip shaft close to skin; (2) the feather when grown is a dead structure, can't feel pain in it. They are also designed to be shed when gripped by a predator, giving the bird a chance to escape, so can't see Nature designing 'pain' into that survival system.

 

 

 

[Guest IB]

Just checked the date I pulled that hen's flights - Sunday 15th February this year. 1 had broken, the other deformed. Even that late on, both grew back in without problems.

[Guest]

hi alan , it,s got a fret mark because you know your self it, had a damed hard fly getting home

and it,s a way of saying it,s knackerd  i would not pull flights what so ever just leave it be it will rest up over winter

and will be good as new for next year but just my opinon .

cheers kev

 

Hiya Kev this isn't just a fret on the flight the flight is 'deformed' (not bent). 17 will not race next year with his flight as it is, so it needs pulling and I'm grateful for all the advice being given on how to do it, including the PMs. 17 I'm sure will breed and with a top quality hen would breed quality 500/600 mile pigeons and if I had one I would put him to stock and that would save the dilema! However even if I put him to stock I still think I would pull because perhaps stupidly I feel he will be in discomfort with a deformed flight!

[ribble]

Battle Scars, Medals call them what you want.

I would never pull them!

At the worst it is going to have a gap smaller than if it had thrown his flight, i can't see how it could not race.

[Guest]

Battle Scars, Medals call them what you want.

I would never pull them!

At the worst it is going to have a gap smaller than if it had thrown his flight, i can't see how it could not race.

 

Personal preference I suppose, normal fret not a problem. my pigeon that came from  Tarbes 18th section had a tough race and has afret , not a problem but this is different but I respect your way, wouldn't be ine in this instance

[ch pied]

i would let the bird , throw the flight its self , which it will do .

[ribble]

 

Personal preference I suppose, normal fret not a problem. my pigeon that came from  Tarbes 18th section had a tough race and has afret , not a problem but this is different but I respect your way, wouldn't be ine in this instance

 

I know exactly what you are describing.

Good luck with whatever you decide.