How to Trim Tail Feathers

The main reason that people cut the tail feathers of birds is that it hampers the birds' flight similar to the way that cutting the wing feathers does. When done right, this causes no pain to the bird. Many birds have two sets of tail feathers: the ones that are seen all the time and the ones that are only seen while flying. It is best to cut the feathers that are only seen while flying so that the bird remains attractive.

Things You'll Need

  • Pedicure scissors
  • Blood stopper
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Instructions

  1. Securing the Bird

    • 1
      Positioning the Bird

      Put the bird on a birch outside its cage but in a secure area. Approach the bird from behind.

    • 2
      Identifying the Feathers

      Birds have two sets of tail feathers: there is a collection of feathers in the middle of the behind and a collection of smaller hidden feathers to either side. These smaller side feathers are the ones you want to remove.

    • 3
      Selecting the Feathers

      One side at a time, carefully spread these feathers and hold them in the spread position.

    • 4
      Parts of the Feather

      Notice that the feathers have different parts: the long tube-shaped part that comes out of the bird is called the quill and the part where fuzz is on the quill is called the barb.

    • 5
      Cutting the Feathers

      Clip off these spread side feathers, one at a time, at least 1 cm after the quill becomes barb. Clipping the feather too close to the bird will cause bleeding, so it is better to error on the side of caution.

    • 6
      The Other Tail Feathers

      Now start on the other side following steps 3 to 5.