primary feather

[wilson]

my harris hawk has lost a flight feather is there any way to replace it? it is the full feather it has not just snapped

[Weasel]

It will have to grow back in. There is no way I have ever heard of to replace a feather that came out at the base.

[frootdog]

Actually you can use a very small amount of super glue and replace the feather in the folicle. This will help to ensure that the folicle remains open and does not seal shut. Any time a feather is yanked out traumaticly there is a risk that a new feather will never grow back in due to the folicle sealing shut.

[colohen]

No offense Frootdog !
But I do not recommend gluing a feather into the follicle. If you trap any dust particle or bacteria under the glue and feather it can cause an infection resulting in real damage to the follicle with the possibility of spreading to neighboring feathers. Not to mention , improperly placed, may cause a new feather to push in wrong. If it was to stay in that long!
Have had lost feathers before and they have always grown back.
Have had rehab birds missing several feathers causing lose of flight. They've always grown back and the birds flight ability restored . :)Of course mass feather lost in a raptor in the wild would naturally prevent it from taken food and result in it's death .

ps. I forgot to mention the pain it causes the bird and the possibility of damaging the follicle just attempting to do so!.[/color]

[frootdog]

No offense taken, but I DO have 15 years experience in the verterinary field and currently work at a vet clinic that sees raptors and falconry birds. We have done this several times for falconry birds and never had a problem. The vet that works there has done it on his own bird w/ no adverse affects. The simple fact of the matter is that it keeps the folicle open and lets a new feather grow in. I never said that every time a feather is yanked out that it will not grow back. I said it is possible. I guess it just depends on how you want to roll the dice. I personally would glue the feather back in if it were my bird.

[jobbyjob]

i think i would pay more attention to you colo if you would write in a font that we could read without going cross-eyed.