From Freedom First Wildlife Rehab
Edward, the Barred Owl was just fine after his procedure this morning! Come on Edward, finish your molt!
Edward is at Freedom First recovering from an impact injury. No broken bones, but a dislocated shoulder. Between the injury and some feather issues, he can fly, but not well.
This post will go over his feather issue. He molted new feathers, but the protective coating was not coming off, leaving large parts of feather unfloofed.
He just needed to be held still while they used their fingers to break up all the feather sheath that was remaining. They can’t use scissors or any tools, as they would damage the feathers.
Here you can get a good look at the coated feathers. Feathers come from follicles like hairs. They are contained in these sheaths to come through the skin and solidify into the finished feather without being damaged. The sheath normally dries out and falls off when it’s ready, but it is not doing so on its own for poor Edward.
He just needed to be held still while they used their fingers to break up all the feather sheath that was remaining. They can’t use scissors or any tools, as they would damage the feathers.
He was awake during the sheath removal, but had to be held on his back, which he didn’t enjoy. The sheath is made of keratin, like a fingernail, so it didn’t hurt at all.
Nonsense! Kings don’t molt!
That’s kinda what the pic of him refusing to look in the camera says to me.
“I can’t go out there to face them looking like this! It’s undignified!”
