Worried about soreness/wound?!

[Donna Lee]

I have a very fluffy English budgie named Sheldon. Today after I put some new millet in the flight cage I noticed that he seems to have a little cut, or something, on his butt.

Even when he came to us a few months ago he was missing one (or a few?) tail feathers, so his tail looks kind of forked.

Now me and my partner were watching the birds and Sheldon was sitting there fluffed up. He has something - a cut, or a sore area, I'm not sure what, on him. I don't know when it got there, but I've never seen it before. Could it just be a red bit from when his tail feathers got messed up originally?

I'm really worried and not sure what to do

Here's a picture (bad picture) of it. It's redder in real life. I don't think it's bleeding or anything and he doesn't seem to be in distress (he was just enjoying some millet and playing on his swing).

[Hezz]

Is that down a little from his preening gland, or around it, Donna. It is a little hard to judge, is all. I suggest you watch him with it and see if he is bothering it/it is bothering him. If it is bothering him, he could be picking at it and making it red. A little antiseptic powder or some savlon on it may help sooth it, if it is worrying him. I am really just taking a stab in the dark.

It could be the feather follicle ......... hopefully not developing a cyst, but that is something to be considered. Sorry I'm not much help.

[Donna Lee]

Thank you, Hezz I really appreciate it. I will be keeping a close eye. He doesn't seem bothered by it at all, and I haven't seen him scratching or anything. He's swinging around quite happily at the moment!

[Hezz]

Good, then. Hopefully it is something that will just resolve itself.

[barrieshutt]

I agree with Hezz as it appears to be the start of a cyst , i do note the main tail feathers are missing and this is another sign of a potential cyst...................nothing can be done for it but apply a blob of savlon to the area just to sooth it

[Hezz]

Oh, poor Sheldon. I was hoping it wasn't a cyst developing.

[Donna Lee]

Me too He seems a lot more chirpy today, thankfully. He's not fluffed up as much.

I wonder how his feather is missing. Can man handling birds lead to cysts? I got him from a house with 5 (!) small children. One of the kids told me that her little baby brother used to grab and throw the birds around. ¬____¬

[Hezz]

I don't know, Donna. I suppose if handled roughly, the feather could be damaged enough for the follicle to be permanently scarred. At least he is out of that environment now.

Let us know if it gets better or worse. And good luck with him.