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My little guy is much better after being ill last fall. At that time he bit his wing feathers off. One or two are now growing back but he has "feather stubs" of at least four per side.

Am I supposed to do something about those? I thought those would fall out according to our vet. But I recall the vet also saying they could put our BHC asleep and pluck them out. I'd hate to see that done unless it was really necessary.

Anyone know the process or issues here? thx

It can take a long year for the stubs to molt out and new feathers grow in. Unless you're having to keep him cage-confined until he can fly again, I strongly urge that you let the molt happen in its own time. Anesthesia is much safer for birds than it was 15 years ago, but it still has lethal potential. I would not risk it with my own birds merely to pluck feathers.

Godspeed!

Do not subject your bird to being anesthetized, particulary for this reason. Like Bluesbird said, avian medicine is far advanced from even the recent past but even under optimum situations, putting a bird 'under' can be deadly. Just be patient, they will molt out in their own time.
Andrea

One of my caiques does that to his feathers. His flight feathers are snipped off and I just leave them alone til they come out and the new ones grow in. Usually they are coming in by this time of the year. But it has been a bad year for him - not sure if his hormones are stronger this year, or the weather, or what is causing it.

He is a very nervous bird and has always done this and is 9 years old now.