Health Benefits to Keeping Nails Trimmed?

BoomBoom · Jun 2, 2014

Aside from humans not getting scratched to death when handling their birds, or the more obvious safety reasons to keep said birds from being stuck on their toys, are there any other health benefits to keeping their nails trimmed?

MonicaMc · Jun 2, 2014

I'm not sure of any, and I don't normally trim nails.

MikeyTN · Jun 3, 2014

One of the nail on Lola was so sharp it hurts me so that I couldn't hold her until I got it trimmed. So it's for humans mainly. But if they're too sharp they tend to catch onto stuffs that can get them tangled then you risk them having the nail torn off and blood gushing out from it. So that's a benefit for them having it trimmed. I've seen it happen before....

Hoangquan · Jun 3, 2014

Being scratched by their nails is never a big problem to me since I'm kinda used to it. I believe trimming nails is just the alternative method to fix over-grown nails, which would happen if they're given un-balanced diet for a long time, lack of vitamin D3, lack or over calcium. As long as we keep our birds a good, healthy, balanced diet with fully and frequently minerals supply, everything will be fine. I haven't trim a single nail of my birds in more than 8 years, and I have a lot of birds.

BoomBoom · Jun 3, 2014

Thanks, everyone. I've had Boomer since he was 2 months old. He is now 2.5 years old and I've never had his nails trimmed. It's gotten a lot pricklier but not grossly long. I've often wondered if I should be taking him for a nail trimming but I guess I'm alright, judging from your responses. I wish his nails weren't so sharp when he is clambering all over me though haha!

witchbaby · Jun 3, 2014

Get a concrete perch for his cage. It helps.

RavensGryf · Jun 3, 2014

Hoangquan said:
I haven't trim a single nail of my birds in more than 8 years, and I have a lot of birds.

What birds do you have besides the baby Sun and Alexandrine?

witchbaby said:
Get a concrete perch for his cage. It helps.

Raven has a manzanita sandy perch. He uses it all the time, but his nails don't touch it

I don't think it's too skinny in diameter, and when I touch it, it feels rough.

Hoangquan · Jun 3, 2014

RavensGryf said:
Hoangquan said:

I haven't trim a single nail of my birds in more than 8 years, and I have a lot of birds.

Click to expand...

What birds do you have besides the baby Sun and Alexandrine?

Well I've spent most of my life keeping and breeding finches, so here's a few:

veimar · Jun 3, 2014

You know, my gcc didn't have his nails trimmed since I got him 4 mo ago. He was my first bird and I had no idea I had to trim the nails. They grew out quite a bit and he had hard time walking on the floor, table or windowsill. He got also entangled in my shirt several times and could hurt his leg very badly trying to fly off from my shoulder. I also noticed that he started chewing on his nails a lot. He has black nails and I'm afraid to cut him on my own for the first time. I'm going to the vet today to get them trimmed. So I'm doing this for HIS safety, not mine (his nails had never hurt me).

RavensGryf · Jun 3, 2014

Hoangquan said:
Well I've spent most of my life keeping and breeding finches, so here's a few:

Sorry BoomBoom... I don't mean to hijack this thread so I won't continue OT after this

OMG! Gorgeous! I HAD GOULDIANS TOO!! I also had a pair of the Cordon Blue.
I had male Gouldians of the three head colors and various mutations.

Various other finches too. When I turn my photos into digital, I will post and share mine too. This was some years ago.

thekarens · Jun 3, 2014

If they aren't too long there's no reason you have to. I know my sennies nails get way too sharp for me even with a concrete perch and my linnies nails grow way too long to be healthy. Literally theirs would curl around back into their feet if they weren't trimmed. They also grow unusually fast.

Sterling1113 · Jun 3, 2014

Never had to trim my conure's nails , they're pretty good at being active enough to keep their beaks/nails where they should be.
Pascal has a silly toe(think he hurt it a long time ago, wayyyyy before I got him) so one nail grows upwards like a raptor claw. I have to make sure that one gets a trim every so often since it doesn't touch his perches and I don't want it to get hooked on anything.

that's all though.

MikeyTN · Jun 3, 2014

The nails will be required to trim regardless cause they grow out and shed like humans do. It have nothing to do with diet. The growth and how it grows can be diet related but nails will grow regardless! Hate to say it but I never had to trim finches either but they will chew them or get them filed somehow. I clip the Macaws nails about 1-2 times a year. And the other ones about the same. And I spent over 17 years raising parrots plus some finches.

Health Benefits to Keeping Nails Trimmed?

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Taking Mango on Vacation!!?!!

My baby Sun conure

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