Beak Trimming Question...

Well, I have been thinking about this and I was just wondering if all domestic birds need their beaks trimmed from time to time.

Years and Years ago when I had my first tiel...I never thought about this and his beak never looked over grown.

So how would I know if my birds beaks are too long?

Toni

Well, I also had Tiels and never had this issue either, but Tiels love cuttle bones, which helps to trim their beaks. But most parrots even smaller ones like my Senegal rarely uses either of the cuttle bones that I have placed in her cage. So when I have her wings cliiped & nails done, I automatically have her beak trimmed as well.

Personally i have never had to ever trim a birds beak. If you have a healthy parrot that has a well balanced diet & also has a lot of chewing toys, I don't feel there is a need.

However there are times a parrot needs a trim & most likely it is health related.

Anatomy, Care, and Diseases of Bird Beaks

It is very rare that a healthy well cared for bird would ever need a beak trim. However, I run a mobile bird grooming service, and so I frequently encounter birds that need beak work. Usually tiels or quakers with fatty liver disease, or improperly handfed birds whose beaks are slightly crooked and therefor do not wear down naturally. IF you ever encounter a bird that needs beak work, it should be done by a trained professional that understand beak growth, diseases, and how that particular species beak is suppose to appear naturally. THE BEST OPTION IS PREVENTION. Give them lots of toys and wood to chew and you shouldn't need a beak trim. If you do have a bird that needs a trim, you should take it to an experienced avian vet. Beak trimmings can cause way more damage than good at times. Find someone very knowledgable on parrots (and beaks inparticular) and have them take a look. For example... blue crown conures have a natural long point at the end of the upper beak, and some people think they need to be trimmed, when they do not. Macaws, toos, eclectus, tiels, quakers, etc... each beak has slight variations that need to be maintained naturally... I don't ever recomend trimming your own birds beak. I spent several years learning and practicing beak manipulation inbabies, beak trims in adults, and I worked at a vet clinic and learned from a talented Avian vet, along with a very skilled breeder, and there are still some beaks I won't touch.

If you open a birds beak and look at the upper mandible where the lower beak meets it you will see a taper off and a line running accross.... that line should be straight accross and even... if it isn't, you can be sure that particular bird will require beak trims to straighten it out... once straight no more beak work should be necessary.

I'll tell you, it sure helps when they bite you after they have had their beak trimmed, it's not quite as bad. I know my Sennie could easily break the skin with her needle sharp beak. But after the grooming, even a hard bite didn't break the sKin.

I LOVE the mobile bird grooming thing. I used them the first time a couple of weeks ago and man it was worth every cent. Great people, and what a relief not to have to load my bird up and head for the vets office.

I was of the impression that beaks were designed to do specific jobs & unless the beak was overgrown there was no real need for trimming. Same goes for the nails. I don't feel the need to trim any of my birds beaks or nails but i guess each to their own. I always offer correct perches & they get heaps of chewing & groom things that help keep beak & nails trimmed naturally.

Most of my birds never even require nail trims. They don't get too long, but certain birds toe nails get VERY sharp. If you raise babies you know that before they ever fledge their nails get so needle sharp that they draw blood standing on your arm. (Before they even perch) and if you keep birds as pets, you know that toe nails that sharp make it hard to enjoy handling them. So, I file the little tips a bit to make it less likely for them to draw blood on new owners. (Hard to sell a bird that is unpleasant to hold). Even in breeder birds I make sure that the toe nails of the males aren't sharp enough to draw blood on the hen.... sharp enough to hold on, but not too sharp.

The mobile bird groomer laughed when she saw me and I asked if they were going to trim my Sennie's nails. She she asked if I had looked at ly arms lately. I looked at both my forearms and they looked like two pin cushions except with little spots of blood all over my arms. So she really did need a trimming and she is only 18 months old.

Like i said i never feel the need to trim nails, even my babies don't seem to need their nails trimmed either. By the time my chicks go on the market they have been used to their grooming products & their nails don't seem sharp at all. I have never had a bird rejected because it's nails are sharp.

I find that a terrified bird will grip on for dear life & sink the nails in but if they are calm they will usually just rest their feet on my arm or hand. But i suppose some people have very sensitive skin & would require their birds nails trimmed.