Flyte
New member
- Jun 18, 2007
- 354
- 3
- Parrots
- Blue & Gold Macaw, Madison;
Yellow Naped Amazon, Rocky;
Timneh African Grey, Tyler
![rockybeak.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flyte.org%2Fimages%2Fanimals%2Fparrots%2Frockybeak.jpg&hash=d605f10956b72bf202cf04e13d99b21e)
Hi all.
My yellow nape's beak had grown quite a bit too long over the past year. It was quite a bit longer than it is now in the picture. I've mentioned before that this year has been full of surgery for me and there was nothing I could really do about it.
I noticed and gave him a new cement perch and more wooden chew toys but I think he was depressed over my absence and kind of sat around watching TV all day.
Beaks are not something I like to mess with but the closest avian vet is about 3 hours away and it would be impossible to make that trip every few weeks for a beak trim. I would rather do it myself than have a 'normal' vet attempt it and I have styptic powder on hand just in case.
I have been slowly filing it down, just a small amount every 2 weeks or so like one would with an overgrown nail. I have been very careful because his beak also seems to peel easily.
I think this is mostly a nutritional deficiency as they were all on a seed diet for a long time. (with fruits/veggies other stuff) but while I was sick and unable to care for them they definatly didn't get the same variety as they did when I was in charge of the food.
They are being weaned onto Harrison's pellets now and Rocky was the easiest to convert. He's already eating just the pellets (he's definatly eating it, empty dish and full crop!)
I am just concerned because his beak seems to have chipped a bit, as you can see in his picture. I hadn't trimmed his beak in awhile and I am not going to touch it anymore, at this point I think he should be able to get it back to where it's supposed to be on his own. He is much more active now that I'm around. Of course.. more surgery to come. I just hope I have them all on the pellets by then!
I'm glad I took this picture before breakfast because if you guys had seen his beak after he enjoyed his yummy oatmeal, carrot, apple, honey gushy meal, you'd have thought he had some sort of horrible parasite infestation!
Do you guys agree that the brittleness is probably just a vitamin/mineral deficiency? The other birds have similar peeling problems, the macaw more so than the Grey. I assume they will all be a lot healthier as they continue to eat the better pellets. I feel so bad/guilty, but at least I'm getting them on the road to a better diet, and I honestly couldn't do anything about it. It was a long time before I could even climb the stairs to visit them!
Thanks!
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