Beak Trimming?

[Sher]

I am taking Henry (U2) to get his wings & nails trimmed today. We will also discuss his beak when I get there.
I am wondering everyones opinion on having the beaks trimmed?
Why or why not?

Also, I am having a hard time getting him to step up. When I do the technique he rubs his head over my hand when he is on top of his cage. He was on the floor yesterday & did the step up but I could tell he was a bit leary. Is this just a trust issue? Is he stubborn? (I have had him for only 3 days)
Thank you

 

[Nocturnal]

If the beak is overlong then it needs to be done. An overlong beak can get broken (and split!) much easier and get caught in toys and cages. It also can lend itself to greater injury on your part should the bird decide to bite.

In most cases birds will wear down their own beaks through chewing on wood and stuff, but lots of parrots don't do this as much as they should and the beak ends up needing to be trimmed around once a year. If done properly it causes no harm to the birdie and makes things easier.


And with stepping up--- he is a U2? I've noticed that lots of perfectly nice U2s do not step up very well- they'd rather have you "munch" their entire head with your hand and cuddle them where they stand. Even 'toos I don't know are usually not adverse to me assisting them in stepping up by physically picking up their feet (I work with A LOT of birds, including cockatoos and macaws). Cockatoos are one of the few birds I will do this with-- I think it's usually just because they are so focused on cuddling-- he might be slightly nervous, which in that case you just need to be patient with him and show him that stepping up gets him cuddles and treats and playtime.

 

[Sher]

Thanks Nocturnal, we took care of all of his grooming needs yesterday. The poor guy has been so neglected in that department
He had his back turned to me most of the night afterward and kept looking over his shoulder at me mumbling, LOL. But by the time I was getting him ready for bed he was fine.
I did get him to step up to my bare hand. I had a glove before and that is what the problem was. I assume the prev owners needed a glove when they handled him because of his nails.
You are so right about him wanting me to just cuddle munch his head right where he is, he loves it!
We do need to work on the step up. When I am holding him he does not want to go back to his cage or a perch. He does want to run up to my shoulder but I am not comfortable with a bird that can do so much damage that close to my face, especially since I have to learn his body language. Do you have any suggestions on how to teach him that my shoulders are off limits?
Thanks

 

[aliray]

If you have only had him for 3 days that is a very short time . Give him time to learn about you, your house, his new surroundings, new sounds, new people in his life, new routines ect. It takes time to earn their trust and get comfortable with all the changes.

 

[aliray]

Woops I forgot to say congrats on your new birdy baby

 

[Sher]

Thanks aliray, he seems to be adjusting well. He is very sweet! He is even looking better from his daily showers.

 

[Nocturnal]

For the shoulder thing, that should come with time--- simply remove him every time he goes up there and place him back on your arm. If he still tries to get there, place him on his stand and leave him for a bit before coming back and trying again. He should learn that going to your shoulder ultimately leads to him not getting what he really wants, which is time spent with you.

 

[terry52449]

Nocturnal has pretty well hit the nail on the head. Some birds learn faster than others. Just a fact of life. Enjoy your new friend.

 

[U2gal]

Please for future groomings don't clip his wings.

If you provide a lot of wood, they keep their beaks well groomed themselves.

Also if you provide a lot of variety in perches, they tend to not need their nails clipped much

 

[Sher]

Why wouldn't I get the wings trimmed? I have always kept feathers trimmed on any bird I have had. Especially since I allow them a lot of time out of the cage.
Henry will walk off his cage & find me if he cannot see me... I can't imagine him being able to fly to where I am all the time!
I understand the beak. And his nails were so horribly overgrown, they had to be done. I have a variety of perches for him but I will keep a close eye on his nails for the future.

 

[U2gal]

I recommend reading this:

Flighted Parrots - Thinking on the Wing by Steve Hartman    The Parrot University

Clipping wings is the thing of the past. Kinda like spike collars for dogs. Sure some maybe even many do it, but its not something that should be done on a whim. There are better methods now.

 

[Brisch]

Yes, that all being said, for some people having a flighted bird is not an option and can be very unsafe for the owner and the bird. I think that option should be left up to the owner and they should not be given any flack for what they decide is best for their bird. Same as you are welcome to make the choice on your birds behalf.

 

[U2gal]

Yes, that all being said, for some people having a flighted bird is not an option and can be very unsafe for the owner and the bird. I think that option should be left up to the owner and they should not be given any flack for what they decide is best for their bird. Same as you are welcome to make the choice on your birds behalf.

No one is giving anyone flack. I just offered another way of doing things.

Clipping "just because" and no reasoning, well why not keep flighted then?

Out of all the species of birds that man can keep, cockatoos react the most negatively to being clipped.

 

[Sher]

Great article, thanks for the link.
For now, I will keep his wings clipped. Thank you for all the input.

 

[U2gal]

No one mentioned free flight. Not many can do that, even skilled trainers and behavioralists arent all cut out for something like free flight. But having a flighted parrot in a home doesnt mean you have to free fly.

Clipping is more dangerous and hazardous than allowing a bird to have its wings unclipped.

Clipping is an unsafe means to try and prevent hazards from happening. Its not as safe as many thing it is.

I do not want to argue with anyone who wants to clip their birds, but they should really think about the "why", is all. Im all for making up our own decisions on our care for our parrots.

 

[aether-drifter]

U2gal, that is a great article. I wish all bird owners would read and really think about it. Especially the responses in favor to common arguments for clipping. It's a huge pet peeve of mine when people say clipped birds are safer (that thinking gives a false sense of security and the bird pays a high price).

Sher, congrats on your new friend!