TRIMMING BIRD BEAKS

Oh No. It’s Time to Trim Brady’s Beak

A procedure we both dislike

Brady with his overgrown beak. Photo property of the author.

Brady is sitting right above me. As usual, I glance at his beak; it’s beginning to curve into his chest. Brady’s beak needs to be shortened. A long or crooked beak can interfere with his ability to eat.

Birds keep their beaks trimmed using their perches (swiping their beaks against them), chewing on wooden toys, and eating crunchy foods like nuts and raw veggies.

Brady has everything he needs to maintain his beak; nevertheless, it grows too long. Generally speaking, overgrown beaks result from illness, poor nutrition, or genetics.

Brady is an older rescue bird from our local animal shelter. I have no history for him. If he has an illness, it isn’t apparent in his playful behavior and voracious consumption of raw veggies, with shelled sugar snap peas his favorite.

I assume his overgrowth is genetic. He is the only parakeet in my thirty years with birds with a beak problem. My other bird was a conure. His upper beak grew crooked and I successfully trimmed it for years.

Trimming beaks should be a veterinarian’s job; improper trimming can result in trauma and pain. A bird’s beak contains nerves and blood vessels, an improper trim may cause the bird pain…