Advice needed please if poss

[Sammi_0411]

Good morning, as some of you know I hatched quails and they are now 4 weeks old tomorrow, one of my darlings has scissor/Cross beak. Now his getting older I see its quite a severe case. I am ensuring observing he is eating and drinking okay and making any needed changes but I have a few questions as this is a first for me;

What age do I start trimming and filing the beak?

What's best dog clippers, emory board etc?

Where do I clip file etc? And how where do I tried to avoid don't wanna make him bleed

I don't want to have to put him through any discomfort or stress so would really like to hear your opinions

Here's my gorgeous little fella(I think) lol

Tia
Sam xxxx

 

[shrimpsilkies]

If you can, offer a rough stone or brick in his enclosure. He may learn to file it down himself which will reduce the amount that you have to.
Since his beak is not yet overgrown, you don’t have to do anything right now, but in the next couple weeks, I would reccomend filing it a few times before it grows too long. Quail are tiny and it’s easy to cut too close to the quick, bird beaks have similar anatomy to nails and claws and there is a part that is only keratin, a part that has blood vessels (quick) and a part that is bone. Cutting too deeply can be really painful so I think filing is best. It is uncomfortable and you may have to restrain him using his neck, but well worth it, cutting with nail clippers or other type of clippers can easily make him bleed. A good metal nail file is the right size, use the rough side and just file the beak like a tiny human nail.

Hopefully he isn’t too traumatized by it, I had an Ameraucana roo with a huge overbite and I had to file him down often when he was sick and while it was unpleasant he soon forgot about it when he realized he could eat mealworms and treats again, so have some tasty food on hand to offer after filing.

 

[Sammi_0411]

If you can, offer a rough stone or brick in his enclosure. He may learn to file it down himself which will reduce the amount that you have to.
Since his beak is not yet overgrown, you don’t have to do anything right now, but in the next couple weeks, I would reccomend filing it a few times before it grows too long. Quail are tiny and it’s easy to cut too close to the quick, bird beaks have similar anatomy to nails and claws and there is a part that is only keratin, a part that has blood vessels (quick) and a part that is bone. Cutting too deeply can be really painful so I think filing is best. It is uncomfortable and you may have to restrain him using his neck, but well worth it, cutting with nail clippers or other type of clippers can easily make him bleed. A good metal nail file is the right size, use the rough side and just file the beak like a tiny human nail.

Hopefully he isn’t too traumatized by it, I had an Ameraucana roo with a huge overbite and I had to file him down often when he was sick and while it was unpleasant he soon forgot about it when he realized he could eat mealworms and treats again, so have some tasty food on hand to offer after filing.

Thank u I will do that xx