Advice on trimming crossbeak

[OldMcDonald512]

Hi peeps

I've got a chickie with cross beak and I could use some advice on how to trim it. I'll attach some pictures, but my question is basically what angle I should be trimming it at. The bottom goes pretty far out and the quick is grown out as well. I've been using a Dremel to grind it down but can only take off a few millimeters before it starts to bleed. I do it about once a week and it seems to be growing faster than I'm trimming. I would find it really helpful if someone could draw on the image a line of what I should be aiming for her beak to look like, with advice on how to get it there.

Also, she does eat (slowly) and drinks normally, but her mouth is never closed and I can see the tip of her tongue getting dry. With winter coming in new england I want to make sure that isn't going to be a problem for her.

Thanks in advance!

 

[coach723]

Basically you just trim to keep them normal length. You don't want the bottom a lot longer than the top, or vice-versa. That makes it even harder for them to pick things up. So compare with other normal beaks. And try very hard not to get into the quick, that hurts. Beak growth speed can vary, and since it's a young bird it's growing fast. As she gets older it may not need it quite as often, but time will tell. Sometimes the condition gets worse as they grow, so you will need to watch and make sure she's still able to feed well. If you are not already, feeding in deeper open dishes that are raised up a bit, and making a mash by mixing crumbles or pellets with some water (experiment with consistency/thinner or thicker) can make it easier for them to eat. Same with water, a deeper open dish that is raised up.