Clack, Clack, Clack!!

[lfoose]

My hen has not been eating much lately and it just dawned on me that her beak is too long. It too curves over about 1/4 of an inch.

Which would be best for that little of an amount? Clipping off that curved over part or filing it? I don't want to debeak-just make her more comfortable.

 

[Wolf-Kim]

I've seen beak-trimming done with scissors. I would think it is safer to use a file. If you can trim toenails you can trim a beak. Just like with nails, the lighter colored beaks are easier.

If Chook has a lighter colored beak, you can look at it and see where the "quick" of the beak is and where the "hangover" or excess is. Looks sort of like the "quick" of a toenail. You can safely trim or file the lighter colored part, the excess, just be careful not to hit the "quick" because it will have nerves(and nerves=hurt).

When you trim, you also want to keep with the natural shape of the "quick". So you want the tip nice and tapered, so the lower beak helps keep the upper portion in check, while making it easy for the hen to manipulate and eat her feed.

Post pictures when you can, so we all can have a look and be sure.

-Kim

 

[Wolf-Kim]

Quote:
You've got "beak trimming" and "de-beaking" mixed up. Beak trimming is a maintenance trimming of excess, usually on older birds or birds with a crossed beak. I've seen a bird go from being underweight from having a crossed beak, to a beautiful individual with a normal beak with "corrective" beak trimming.

Beak trimming is maintenance, just like toenail clipping, and when done right doesn't hurt or harm the bird. An over-grown, untrimmed beak can have just as much of an impact on the bird, as a de-beaked bird. A "debeaked" bird has almost half of the upper beak removed, where a "well-trimmed" bird has a normal healthy beak.

Honest mix-up, they get confused quite a bit, debeaking and trimming.

-Kim

 

[lfoose]

Here is a pic of my bird...and my step-daughter.

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a245/lfoose/goofy.jpg

 

[silkiechicken]

Could she be have been disturbed by something she saw fly over head or small animal in the bushes?

To file down the beak, one thing you could do is put some millet or small scratch down on a paver once a day to encourage her to file it down on her own.

I think the "trim" vs "debeak" confusion stems from hatcheries. Hatcheries all say "trim" when they talk about their pullets, and in reality they mean "debeak". So the confusion propagates down wards from them so trim and de beak begin to have the same meaning.

 

[raindrop]

Quote:
Her beak looks a little long to me. Very nice human and birdy family!

 

[d.k]

* Sorry I haven't checked in on the thread til today-- I got walloped by the flu & I've posted but havent kept on top of everything. . . I've been SOOOOO tired a lot of the time. Still haven't gotten photobucket squared away either. . .