I hope this is the right place to ask this - have searched the forums many times but not found an answer.
I have a 3-week-old scissor beaked Americauna chick. I need to file her beak to make it easier for her to eat, but I can't seem to find clear instructions on how to do this. I don't want to hurt the chick or make the problem worse. But I also need to do this ASAP so that she can keep getting enough to eat!
Can anyone give me detailed directions on how to file down a scissor beak? Or point me toward a good tutorial?
Particularly I don't understand exactly which part of the beak you are supposed to file. I get that you don't file down to the quick, just like cutting cat or dog nails. But what area(s) of the beak are you supposed to file? The sides? The tip? Both? Top or bottom beak or both?
Also how do you hold the bird still and make sure you don't hurt it?
Any advice is much appreciated. Thanks for helping out a newbie!
I have a 3-week-old scissor beaked Americauna chick. I need to file her beak to make it easier for her to eat, but I can't seem to find clear instructions on how to do this. I don't want to hurt the chick or make the problem worse. But I also need to do this ASAP so that she can keep getting enough to eat!
Can anyone give me detailed directions on how to file down a scissor beak? Or point me toward a good tutorial?
Particularly I don't understand exactly which part of the beak you are supposed to file. I get that you don't file down to the quick, just like cutting cat or dog nails. But what area(s) of the beak are you supposed to file? The sides? The tip? Both? Top or bottom beak or both?
Also how do you hold the bird still and make sure you don't hurt it?
Any advice is much appreciated. Thanks for helping out a newbie!