I'm concerned about the health of my hens toenails (standard sized hens, mostly 1 year olds and a few elderly 8 year olds). They don't seem to wear down on their own. I clip them with dog nail clippers twice a year, but they still seem overall longer than they should be.
Is there something I can add or change in their environment help them wear down their nails naturally? Or could it be related to their diet?
They have deep pine flakes in the coop, coarse sand in the run, a variety of different sized roosts in the run, flat 2x4 roosts in the coop for sleeping, have supervised free range time in my yard with mostly mulch, leaves, clay soil, and lawn grass to dig around in.
I've noticed some of my hens also getting overgrown upper beak tips (they have trouble eating because of it sometimes). I've needed to trim them too, and they are much happier after. They do have concrete blocks, bricks, and wood boards to scrape their beaks on as needed. Should I offer them something different?
Is it weird their nails and beaks are growing so long? Or is beak and toenail maintenance a normal thing to do for hens?
Is there something I can add or change in their environment help them wear down their nails naturally? Or could it be related to their diet?
They have deep pine flakes in the coop, coarse sand in the run, a variety of different sized roosts in the run, flat 2x4 roosts in the coop for sleeping, have supervised free range time in my yard with mostly mulch, leaves, clay soil, and lawn grass to dig around in.
I've noticed some of my hens also getting overgrown upper beak tips (they have trouble eating because of it sometimes). I've needed to trim them too, and they are much happier after. They do have concrete blocks, bricks, and wood boards to scrape their beaks on as needed. Should I offer them something different?
Is it weird their nails and beaks are growing so long? Or is beak and toenail maintenance a normal thing to do for hens?
