Odd!

[SilkieMomPoof]

A little while ago, I noticed one of my babies rubbing his beak on the bottom of the brooder, and scratching it with his foot! Is this normal? Is he okay? He has stopped now, but I'm still worried, he was doing it for a rather long time.

 

[CackleSpackle]

All of mine scratched at the feeder when they were eating. I assumed it was just hardwired into their brains to scratch. They also wipe their beaks on the floor... or me. They do that to clean their beaks off. Had he eaten anything messy like yogurt?

edit: and they scratch their beaks with their feet too

 

[MoodyBroody622]

I thought it was strange behavior for my adult hens to wipe there beaks on the ground to but I guess it is just a way for them to clean there beaks!

 

[Silkies~Polishes]

Yeah and some do it more than others. Some don't do it at all, others seem to develop a habit of constantly wiping their beaks on the ground.

 

[SilkieMomPoof]

oh, ok, thank you so much!!! That's such a relief! Although, he hasn't eaten anything messy that I know of, it's very nice to know that that's normal! I was getting worried!

 

[CackleSpackle]

They like to get on my back and use my shirt as a napkin too. They figured out it works even better than the ground.

 

[SilkieMomPoof]

lol!!!!

 

[TwoCrows]

Cleaning the beak on a rough surface also works to keep it trimmed. Beaks are always growing. The act of sharpening a beak of an adult quail can be a territorial act...saying that "I am in charge here and this is my territory".

 

[SilkieMomPoof]

cool!