Trimming chicken beaks?

[txchickie]

My EE with beak issues got a beak-icure recently

Her top beak grows like a curved hook and the bottom stays straight. She is the only one of my birdies with beak problems. I just used baby toenail clippers and rounded off the end of the top...it really didn't help much though

I just layed her on her back in my lap, she went right to sleep

She's a sweet girl though and loves to be fussed with.

 

[feckless_son]

My dominique chicks are clearly interested in beak filing on their own.
They rub their beaks back and forth a couple of times each on whatever the hardest thing in the coop happens to be, wood in this case.

Anybody use something like those pumice stones that parrot owners seem to keep in cages?

 

[LyonFuzz]

I clip the upper and lower beak of one of my crossbeak ameraucanas about every 2 weeks. It helps her eat better....and she likes to look pretty LOL. I just use dog nail clippers and hold her like a baby.

 

[mamaKate]

I read this thread because I have a house chicken with beak issues. My BO roo had problems with sour crop last summer and his beak got a little long when I was hand feeding him. I fixed it by putting his food on a concrete slab for a few days. My little pet will only eat crumbles, though, so that solution won't work for her.

 

[SF Farmgirl]

I have 3 Rhodies and one Araucana. Recently, the Araucana has begin bullying the others--combs are bloody and pieces missing. I have clipped the Araucana's wings today, in order to give the others a mobility advantage. If that doesn't work, I've been thinking of dulling the Aruacana's beak a bit, to try and minimize the injuries she's inflicting. Has anyone tried this?

And yes, I tried the separation trick. It made her upset and she stopped laying.

 

[HBuehler]

Pedi Paws works SUPER I have one for our JRT and I tried it on a few of our Andalusians that have very pointy beaks-those things are like ant eater beaks!We have a few that like to peck for harassment...They wiggle a little but you can hold their head still for just a few seconds and remove that real sharp point.
I have even used it on a cross beak and it really helps.I do Popeye so much he has stopped wiggling and just lays there now.It helps him eat better and no worries about cutting too deep

 

[WisconsinGardenChick]

Quote:
Exactly. Mine have a cinder block in their run. They use that to take care of the job themselves.

 

[LynneP]

I keep a patio block on top of cinder blocks to hold my waterers, and I find the birds trim their beaks on the rough edges...works great!

 

[VA from WV]

I have had to trim 3 beaks back thus far, and I just did it with a pair of cat nail clippers. Ugh. All were caged birds. Time to make sure we don't need much of that.

I also started adding things to the runs so the birds can do it themselves. 12 x 12 floor tiles, flipped rough side up, placed where they scratch seem to help a lot. I will probably put bricks out in the outdoor runs just to give them something to do it themselves.

 

[TheChickenProject]

I also have an EE with a hooked beak. I want to use the toe nail clipper but am worried the beak will split. Are the beaks hard and brittle or soft and easy to cut through?