trimming sharp beak

[prittybitty]

i have a friend whos father raised chickens, he would trim there beaks so they could not do so much damamge to the skin. i have twelve, 6 week old buff orpingtons, and 4,3,1 year old grandsons. is it to late to trim the chickens beaks?

 

[the1much]

what kind of damage are you talking about to the skin?,, are your pecking each other badly?

 

[Farmer Kitty]

What are you thinking about when you say "trimming". Are you meaning just clipping off the very point? Or do you mean debeaking (I believe thats what it is called)? Where you cut back the top beak?

For just clipping you will need to do it every so often. Just take a good sharp finger nail clipper and clip the very end of the top beak off. It will grow back with time and the clipping won't interfer with their eating.

Debeaking is not something that I personally approve of so I can't/won't advise you on that one. Those poor birds do have it a little rougher.

 

[prittybitty]

no, my grandsons want to be around them all the time, and thats fine now. but im not wanting them to be scared of them later as the chicks become older.

 

[prittybitty]

thanks farmer kitty, just clipping works for me. debeaking does sound pretty drastic. i guess its like clipping finger nails then?

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Quote:
Yes.

 

[JennsPeeps]

I've got a bird with a crossed beak. It gets a bit long & sharp sometimes, so I just grab her and my fingernail clippers, and trim it down a bit. Sometimes I file it.

DBF calls it a "beakicure".