Utah!

[the-bird-man]

I agree Brad. If anyone would know, it's bird man.   Explain how you would do this, because I have had some that looked like they were getting close, and I thought, oh no, I wonder how I am going to trim that!  Then it stopped growing longer..thank heavens, and the chicken ate fine.

there is a few ways to do it, you can take one of those foam nail files and towel the bird, wrap her up tight and file the beak so it looks normal or you can take a dremel with this bit http://www.lowes.com/pd_94727-353-9...p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&facetInfo=Dremel

the top of the bit is cupped so it is perfect to work on nails and beaks. just be careful you do not grind too much off because the beak is like a finger nail but it has some nerves in it but you will be fine taking that tip of the beak down. beaks are like finger nails, unless they wear down naturally they will need to be trimmed. i have not done beaks myself because only my parrots need it and i let my good friend be the bad guy lol. but i have spent hours watching so i do know how. you can get a dremel like tool at harbor fright for cheap but get one that you can adjust the speed.

 

[thebirdguy]

Should I file it or trim with nippers? What is easiest on the bird

You could file or trim... just do it gradually and if it starts to bleed stop.. get the bleeding stopped and wait a few days before you start working on it again..

 

[thebirdguy]

Sheesh!! you guys have been a talkative bunch!! I am gone for a day and come back to well over 100 new posts!!! Not even going to try and respond to everything individually.. so

for those who need one

for those who asked for it

for those with good news

for those who deserve it

till next time....

 

[kidasoto]

I saw all the posts about the curtains to block the nesting boxes. Does it really work? My girls aren't old enough to lay yet but they have been pooping in the nesting boxes.

Also they aren't really going up their ramp at night into the coop
Should i worry about it. My Daughter has been climbing in there and putting them up the ramp at night so we can close it. Any ideas?

I also asked about feed but didn't get an answer. Whats the best thing to feed them. We are just getting feed from Cal-Ranch. We also have an IFA. I'm new to all this. So help would be great

 

[kidasoto]

I saw all the posts about the curtains to block the nesting boxes. Does it really work? My girls aren't old enough to lay yet but they have been pooping in the nesting boxes.

Also they aren't really going up their ramp at night into the coop
Should i worry about it. My Daughter has been climbing in there and putting them up the ramp at night so we can close it. Any ideas?

I also asked about feed but didn't get an answer. Whats the best thing to feed them. We are just getting feed from Cal-Ranch. We also have an IFA. I'm new to all this. So help would be great

 

[kidasoto]

sorry it double posted

 

[sundancenbare]

I saw all the posts about the curtains to block the nesting boxes. Does it really work? My girls aren't old enough to lay yet but they have been pooping in the nesting boxes.

Also they aren't really going up their ramp at night into the coop
Should i worry about it. My Daughter has been climbing in there and putting them up the ramp at night so we can close it. Any ideas?

I also asked about feed but didn't get an answer. Whats the best thing to feed them. We are just getting feed from Cal-Ranch. We also have an IFA. I'm new to all this. So help would be great

I buy food from either just depends on where I am. I buy crumbles for the teenages like whats in your picture and pellets for the hens. My hens were not sure about the ramp either so I put them up it a few times they got the idea. I am going to try the curtain thing

 

[sundancenbare]

there is a few ways to do it, you can take one of those foam nail files and towel the bird, wrap her up tight and file the beak so it looks normal or you can take a dremel with this bit http://www.lowes.com/pd_94727-353-9...p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&facetInfo=Dremel
the top of the bit is cupped so it is perfect to work on nails and beaks. just be careful you do not grind too much off because the beak is like a finger nail but it has some nerves in it but you will be fine taking that tip of the beak down. beaks are like finger nails, unless they wear down naturally they will need to be trimmed. i have not done beaks myself because only my parrots need it and i let my good friend be the bad guy lol. but i have spent hours watching so i do know how. you can get a dremel like tool at harbor fright for cheap but get one that you can adjust the speed.

I use to have some one else do my parrot as well. She was very vindictive.

 

[SashaT]

I saw all the posts about the curtains to block the nesting boxes. Does it really work? My girls aren't old enough to lay yet but they have been pooping in the nesting boxes.

Also they aren't really going up their ramp at night into the coop
Should i worry about it. My Daughter has been climbing in there and putting them up the ramp at night so we can close it. Any ideas?

I also asked about feed but didn't get an answer. Whats the best thing to feed them. We are just getting feed from Cal-Ranch. We also have an IFA. I'm new to all this. So help would be great

I believe chicken food is probably similiar to dog food-you get what you pay for. I start my chicks out on medicated crumbles for a couple weeks, then put them on non-medicated crumbles. (You can always put them back onto medicated should they get sick or their poo is super runny/smelly. That being said, there will be a few days of transition going from medicated to non, where their poop will be a little runnier than normal.)
I still have my teens (12 weeks) on crumbles, and I have them on Purina Flock growth. I buy it at Peterson's. Nutrena is sold at Cal Ranch and is another good brand if you can't find Purina. Once my girls start laying I'll probably put them on a pellet layer formula.
As far as dog food goes, I would never feed my dogs food with a Purina label. It's crap.

 

[La Casa de Pollo]

Kidasoto----I used to use the Cal Ranch, but after searching around I switched. The Cal crumbles and Pellets are 16 percent protein---at IFA they have several to choose from, mash, crumbles and pellets in 18 percent, 20 percent and 22 percent. Mine looked scrawny on the 16 so I switched and they look 100 % better---the extra protein I was trying to get (after good advice from Bird Man) because mine were eating each others feathers. The habit grew on some of the younger ones, but other than one problem hen the rest stopped after about a month on the higher protein food. I have teens and hens together so I mix in a bucket half 18 percent pellets and half 20 percent mash, then pour it in the feeder, and they all pick out the parts they seem to like. Then scratch twice a week, scraps as I have them....I always crush up eggshells after we use the eggs and throw it in the bucket with their feed, to up their calcium. I give oystershell in a little bowl out there if they want it, but they like the eggshells better. The one hen who snaps up the crushed eggshells does indeed have the shiniest thickest eggs. I go out every day or two with treats----a few handfuls of oats, flax seeds, or a bag of bread crumbs, cheese, different things like that. I throw in a few handfulls of cut grass now and then, berries, cantaloupe rinds, things like that. I also throw in a few handfuls of Black oil sunflower seeds in the winter and add a little cornmeal to their feed now and then in the winter also.

On the ramp---when I put newbies out in the big girl coop and run they won't go in the cooop unless I manually put them in there on the roost after dark, it takes a week or two then they start doing it by themselves.