What’s in your first aid box ?

[casportpony]

Yes, really.
People are still going to do it; I'm very much against it. I'm against cutting roosters spurs as well, but people are still going to do it. I have,(obviously from the relevant post) had hens here with beak problems. I use a file. Same for toenails and spurs.
What is wrong with the chickens beaks you have to 'routinely' trim?

I don't know if the link was meant for me, but I read some time ago.

One is a rooster that someone tossed over the fence. Something about his beak conformation causes the upper beak to grow *well* past his bottom beak, which makes it very hard for him to eat.

One is a peahen that hatched with a funny eye which eventually atrophied, so now her beak grows oddly. I should get some pictures of that one.

One is an old rooster that doesn't peck and scratch the ground like he did when he was younger, so his upper beak gets a little long.

The feed store I used to go to had one peahen and two turkeys that would grow too much upper beak, so I trimmed those.

Surprised you have seen so many with issues because I have trimmed many and have never had a problem.

 

[Shadrach]

One is a rooster that someone tossed over the fence. Something about his beak conformation causes the upper beak to grow *well* past his bottom beak, which makes it very hard for him to eat.

One is a peahen that hatched with a funny eye which eventually atrophied, so now her beak grows oddly. I should get some pictures of that one.

One is an old rooster that doesn't peck and scratch the ground like he did when he was younger, so his upper beak gets a little long.

The feed store I used to go to had one peahen and two turkeys that would grow too much upper beak, so I trimmed those.

Surprised you have seen so many with issues because I have trimmed many and have never had a problem.

Let me explain a little. The beak/toenail cutters I’ve seen will create a flat on the tip of the beak. They work by applying pressure with a blade. The blade is rarely the same profile as the inside of the birds beak. At the point where the beak profile and blade profile are the same the cutters cut, but the surrounding area, albeit very small is basically torn rather than cut. From cutting your (general) own finger nails with nail cutters this tearing action should be apparent. This can cause splits in your nails and/or leave ragged edges. Most of us, some of the nervous may chew the ragged bit off, but most of us will file them smooth.
The same applies to chicken beaks and nails. Imo you should file the beak back to shape after using clippers anyway.
Chickens need a certain amount of point on their beaks to groom themselves. It is very difficult to pick lice and mites off if say the top part of the beak has a flat on it and the lower a point. The point on the beak is much like our finger tips. It’s full of tiny receptors that help the chicken ‘feel’ what it pecks at. The point on a chickens beak is also part of their defense system.
Often here, because of overcrowded conditions, in order to prevent chickens from damaging each other when pecking it has been fairly common practice to ‘trim’ the point off their beaks. They can still pick up pellet food, but they can’t groom properly any more. For many given their living conditions, they are not as prone to picking up lice and mites as say free range or run contained chickens. However, grooming is something all healthy chickens do, even if it is only for feather arrangement and preening.

In response to your last post, you could if you chose, adjust these beak problems with a file.

 

[casportpony]

Let me explain a little. The beak/toenail cutters I’ve seen will create a flat on the tip of the beak.

No need to explain. It's easy to create a pointy tip with these:

Imo you should file the beak back to shape after using clippers anyway.

Good idea, but I'm too lazy.

Often here, because of overcrowded conditions, in order to prevent chickens from damaging each other when pecking it has been fairly common practice to ‘trim’ the point off their beaks. They can still pick up pellet food,

The birds I have mentioned cannot eat properly unless their beaks are trimmed.

In response to your last post, you could if you chose, adjust these beak problems with a file

No way, lol, that's too much work *and* it would be way more stressful to the bird. To me it would be like filing a horses hooves rather than using nippers.

I think maybe we'll just have to agree to disagree on this.

Edited to add:
I think I'll start a thread on the subject in order to keep this one on topic.

 

[casportpony]

Beak trimming thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/beak-trimming.1283928/

 

[Debby in france]

BYC sells a first aid kit for chickens online for products you may need. You also need to stock with injuries to first stop bleeding. Styptic powder, gauzes, bandages, vet wrap. Etc. Here is the link. I think they should sell this in the BYC store but do not. Antiseptic like blu-kote. Eyewash. Betadine. Small box of Epsom salt, 35 ml syringe oral use only for feeding. I also bought vet bond as like a surgical glue for injuries that seals cuts to avoid needing bandage. All heal salve. Vaseline. Qtips. Scissors. All from Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B078...=8-2-fkmr2&keywords=bic+chicken+first+aid+kit

Most of these things I have in the dog/cat first aid box. I am a Virgo so feel the need to be prepared for the worst. Hubby believes I could survive a zombie war with what’s in my garden shed