What's up with this beak??

[jrussell]

 

[staceyj]

Hi. Can I make a few suggestions?

Chickens don’t really like having their heads touched a whole lot.
That includes comb, face, nostrils, ears and beak.

I’ve found a few trick to get around this that will help you ( and your chicken) have a successful experience.

Gather these supplies.

A bath towel
A washcloth
A pair of fingernail or toe nail clippers. -the people kind.
An emery board
A small amount of all purpose flour or kwik stop powder.
Treats for after.

You’ll want to pick up your chicken and carry her to a chair.

Holding the chicken firmly tucked under your arm with its wings pressed against it’s body, drape the towel over the chickens back
And sit down.

Now wrap the towel snugly all the way around the chicken like a burrito.
You can snug it up nice and tight.

During this, talk reassuringly to your chicken.

RIGHT HANDED PERSON’S DIRECTIONS.

Lay her crossways on your lap with her head by your left elbow.

Now if you have enough towel up near her head, pull it up and over her eyes BUT NOT HER NOSTRILS OR MOUTH.

*if you don’t have enough “fabric” use the washcloth.


With your LEFT HAND grasp the chicken’s whole head gently but firmly so that the top of its skull is against your palm and it’s beak is pointing towards your fingers. Your thumb and first two fingers can now grasp the entire mouth (top and bottom beak) . **Please take care not to cover up the nostrils.

Keep talking. Talking or humming makes YOU breathe. It keeps you calm and that telegraphs to the bird through your heartbeat and respirations.

You can usually see the blood vessel in the beak.
The longer the beak grows the the farther down this vessel will grow much like a dog’s toenail.

Snip straight across starting with just a little bit.
TAKE CARE NOT TO SNIP HER TONGUE.

Trimming their beak feels exactly like cutting your own fingernails.
Just take off a little at a time.

If you need to shape it,
you can use the nail file but I’ve found that if you get the hang of it you won’t need it. Just take tiny nibbles off at a time. Shaping with the clippers. Center/left/right.
Stop and see how it looks.

You can let her breath and relax between snips or just do it quickly and get it done.
The top beak should JUST overlap the bottom.

You want to stop -obviously- if it begins bleeding. And dab with flour or kwikstop.

Don’t release the chicken until it has stopped bleeding.

Then in a few days that blood vessel will recede and you can do a little more.

I always cuddle my chickens in the towel for an extra minute or two when I’m finished and talk to them in a happy voice before I unwrap her and let her have her own little pile of treats.

They are quite forgiving about this the more you handle them and the more matter of fact you are about things.

You can do this.
I know you can.

And you need to because an overgrown beak prevents them from eating properly.

 

[jrussell]

Hi. Can I make a few suggestions?

Chickens don’t really like having their heads touched a whole lot.
That includes comb, face, nostrils, ears and beak.

I’ve found a few trick to get around this that will help you ( and your chicken) have a successful experience.

Gather these supplies.

A bath towel
A washcloth
A pair of fingernail or toe nail clippers. -the people kind.
An emery board
A small amount of all purpose flour or kwik stop powder.
Treats for after.

You’ll want to pick up your chicken and carry her to a chair.

Holding the chicken firmly tucked under your arm with its wings pressed against it’s body, drape the towel over the chickens back
And sit down.

Now wrap the towel snugly all the way around the chicken like a burrito.
You can snug it up nice and tight.

During this, talk reassuringly to your chicken.

RIGHT HANDED PERSON’S DIRECTIONS.

Lay her crossways on your lap with her head by your left elbow.

Now if you have enough towel up near her head, pull it up and over her eyes BUT NOT HER NOSTRILS OR MOUTH.

*if you don’t have enough “fabric” use the washcloth.


With your LEFT HAND grasp the chicken’s whole head gently but firmly so that the top of its skull is against your palm and it’s beak is pointing towards your fingers. Your thumb and first two fingers can now grasp the entire mouth (top and bottom beak) . **Please take care not to cover up the nostrils.

Keep talking. Talking or humming makes YOU breathe. It keeps you calm and that telegraphs to the bird through your heartbeat and respirations.

You can usually see the blood vessel in the beak.
The longer the beak grows the the farther down this vessel will grow much like a dog’s toenail.

Snip straight across starting with just a little bit.
TAKE CARE NOT TO SNIP HER TONGUE.

Trimming their beak feels exactly like cutting your own fingernails.
Just take off a little at a time.

If you need to shape it,
you can use the nail file but I’ve found that if you get the hang of it you won’t need it. Just take tiny nibbles off at a time. Shaping with the clippers. Center/left/right.
Stop and see how it looks.

You can let her breath and relax between snips or just do it quickly and get it done.
The top beak should JUST overlap the bottom.

You want to stop -obviously- if it begins bleeding. And dab with flour or kwikstop.

Don’t release the chicken until it has stopped bleeding.

Then in a few days that blood vessel will recede and you can do a little more.

I always cuddle my chickens in the towel for an extra minute or two when I’m finished and talk to them in a happy voice before I unwrap her and let her have her own little pile of treats.

They are quite forgiving about this the more you handle them and the more matter of fact you are about things.

You can do this.
I know you can.

And you need to because an overgrown beak prevents them from eating properly.

Thank you for the great advise!! I'm going to give it a try in the morning.

 

[Chickem707]

Hi. Can I make a few suggestions?

Chickens don’t really like having their heads touched a whole lot.
That includes comb, face, nostrils, ears and beak.

I’ve found a few trick to get around this that will help you ( and your chicken) have a successful experience.

Gather these supplies.

A bath towel
A washcloth
A pair of fingernail or toe nail clippers. -the people kind.
An emery board
A small amount of all purpose flour or kwik stop powder.
Treats for after.

You’ll want to pick up your chicken and carry her to a chair.

Holding the chicken firmly tucked under your arm with its wings pressed against it’s body, drape the towel over the chickens back
And sit down.

Now wrap the towel snugly all the way around the chicken like a burrito.
You can snug it up nice and tight.

During this, talk reassuringly to your chicken.

RIGHT HANDED PERSON’S DIRECTIONS.

Lay her crossways on your lap with her head by your left elbow.

Now if you have enough towel up near her head, pull it up and over her eyes BUT NOT HER NOSTRILS OR MOUTH.

*if you don’t have enough “fabric” use the washcloth.


With your LEFT HAND grasp the chicken’s whole head gently but firmly so that the top of its skull is against your palm and it’s beak is pointing towards your fingers. Your thumb and first two fingers can now grasp the entire mouth (top and bottom beak) . **Please take care not to cover up the nostrils.

Keep talking. Talking or humming makes YOU breathe. It keeps you calm and that telegraphs to the bird through your heartbeat and respirations.

You can usually see the blood vessel in the beak.
The longer the beak grows the the farther down this vessel will grow much like a dog’s toenail.

Snip straight across starting with just a little bit.
TAKE CARE NOT TO SNIP HER TONGUE.

Trimming their beak feels exactly like cutting your own fingernails.
Just take off a little at a time.

If you need to shape it,
you can use the nail file but I’ve found that if you get the hang of it you won’t need it. Just take tiny nibbles off at a time. Shaping with the clippers. Center/left/right.
Stop and see how it looks.

You can let her breath and relax between snips or just do it quickly and get it done.
The top beak should JUST overlap the bottom.

You want to stop -obviously- if it begins bleeding. And dab with flour or kwikstop.

Don’t release the chicken until it has stopped bleeding.

Then in a few days that blood vessel will recede and you can do a little more.

I always cuddle my chickens in the towel for an extra minute or two when I’m finished and talk to them in a happy voice before I unwrap her and let her have her own little pile of treats.

They are quite forgiving about this the more you handle them and the more matter of fact you are about things.

You can do this.
I know you can.

And you need to because an overgrown beak prevents them from eating properly.

This is so useful! Thanks!

 

[staceyj]

This is so useful! Thanks!

You’re welcome!