Beak and nail care -

[GT_Jacket]

We will be getting our 1st CAG in mid July.

 

Beak and nail care - what can I expect (besides them both being too sharp for comfort ) / what do I need in this area (such as a Sandy Perch)?

 

Thanks,

Brett

[Dave007]

We will be getting our 1st CAG in mid July.

 

Beak and nail care - what can I expect (besides them both being too sharp for comfort ) / what do I need in this area (such as a Sandy Perch)?

 

Thanks,

Brett

 

Claws will be sharp but also they're tender and pliable. The bird will learn how to grab things. They need pointy claws to do that. Nails shouldn't be clipped. You can put in any type of perch in that you like. The beak should never be a problem unless there's a deformity or overgrowth. Beaks aren't usually worked on except for special problems. Parrots usually do their own filing on different items in cages. having some wood in a cage is good. A thick mineral block is also good for a bird to use concerning the beak.

[GT_Jacket]

Thanks Dave. I do have a couple of nice java branches for the cage. I will look into a mineral block. Do many use the sandy/cement type perches?

[Dave007]

Having solid sandy or concrete perches in a cage is a good idea. Just make sure you don't get the type that's simply a piece of cardboard that has sand on it. A concrete perch made for medium sized parrots such as greys and amazons and ekkies should cost about $9. It should be about 1 inch diameter.

[judygram]

I use some cement perches in Josey's cage but it has not helped a whole lot as her talons are very sharp. She has never had her beak trimmed and hopefully never will unless it happens to grow unnaturally and if it does it should only be done by an avian vet.

[zandische]

I've used concrete perches and wood in my bird's cages and I still need to trim their talons every 3-4 months or so. I use a heavy duty nail file because I'm worried about using a nail clipper and trimming too far. To do this, I wrap them up in a towel (playing the "towel game" is a good idea - if you don't like toweling you can also train your bird to sit on a perch and let you file the nails one by one but you'll want to be persistent with that training technique more than just approaching the bird every 3-4 months.)

 

So, I just file until the tip is dulled to the point that it doesn't draw blood when the bird sits on me. I've never had a problem with talon overgrowth and the birds seem to do just fine perching (one of our greys has a limited mobility in her right foot and never seems bothered by a trim.)

[Ray P]

Years ago we would get Corkys talons trimed but we have not had that done for about 8 years now. We have a number of concrete perches in and on all our cages and Corky and Cricket are so active with their climbing and play that we have not had them done. Some times they get long but they grind them off by them self.

We also have a concrete swing and I think that helps.

[GT_Jacket]

Thanks guys for all your responses and advice -

 

I realize and understand why a variety of perch sizes should be provided. What is a good range of sizes for a CAG?

 

I hope to incorporate proper varieties of real wood (bought not homemade) in many of the perches but may build some of my own out of PVC (orbit, ladder, playstand). If an items size it set, such as wrapped PVC, where you have to choose only one size - is there a good target to shoot for?

 

Brett

[Elvenking]

To do this, I wrap them up in a towel (playing the "towel game" is a good idea - if you don't like toweling you can also train your bird to sit on a perch and let you file the nails one by one but you'll want to be persistent with that training technique more than just approaching the bird every 3-4 months.)

 

I find the whole nail maintenance thing to be quite difficult with Issac as well. He will also play a towel game, but it's more like...'you try anything with that towel and i am gonna bite yer a**!'

 

He is a super sweet and nice bird, but he knows how to express himself when the time comes.

[allie]

It probably goes without saying, but perch placement is important.

 

We got a concrete perch for his talons but we put it in kind of an awkward place in the cage. It was hard to get to and it was lower than his other perches - so Neko mostly just pooped on it. A few months ago we cleaned it and moved it to the same level as his rope perch. Now he makes the rounds, visiting his toys and making use of each of the perch styles.

 

Neko had a cracked beak since I met him nearly 4 years ago. It had broken off naturally and regrew with a ridge. I think this is pretty normal, if a little unsightly. Well, since the perch move, Neko has used the concrete perch to groom his beak to a beautiful polished shine. It's darker, smoother, and the ridge is almost completely gone!

[Dave007]

It probably goes without saying, but perch placement is important.

 

We got a concrete perch for his talons but we put it in kind of an awkward place in the cage. It was hard to get to and it was lower than his other perches - so Neko mostly just pooped on it. A few months ago we cleaned it and moved it to the same level as his rope perch. Now he makes the rounds, visiting his toys and making use of each of the perch styles.

 

Neko had a cracked beak since I met him nearly 4 years ago. It had broken off naturally and regrew with a ridge. I think this is pretty normal, if a little unsightly. Well, since the perch move, Neko has used the concrete perch to groom his beak to a beautiful polished shine. It's darker, smoother, and the ridge is almost completely gone!

 

 

There may be something else in the cage that's making your bird's beak a beautiful, darker polished shine.

 

A grey who's been using any type of concrete or other rough surfaced perch for a while will eventually cause the beak to look like this. Scraping on a concrete perch also removes the very dark black sheen.