Trimming your birds' nails and beak is a fairly simple procedure. However, I recommend that you do not trim your birds toenails the first time until you have been trained by a competent pet store, professional groomer or avian vet
Trimming your birds' nails and beak is a fairly simple procedure. However, I recommend that you do not trim your birds toenails the first time until you have been trained by a competent pet store, professional groomer or avian vet. I will try to cover all the important information you should know before you begin
Abrasive wear in the wild
In the wild, a bird's normal activities keep the nail growth and nail wear balanced naturally. However, in captivity, a bird's toenails seldom are exposed to the same abrasive wear as in the wild. Keeping our bird's nails and beak properly trimmed is less about good grooming and more about health, comfort and safety. Overgrown nails makes perching and climbing difficult and uncomfortable. Nails that are too long can get caught in objects preventing the bird from flying freely and causing certain death.
Tools you will need
Human fingernail clippers will work on small to medium sized birds while dog nail clippers can be used on larger birds. Other essential tools are styptic powder, silver nitrate, iron sulfate or if you are going to release your birds into an outdoor flight, I would suggest you use a match or cigarette lighter to guarantee stopping any bleeding that may occur.
Beware of the quick!
Cutting the nails is simple on birds with white-light toenails like the Gouldian. Each bird nail has a “quick” – the living portion of the nail that contains blood and nerves. You can easily see the “quick” on the Gouldian because their toe nails are white. In white – light colored claws, the quick appears as a pinkish stripe that grows partway down the center of the nail. To find the quick in dark claws, turn the bird over to examine the underside of the claw.
Just a little at a time
It is best to pare off a little at a time, so that you do not cut into or expose the nail's quick. If the quick is cut, the nail will bleed profusely and cause the bird pain. The bleeding must be stopped immediately. If you can see the quick, snip off the nail just below it. If you can't see the quick, begin by cutting only a tiny amount from the nail, continue until you've trimmed the nails to their proper length.
Blood Stop Powder - 100% Natural Purified Kaolinite used to stop bleeding from minor cuts, wounds or over trimmed toenails and feathers.
If you are going to release the bird back into a large flight or aviary, I suggest you use a match or cigarette lighter to guarantee the bird doesn't knock off the blood clot while flying from perch to perch. Sometimes heat is needed to stop really stubborn bleeding.
Cauterize for best results
Cauterizing the nail will absolutely stop the