Do I need to file my bird's beak?

[LornaWhisperer]

Hi! My African Grey hasn't been wearing his beak down quite evenly, so the one side of his lower beak has grown a little too much. He looks like he's got a mean snarl going on! Though I'm worried about it continuing to grow un-checked. I've tried to get him to chew on his cuttle bone, but he doesn't like it. I was wondering if I might need to simple file down the one portion of his beak? And if so, what would be the best way to go about that? Here's a pic http://i.imgur.com/jnO2BeT.jpg?1 But it's really blurry, so here's basically what the shape of his beak is right now: http://i.imgur.com/jnO2BeT.jpg?2 Thanks for any help!

 

[weco]

How old is your grey and how good of a relationship do you have with him? The reason I ask, is do you think he would allow you to do any filing on the lower mandible? There are a couple of ways to shape his beak, you can use a Dremel type tool, if you have a steady hand & are used to shaping things with a rotary tool or you could use a new medium to rough emery board and file the ridges down...you might need a couple of boards. About the only other option would be to have someone experienced with beak shaping do the chore...usually an avian veterinarian or someone who regularly shapes their own birds' beaks.....

One other thing, cuttlebone is not a beak shaping tool...it's just a cake of pressed calcium, only slightly harder than the drywall/sheetrock your house walls are often made of, they're for birds to nibble on to replace any calcium a bird's body tells it that it needs to replace/supplement.....

Although you seem concerned, I'm not really sure that lower beak needs attention...kind of hard to be sure with your colored lines in the way.....many parrot beaks are not designed to be form-fit, like a car's door...the bottom doesn't neatly fit into the top.....

Maybe if you were to post another pic, without the line emphasis, someone else might have different thoughts.....

Good luck.....

 

[4dugnlee]

Sorry...can't see the beak at all. Maybe try to post pic without the colored lines if possible.

 

[ImmunoGoblin]

Yeah, the lines make it kind of hard to tell. Does he/she eat normally with it? I would offer other interesting things to chew on - wood blocks or toys with lots of wood parts. My birds are having a field day destroying an old basket right now too. Things like that might help him/her wear it down. Alternatively, I agree - find a vet you trust, or someone with experience doing beak trims. My breeder does it with a Dremel. I trust their knowledge and skill.

 

[Christinenc2000]

I keep a sand perch in the cage and outside the cage. Its helped a great deal with his talons and he does rub his beak on it