Nail clipping

[kimn818]

Loco hatched in February. The breeder I got him from told me that I shouldn't have his nails clipped for another 2 months..because hes a baby and it would hurt him... is there an age he needs to be to have his nails clipped??

 

[RavensGryf]

I don't think the breeder meant the nail clip itself would 'hurt him', but when they're babies and don't have much agility yet, they can at least grip on with nails if they're longer and sharper. If they're clipped (or I prefer dremmeled) before they're sure footed, they can fall off perches, etc. fairly easily. Maybe that's how the breeder meant it?

There's no certain age to need to clip the nails, but people who handle their birds generally do so they don't constantly have painful bleeding scratches all the time! Clumsy age depends on the species. I don't know about GCC, but they're small so I don't think they stay in that stage nearly as long as a large bird.

 

[kimn818]

His nails are really long and when he's stepping down they get kind of stuck and wrapped around my finger..so he thinks I'm holding on to him when he wants down and he bites..lol. I almost feel like they're so long that it's causing him to be clumsy.

 

[RavensGryf]

You can do a conservative trim then. Not so much as to impede agility as he learns to be more stable, but enough to take care of that problem. Should be okay

 

[Kiwibird]

If they are impeding his movement, IMO, they need to be trimmed. If you are unsure how to or how much to clip, take him to an experienced bird groomer or vet, but it's a good skill to learn how to do at home. I personally prefer to do nail trims at home, as it's less traumatic for Kiwi and I can clip as I see fit. Kiwis nails do not get 'overgrown' (curling around), just razor sharp. I clip off the points so he is not mauling my hand/arm with them and leave them otherwise usable for him to grip stuff. Many vets and groomers take them down to short if you ask me. Even a very agile, strong adult can have gripping issues if their nails are clipped to short. They should have a slight 'hook' to them, but not be starting to "spiral" or get caught in stuff.