There is something wrong with my Conure's beak! :-(

[MaxsMum]

Hi!! I have just signed up with this forum and would love some advice
I have a beautiful Conure who is 12 months old, his name is Max and is definitely the spoilt baby of our family
6 months ago we moved from hot and humid Far North QLD to the Sunshine Coast. Since the move Max has slowly developed this terrible looking peeling to the bottom parts of both the top and bottom of his beak. (Photo is attached)
I took him to the vet to have his wings clipped about a month ago and asked the vet about it but she didn't seem too concerned at all and told me he may need to eat green vegetables for better nutrition? To be honest I don't think she knew much at all about Conure's. Anyway his beak looks terrible right now and today he has started to bang his beak against the metal of his cage or scrape his beak along the wires of his cage. So I'm wondering if it is itchy? I'm not sure where to take him to be seen because the vet really didn't seem to know much about him at all. Has anyone else's Conure had this happen?
His diet consist of small parrot mix from the pet shop, and he also has a dried biscuit and egg white mix that I turn into 'porridge' for him with a dash of water. He also eats cashews, apple, sultanas and many other fresh fruits etc.
Is this something that just happens with Conure's and will resolve itself or does he need to be seen by someone and need some sort of medicine or treatment? It looks terrible and I am worried about him.
I'd love any advice you may have and thank you in advance

 

[EAI]

She's right about vegetables and his nutrition, there's conflicting answers, but for the most part I've read that conures aren't such picky eaters.
Do you know if your vet is specialized in birds? If you don't think that she's a good vet fit for your bird, I suggest finding another avian vet so its ensured your Conure is healthy.

About the peeling. He MIGHT need to have his beak trimmed and filed down to stop the peeling. But the peeling part is all natural, birds have layers of keratin on their beak and the your bird might be rubbing his beak against something to get ride of the layer itself.


Here's a link relating to your case: Is Your Parrot?s Peeling Beak Normal?

 

[Phlox]

His beak looks pretty normal to me. Better nutrition is always a good idea, but the way a bird's beak look can vary, sort of like fingernails. I'm healthy, but I have nails prone to peeling...its just how I am I'm not a vet though, but my birds have varying degrees of beak flaking and my vet has never been concerned by it.

 

[JellyBean]

Hey Maxsmum, he looks fine to me... JellyBean's beak sometimes peals.. I would definitely try to get an avian vet - you just get so much more peace of mind!!

 

[EnglishMuffin]

Looks normal to me. Their beaks do peal as they grow up. My 8 month old looks just like this

 

[EnglishMuffin]

Knock out the dried fruit because it contains sulphur. Include more fresh veg in his diet and more fruit. If he's rubbing his beak he probably is trying to exfoliate it: invest in a mineral block or concrete perch

 

[MaxsMum]

Oh thank you SO much everyone! I feel much better about it I'll definitely buy him a mineral block and I'll cut out his dried fruit. He loves his fresh fruits and veggies, we give him pieces of whatever fruit and veg we are using in our meals, as long as they are safe for him. I knew their beaks could peel but I thought his looked so bad and worried there was something more going on. Thanks so much everyone Glad to know he's okay!!

 

[MaxsMum]

I like the sound of finding an Avian. I'll do that! I wasn't sure who there was that specialised in knowledge about birds so thank you for this info

 

[SilverSage]

Yes, the peeling is normal in a Green Cheeked Conure I did notice that you have him listed as a Sun Conure, did the person who sold him to you tell you that?

 

[BoomBoom]

This is absolutely normal. No trimming / filing needed at all. All our birds beaks peel this way making it look irregular.

 

[MikeyTN]

Like it's been said above, it's perfectly normal. I would invest in a concrete perch over a mineral block. None of the Conures I've owned before would use the mineral block but they sure do use the concrete perch though.

 

[JamesC]

I like the sound of finding an Avian. I'll do that! I wasn't sure who there was that specialised in knowledge about birds so thank you for this info

Specialized Avian Vets are a little rare and tend to be in areas of higher population. And I'm not sure what the equivalent to a Board Certified Avian Vet would be called in Australia. However, some general vets can be very good with birds. It might take a bit of research and visits to two or three vets to find a good one but it is well worth it for the peace of mind. See if there is a local avian rescue near you and ask them who they use. That worked for me a couple of times.

During a wellness exam, ask a lot of questions. Even if you know the answers already. I tended to ask questions about diet and different foods. Lengths of beaks and nails. And a couple slightly deceitful questions like "What size wooden dowel is good for a bird this size?" knowing already that wooden dowels are bad for birdie feet. If the vet didn't know enough to urge me to get natural wood and rope and other good foot perches then I knew that he/she didn't know much about birds. In the last 7 years I moved 4 times and have been through 9 vets so I've gotten kind of good at it.

And to echo everyone else, their beaks tend to do that. Your bird looks perfectly normal. And very pretty too!