[Abercrombe]

How do you trim a parakeets beak?

[JudyKayTee]

It's my understanding that parakeets almost never need their beaks trimmed; that this should be done by a Vet; that this is nothing to be done at home.

How do veteranarians trim parakeets beaks? I ha... - JustAnswer

[shazamataz]

I agree with Judy, it should be done by your vet.

Are you feeding things to wear the beak down such as cuttlefish bones?

[XOXOlove]

I agree with the above. Don't trim the parakeet's beak. A cuttle bone is better to help the bird. You can find them at pet stores and even at walmart. I have parakeets and they love the bone. They have actually filed a crease down the middle of it!
If the bird can't handle the bone and its beak is growing too long you should take it to a vet.

[Alty]

Okay, I'm going to both agree and disagree.

Beaks on a bird are like fingernails on a human, they constantly grow.

If the bird isn't given something to wear down his/her beak, then trimming will be necessary. You really should have a cuddle bone, add gravel (for birds) into his/her diet, sandpaper bottom on cage, covered with gravel (again for birds) and maybe tree branches instead of store bought perches.

A bird in the wild never needs it's beak trimmed, because mother nature provides the necessary tools to keep the beak trimmed.

The bad thin about budgies and other birds with rounded beaks is the fact that they can die if their beaks get too long. The beak actually embeds itself into the neck, choking the bird.

If you've never trimmed a beak before, don't start now. Have you ever had your birds wings trimmed? If so, that person is most likely qualified to trim the birds beak. It really isn't that hard, but one mistake could cost the bird it's life.

So, my advice to you, go to the vet, get the beak trimmed, ask the vet to show you how then make a trip to the pet store and buy the necessary tools to allow your bird to trim it's own beak.

Good luck.

[shazamataz]

Had to spread the love Alty but great info.
I only knew about the bones... we used to collect them every time we went to the beach for our Budgie.

[Alty]

Bones are good too. Surprisingly enough, so are eggs, especially egg shells. I grind them into a powder and add them to Marty's food, especially since she's an egg laying female. The shells provide a lot of the calcium they need.

The thing that most people forget is the fact that birds in the wild don't live in cages, don't sit on sanded perches, don't eat bird seed. Nature provides them with all their needs, it's humans that have changed the criteria, have started selling bagged high priced bird food that really doesn't provide the things that birds really need.

It's the same as all other domesticated animals. The pet industry is huge and we all buy into it, when really, nature, if we turned to that, provides all their dietary and mental needs.

Where is that darn soap box? I've been jumping off it a lot tonight. ;)