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Bird Grooming Tips

Bird grooming helps keep your pet bird looking good and in good health. While specifics of grooming can vary by breed of bird, there are some standard bird grooming tips that apply to nearly all breeds. These include bathing tips, as well as nail and beak trimming tips. One of the most important grooming steps is one that birds take care one their own: preening. Birds preen their feathers daily, often spending a good deal of time on this important activity. If you have more than one bird in a cage, they may preen themselves as well as each other. Preening may be done with the bird’s beak or her feet, and helps remove old feathers, waterproof the feathers, and generally keep them in good shape. Most birds should be bathed a few times a week. Regular bathing not only reduces the amount of dander on your bird, it encourages self-preening and helps your bird keep herself cleaner. One helpful bird grooming tip related to bathing is to start gradually, ideally when your bird is very young. If your bird is unaccustomed to being bathed, start with just very lightly wetting the bird using a mist or spray bottle. Another bird grooming tip is that shampoos should not normally be used on your bird, since they can strip the feathers of important natural oils. Be sure to use lukewarm water and keep your bird protected from drafts until she is completely dry. Some birds like to be dried with an electric hair dryer on a low or cool setting; others prefer to dry naturally. Many birds enjoy baths and look forward to being sprayed with a water bottle or even a shower nozzle, especially those birds introduced to bathing at a young age. Most birds in captivity need to have their nails trimmed regularly. While trimming once a month is sufficient for many birds, some will require bi-weekly trimming. You can usually tell when his nails are too long if they curl under or if they prevent the toe from sitting flat. If your bird uses you as a perch, you’ll also be able to tell if you are getting pinched, which is a sure sign your bird’s nails need to be trimmed. An important bird grooming tip is that trimming a bird’s nails requires two people with whom the bird is very familiar: one to hold the bird carefully and securely and the other to perform the trimming. Depending on the size of the bird, human nail clippers may be the best tool. For larger species, dog nail clippers often work well. Some vets use electric rotary nail trimmers; some birds may be fine with this but others may be frightened by the noise. When trimming your bird’s nails, always take off a small amount at a time; more can be trimmed later if needed. Another important tip: have a styptic pencil or styptic powder on hand to stop the bleeding if you accidentally cut too far. In the wild, birds are exposed to rocks, rough perches, and other factors that keep their beaks worn properly through natural abrasion. In captivity, some birds will need to have their beaks’ trimmed periodically. An important bird grooming tip about beak trimming is don’t try this at home! Beak trimming is not something most bird owners should attempt on their own; it is best left to experienced veterinary professionals.

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