# Pigeon toe nails



## BaconBit (Jan 3, 2002)

This may seem like a really stupid question, but I was wondering if you are supposed to clip pigeons toe nails? Bacon's seem to have grown alot since I have had him and I was wondering if they were like cats or dogs where you have to clip them. Talk to you all later!!!

Tara and Bacon


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## raynjudy (Aug 22, 2000)

Hi, Tara:

Yes, you carefully trim the nails. While a nail trimmer works, a good pet center sells a special scissor for this purpose.

You may notice that BB's toes will turn sideways when the nails get too long... You see, in the house, the nails don't wear down like they do outdoors.

We trim Bernie's nails at a slight angle--we don't blunt the ends. We use a bright light and, in our case, glasses to see clearly. You want to take great care not to cut back too far (you can sort of see where the nail is translucent, and that's as far back as you want to cut). There should be no bleeding.

If you do draw blood, you've cut back too far. Make a mental note of it, and avoid doing so again. Often, in the real world, we learn by doing...









Stop bleeding with a styptic pencil, corn starch and pressure, or as my friend, Fred, suggests, pressure and ivory bar soap. The blood should coagulate in a few minutes. Rinse with COLD water. And make a huge "good pigeon" fuss, in any case!









We also have to trim Berrnie's beak from time to time (Judy does this). Sometimes, Bernie develops a "Withces Nose", where the top beak over-grows the lower. Left alone, the very tip eventually bends, breaks, hangs in a tatter, and falls off. It heals fine, but it is obviously painful for Bernie. So, Judy prevents it by making two 45 degree cuts, using the same scissor. This forms a 90 degree tip, that just barely overlaps the lower beak by less than a mm. It looks great and works perfectly.

--Ray

PS. Bernie's in a full blown molt right now and is incredibly crabby!







This requires some big time sucking up!


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## constantin (Mar 2, 2001)

Ouch gets his pedicure and "beak-icure"(sic!)
every two or three months. We use Four Paws VBS Quick Blood Stopper Styptic Powder from a pet store, in case there's a bleeding. Sometimes we cut too much... We also file his nails and beak using a very fine nail file. Ouch seems to enjoy being pampered...

Constantin


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## candra (Dec 18, 2001)

Well, Cookie really doesn't like her toes messed with at all, so we came up with an alternative method just so she wouldn't get hurt in the struggle.

Cookie's "nest" is a pillow (with a flannel case of course) perched atop of a basket. We put the whole shebang inside a box set up on it's side and draped a towel halfway across the entrance for those times when she is crabby (molting)and just wants to be left alone. 

Now here's the important part -- she has a 4X4 block of wood for "her porch". It helps he step up to the pillow. Well, after some trial and error we covered the block with very fine grit sandpaper. Works like a charm. Every time she goes into her nest her nails get a little sanding. 

She knows this too, and sometimes (of course in the middle of the night) she gets up to give herself a manicure. We hear the "scratch, scratch, scratch" on the sandpaper in the middle of the night. She also likes to primp at odd hours when she is molting, and then every now and then she has a dream and talks in her sleep, so you just kind of get used to the bird noises at night.

A 4X4 block makes a nice perch. The birds can either stand or lie down on it. They all seem to like it. We tried the sandpaper just on the ground in Cookies enclosure and she was afraid of it. She wouldn't even go near it!! 

So that's what we do. I don't know how orthdox it is, but Cookie seems happy.

CAndy


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## BaconBit (Jan 3, 2002)

Thanks for all the info!! I figured I would need to trim his nails becuase the carpeted floors sure are not wearing them down any!!! You all were talkign about molting, how do you know when they have begun to molt?? And, How often do they molt?? When Bacon had his wing bandaged by the vet she cut his wing feathers down so they are all short!!! I know that they wont come back in until he molts and I was just wondering when I may expect him to do so!!! I thought he might of been, but I dont think I am seeing enough feathers for him to be molting!!! I am also happy to say that Bacon has finally started talking!!! He was REALLY quiet up until now, never said a word!!! Then the other day when he was playing with his daddy he started making pigeon noises!!! It is the cuetest thing!!! He talks all the time now and when his girlfriend <himself in the mirror> is not paying enough attention to him he puffs himself up, fans out his tail and tells her how handsome it is!!! I have to say, I never expected that pigeons would have such personalitys!!! Thay are simply wonderful and I wish I could take every pigeon I see home with me!!! Thanks again for all the help!!!

Tara and Bacon


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## raynjudy (Aug 22, 2000)

Hi, Tara!

When BB molts, you'll know! Feathers, feathers & more feathers! You'll see localized messes of feathers, and lots of preening going on! A grown pigeon has something like 10,000 feathers... Oh yeah, you'll know!









Anyway, it sounds like the little guy is settling in just fine, behaving very normally now.

Sometime, very carefully, take a white sock or rag an rub it back & forth on the carpet or floor, in BB's presence. If he puffs up, coos deeply, drags his feather cape, and attempts to circle your hand with the rag, you almost definitely have a male pigeon. If he attempts to mount your hand, well, there it is.

Candy: Your sandpaper solution is brilliant!
Do you plan to re-wrap the 4X4 when the paper wears down? How do you attach the paper?

When converting a ferret cage for Cosmo & Bernie (Bernie's door is usually left open), I did sand the shelves in two directions, as well as the rims of the large dog dishes (for water), to give pigeon toes some purchase on the smooth material, which worked fine. But I never thought it through as far as you obviously have. Pretty neat! So, no more trimming is necessary?

PIGEONS FOREVER!!!

--Ray


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## candra (Dec 18, 2001)

How do you know when Bacon is molting?

You'll wake up one morning and it will look like a bird exploded. Feathers everywhere!! Believe me, you'll know.

Cookie gets cranky when molting and she does a lot of preening, but since she doesn't have a mate to help her I do primp her head and neck areas that she cannot reach. Basically I just scratch them gently while she is sitting on my lap -- until I can't feel those "quills" any more. She lets me know when she wants some more or has had enough. 

Do we know how old Bacon is? If he/she is a young bird he might miss a molt or two. Our birds go in cycles -- every other year they have what I term a "bad" molt. It doesn't hurt them, they just look real scraggley. Last year Amelia over-primped Joe's head during molt and he ended up with a Mohawk. It looked pretty funny. 

Ray: Yes I do change the sandpaper. I've never really kept track of how long between changes, but just when it starts to get worn down. (Cookie lets us know -- she hops on the block pecks at it and points it out -- that's the only time she exhibits that behavior) 

Actually charles uses the staple gun and staples it on three sides of the 4X4 block. When one side wears out we turn the block to a new side. So we don't have to actually replace it that much. Cookie loves it. And no, we don't have to do any toenail trimming. She has a perfectly manicured set of nails. 

You know what they say -- necessity is the mother of invention. we had to figure out something, as I said Cookie does not like to have her feet messed with. She's real good about letting me take care of her, give her meds, food etc when she is not feeling well,(I think she knows it will help her feel better) but no way does she want anything to do with toenail trimming!!

Anyway, it's worth a try. If your guys don't like it, i'm sure they will let you know!!

Candy


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