# Pigeons with broken beaks



## ZMEU.NET (Mar 9, 2017)

Hello,
He is unable to feed without a special feeder that i have created. 
I see many pigeons with broken beaks as results of some diseases .
So the human kind did not find any solution to repair the broken beaks of these pigeons?


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## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

Would love to see a video of how he feeds himself!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Not only is the bottom beak broken off, but the top beak is over grown and hooked, which makes it even harder for him.


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## ZMEU.NET (Mar 9, 2017)

Hello,
He is feeding himself by picking diagonally the sunflower seeds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4mwe-9jJz8 Without those blue bars he moved the beak sideways throwing away all the seeds. 
Thanks for the replies. I also think trimming the hooked top part will help him feed in any situations. But my vet refused to trim his beak, despite he is the only one who cares a little bit about pigeons ( all others only care about dogs and cats).
He learned to feed himself after a few days. Now more than 2 months passed .
I like him because i think is very smart. Before capturing him when he was walking into my kitchen, i observed him a few days doing back-flips and having a large beak similar to crows (it was the result of a disease)


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

He is a cutie. Thank you for rescuing him and caring for him.


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## ZMEU.NET (Mar 9, 2017)

Thank you, i also care about another 4 sick feral pigeons in my apartment ( one older also with broken beak but shorter and easier to feed by himself) ( another with Avian Paramyxovirus type 1,rotating his head 180 degrees, which seems to recover pretty well) (another one with a broken leg) . 
Another pigeon was acting weird instead of eating, she was walking with his beak forward.
The biggest problem are the diapers: home-made are not the best. I plan to buy some, but they are expensive plus the shipping costs from US to Europe.


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## Friend John (Jun 10, 2018)

Does the broken bottom beak grows back over time? How does a pigeon typically breaks its lower beak?


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## ZMEU.NET (Mar 9, 2017)

Hi John, sadly the pigeon beak never grows again. The beak is considered a bone and not a nail that grows again like on humans. 
I have 2 pigeons with the same problem: broken beak on the lower part. The older one broke his beak 2 years ago and it did not grow back.
A disease as coccidiosis which causes the inflammation on the fingers maybe also causes the inflammation of the lower part of the beaks and after a week it will fall dawn. Both of these 2 pigeons had a inflammation on the lower part of their beaks, despite this, the top and the lower parts of their beaks seemed to be perfectly aligned. So it did not look like an injury.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Cocci doesn't cause that. 
Also, you can't feed him just the sunflower seed. Not good for him. Too much fat and not enough nutrition. He needs different kinds of seeds. And the beak needs to be trimmed back a little at a time, until the right length, but it would be better if a vet would show you how. Or go online, only if you need to, to learn how to do it safely. If you take too much off, you will injure him. Pox can cause that also. The top beak will probably need trimming every now and then, as that will grow back.
They should be kept in cages and let out daily for a couple of hours. Just cover the things you want to protect from the droppings.


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## ZMEU.NET (Mar 9, 2017)

Hi Jay,
He only eats sunflower seeds, despite i tried another types of seeds. I will order soon a special mix for pigeons.
Very hard to find a vet who cares for pigeons, very hard to convince one to trim his beak.
I am afraid to cut by myself his beak because i know i will cause him a lot of pain and hemorrhage. 
I let them out in my kitchen and living-room. So what to cover? I keep torturing them with hand made diapers.


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## Colombina (Jan 22, 2017)

Hi, where do you live? Have you tried to check here

https://www.flightquarters.com/bird-diapers/international-customers.html

if there is a distributor in your country?

About me, l use to cover what needed with paper (I collect free paper around the city) and painting plastic sheets (the ones used to protect the floor and furniture when you paint). 
When I want to protect something in a more serious way (I recently bought new furniture) I cover it with a plastic tablecloth because it's more resistant than the painting plastic sheets.
You could cover the top of your furniture with the tablecloth then put on it paper: this way, you just have to daily replace the paper. If your pigeons poop on the floor from the furniture, you can put paper on the ground.
Then cover anything else you want to protect with the painting plastic sheets (lol it makes me think about Dexter 😂 ) or the paper .

I have an overgrown beak pigeon: I have to trim and to file his upper beak each two/three weeks. I could try to explain you how to cut it but it would be really better if someone could show it to you. In any case, if you have any question I'm here. 
You could try to look for a pickstone for pigeons like the ones in the pic. It could help to trim the beak in a natural way (if he will peck at it, of course... ). 

You could add to the pigeons mix dry legumes (the ones for human) like lentils, mung beans and peas. It is important to offer him a large mix of food of different sizes and shapes (maybe sometimes even some pieces of biscuit, something simple of course), he could maybe learn to eat by himself something different from sunflowers.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

He isn't going to peck at pick stone. With that beak he can't anyway.


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## Colombina (Jan 22, 2017)

You are right Jay, most probably he isn't going to peck at the block with that beak but personally I would give it a try and leave one available. Disabled pigeons are really determined (I have a pigeon born completely blind who is a real fighter): he could maybe feel and follow the natural instinct to peck at it (I mean just peck at it, not eating and swallowing it). Of course, that's just my personal opinion (no stone should left unturned lol). 
In any case, the block would be good for the others birds 😊, it's a good source of calcium and minerals (if they don't peck at it, I can explain how to crumble it). 

One of my birds has the broken beak (due to injury), it's a different situation (she can't close it) but with time she has learned to eat everything by herself. I really hope that even your bird can learn to eat others kinds of seed.


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## jameswaller (Nov 4, 2008)

*beeks/toe nails*



ZMEU.NET said:


> Hi Jay,
> He only eats sunflower seeds, despite i tried another types of seeds. I will order soon a special mix for pigeons.
> Very hard to find a vet who cares for pigeons, very hard to convince one to trim his beak.
> I am afraid to cut by myself his beak because i know i will cause him a lot of pain and hemorrhage.
> I let them out in my kitchen and living-room. So what to cover? I keep torturing them with hand made diapers.


dear zmeu.net,-I successfully cared for a feral pigeon,who had multiple injuries,after several months of captivity his toe nails and upper beak were severely overgrown,-the toe nails I used a nail clippers for a small dog--caution-donot cut short,leave some length,pain and bleeding..the upper beak I used a tool called a dremal,with cutting wheel,-again only cut a little bit,analyze lenghth,several times before making the final cut-failure isnot an option[,-he looked like a raptor-]-so that's his name-sincerely james waller:-feral pigeons scratch,and scrap their feet/beaks


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

This isn't because he doesn't scrape his beak. Sometimes different problems just cause the pigeons beak to grow like that. They usually need to be trimmed back every so often, depending on how fast it grows.


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## ZMEU.NET (Mar 9, 2017)

Hello,
I tried a special mix for pigeons with 15 types of seeds. The result: after some hours, his beak was irritated, he started peeing a lot. He started losing weight, he is colder. Maybe he struggled eating bigger seeds like popcorn. The other 2 pigeons started excluding him. Then he was walking on the floor towards the pigeon with the broken leg.
After that he was running to my living room, he never did that before. Like he was searching for help.


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## ZMEU.NET (Mar 9, 2017)

Hi "This isn't because he doesn't scrape his beak. Sometimes different problems just cause the pigeons beak to grow like that. They usually need to be trimmed back every so often, depending on how fast it grows."
Interesting the lower part of the beak does not grow again. But the upper part, hooked will grow again if i trim it?
I do not want to try to trim it, because despite how much i will be prepared he will still feel pain and he will remember that i was the person that caused him pain. So he will not cooperate again.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

If you don't go too far and cut into where he will feel it, then it doesn't hurt him. Just start with taking half of that hook off. In another couple of weeks go just a smidgen further. He will always have a more difficult time with the hook on the beak. 

As far as those pieces of corn and such, lots of birds have trouble with them. Just remove them from the mix. But like I said, with the hook in his beak, he can't pick up seed. It blocks it and pushes the seed away.


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## catsnbirds (Sep 18, 2014)

Hello, Perhaps the pigeon will like defrosted frozen peas. I give my doves crumbled tofu, finely chopped fresh carrots, peas, and finely chopped apple with their dove seed mix, and they like it very much. If you mix the seeds with the soft fresh food, it may be easier for him to pick up. Just a suggestion.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

catsnbirds said:


> Hello, Perhaps the pigeon will like defrosted frozen peas. I give my doves crumbled tofu, finely chopped fresh carrots, peas, and finely chopped apple with their dove seed mix, and they like it very much. If you mix the seeds with the soft fresh food, it may be easier for him to pick up. Just a suggestion.



Good suggestion. He may very well like defrosted frozen peas. And could probably pick them up fairly easily. But you still need to get some of that hook off. Just take half of the hooked part off.


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## navamanas (Mar 17, 2016)

The best way to trim back the break is with a nail file. It's best to use one that's lightly abrasive because the rough ones could crack the break. Move slowly and gently. Use the length of your other pigeon's beaks as a guide for how much to trim, and it doesn't have to be done all at once. The beak is very sensitive, so you could do two or three sessions over a few days.

I'll make a video of a break trim of my pigeon in a day or two, and I'll post it here.


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## ZMEU.NET (Mar 9, 2017)

navamanas said:


> The best way to trim back the break is with a nail file. It's best to use one that's lightly abrasive because the rough ones could crack the break. Move slowly and gently. Use the length of your other pigeon's beaks as a guide for how much to trim, and it doesn't have to be done all at once. The beak is very sensitive, so you could do two or three sessions over a few days.
> 
> I'll make a video of a break trim of my pigeon in a day or two, and I'll post it here.


Hello,
I want to see the video 
On youtube i saw people using nail clippers, grinding stones and someone here suggested nail file . It is a long way to trim this beak, 1 cm , i never want to try nail clippers. Better a dremel with a big grinding stone?


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Taking half of that hook off with a clipper, then filing would be a lot easier. Too long to file the whole thing. You would need to support the rest of the beak while filing.


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## ZMEU.NET (Mar 9, 2017)

I used the nail clipper to trim 1 mm of the beak and he bled a lot. I only succeeded stopping the hemorrhage using flour. He started eating and again i see drops of blood. Any idea to stop for good the hemorrhage ?


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Do you have access to Quik Stop powder or styptic?


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Can you post a pic of him? Did you get the Quik stop or blood stop powder? Must have gone too far up. I'm sure it was traumatic for you. I'm sorry.
Sorry, I'm not getting alerts for the posts now. Don't know what is wrong.


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## ZMEU.NET (Mar 9, 2017)

I did not go too fair. As i said i will trimmed 1 mm using a ZWILLING nail clipper in 1 ms.
First time i tried a dremel with a grinding stone. The progress was very slow and he was always fighting. And then the hemorrhage started. It stopped after 30 minutes.
Then i tried the nail clipper, i did not apply any pressure, very easy to cut.
But it took me 5 hours to stop this hemorrhage. the flour saved his life.
He was constantly drinking his blood and eating his blood stains from the cloth.
It also seems that pigeon beaks are much more sensitive than parrot beaks.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

ZMEU.NET said:


> I did not go too fair. As i said i will trimmed 1 mm using a ZWILLING nail clipper in 1 ms.
> First time i tried a dremel with a grinding stone. The progress was very slow and he was always fighting. And then the hemorrhage started. It stopped after 30 minutes.
> Then i tried the nail clipper, i did not apply any pressure, very easy to cut.
> But it took me 5 hours to stop this hemorrhage.
> ...


..................................


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## ZMEU.NET (Mar 9, 2017)

Ok. So i will again try after 2 weeks?


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## ZMEU.NET (Mar 9, 2017)

> wait a couple weeks or so before trying to take a tiny bit more.


But in 2 weeks the upper part of the beak will grow again. So it looks like a waste of time.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Can you post a picture of him after the beak trim?


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## ZMEU.NET (Mar 9, 2017)

after trimming his beak


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

You brought it up quite a bit. I wouldn't trim again for a few weeks, then just hold the beak to give it support and file it gently. You don't want to go into the living part again.


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