# Just some advice needed



## Crimson.Dawn (May 5, 2011)

Hello, My name is Gina and I am a reptile breeder in Vegas (yes i know that has little to do with pigeons but hear me out) Most of my animals are rescues, that includes my little female Ringneck dove. She is 7 years old, I have had her for six, She was passed around to a few homes with her mate for a little around six months before i wound up with her, she was skinny and her mate had plucked and ruined her feathers. 

Through unfortunate events We no longer have the male. I had herd that without there mate doves will go into a depression and stop eating. She did not... instead she has picked me as her mate and follows me around the house like a winged puppy. Or she had until the last year...

One of my rescues was three small kittens, when we couldn't find a home for the male I realized my little dove would need a cage (she was free roaming in the house for about 5 years) 

I have a large cage for her, and she had been doing fine until the other night, she caught a feather in the bands of the cage and broke it, causing it to bleed... I stopped the bleeding with some white flour and took her out for a cuddle..she always seems to calm down if I let her sit on my shoulder and sing, its always been her favorite thing to do. I noticed she had some blood on her beak and then noticed the bottom beak was crooked. 

Now I don't think its broken but it looks like its been injured and a lot of posts on here says something about an over grown beak becoming sissorbeak and needing to be trimmed? 

What would be the best way to do that? She if very trusting and I can turn her over on her back without her even breathing hard...Shes always let me do that... smart little thing even knows that "play dead" means to stay still and let her head hang over the palm of my open hand... a little wiggle and she will hop up and turn over on my palm or just fly away only to land on my head.

Should I try to file it? or leave it alone until her wing heals to make sure the blood was her picking at the feather and not the beak itself?

Thanks for taking the time to read this, and for you replies ahead of time.


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

She sounds like an adorable little baby. Doves are so precious.
Can you post a pic of her beak? That would help to see if it needs trimming.
I trim some of my bird's beaks, just the tip with a nailclipper.

Reti


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## Crimson.Dawn (May 5, 2011)

Here, she let me flip her on her back and stayed still for the pictures.. i didnt want to use the flash on her poor eyes lol


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

That is definately scissored.
You have to trim the top beak and bottom beak so they align. Trim with a nailclipper first and then better file the rest cause if you trim too much it might bleed. Have some flour ready for just in case.
She is such a sweetie. 

Reti


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## Crimson.Dawn (May 5, 2011)

Ill give it a try when her wing feels a little better, would a file be better then a nail clipper? i have some small metal file that i can sanitize for it.


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## Doves1111 (Mar 5, 2005)

No, her beak is too long for filing...use nail clippers first and be careful you don't cut her tongue. Then after you trim with the nail clippers...use the file. This will help to make her beak even shorter without bleeding like Reti said... and it will make her beak smooth.

Dawn


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