# How sharp is your bird's nails?



## babybreau (May 19, 2008)

As I mentioned in my thread about Kessie, I went last Saturday to meet her and Sherbert, and of course hang with my friends. Well I came away FULL of major scratches on my hand and neck (where she was sitting). Toward the end of the visit I could hard;y hold her on my hand as her nails felt like needles!
She was still too young to have her nails trimmed and even her breeder said she's never had a baby tiel with such charp nails. Her sister didn't have nails nearly as sharp as Kessie's!
I'm investing in a cement perch and good nail clippers, but is there anything else I can do? I don't want to wear gloves handling her. Here I sit 4 days after the visit and I STILL have 2 major scratch marks on my hand. 

At what age is it safe to clip their nails??


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## atvchick95 (Sep 17, 2007)

mine leave red marks almost looks a lot like a razor burn and none of them have extremely long nails, they're all about the same as all the pics i've seen . but i use the cement perches, Pumice Perches, and other types of Nail/beak conditioning/trimming perches including ladders and swings

She may be too young to clip nails (didn't know there was a age not to do that one though) BUT take a Emory board and just file the sharp bits down , that should help a lot.


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## kimmikefids (Aug 2, 2008)

my babies have sharp nails...i got them at 8 weeks and i trimmed their nails then...my enjoyment in having them out was lessening by the fact it hurt!!! i would say once she is weaned trim the nails....but thats just me!


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## babybreau (May 19, 2008)

I just got word that she has started weaning today!! YAY!!

I think once I get her home her nails will be trimmed and filed. I couldn't believe how much it hurt! I don't want that to come between us. 

Thanks for the advice!


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## olive juice (Mar 30, 2009)

Halley's are usually pretty sharp. Not enough to scratch me unless he slips and tries to hold on tighter or something. However, he recently got his nails cut and now he can't hold onto anything! And his wings were clipped too, so he does a lot of slipping and flapping about my lap. Poor Halley.


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## Duckie (Feb 13, 2008)

All my chicks have sharp nail...after handling them (especially when they were being hand fed, and were more mobile), my hands looked like I had a pet kitten instead of 6 baby tiels...lol. I will try the emery board too


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## atvchick95 (Sep 17, 2007)

aww won't be long before she's home  

I've had to trim a few of my budgies nails when they were around 3 weeks old they were so sharp it put small holes in my skin, but i just took the very tip off (which is how i do it trimming any birds nails) and i use the small nail clippers In the baby isle of most stores  granted they're a little hard to hold when you got chubby hands and short fat fingers (like I DO LOL) But for me it's easier then using the normal sized nail clippers 

I actually bought he original Peticure nail trimmer to do the birds nails, But I just couldn't hold the bird and the trimmer at the same time - May work better on big birds nails but I just can't get it with the small ones, But I use it on the dog all the time  

that or its my sucky coordination is why i can't use it, hold the bird and trim the nail all at the same time lol 

but this is what I mean 
http://www.peticure.com/


works great on Sheba's nails now just if i can get her to stop being scared of the silly thing by the time she calms down I'm done


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

My babies usually have very sharp nails. When I hand feed and they are old enough I have them stand on my arm as I feed them. They all kind of line up on my forearm. During that time period my arm is all scratched up. Not deep but lots of little red marks.


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## Raven2322 (Mar 1, 2008)

The only one I have with Sharp nails is Jasmine. It doesn't help that she is very jumpy either. I can tell when I've handle her a lot before I have scratch marks all over my hands and arms. So yeah, I would trim when you get her.


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## Renae (Feb 9, 2008)

My chest has scratches galore! 

I'd wait until she's weaned/when you bring her home then have them trimmed and filed.


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