How to Prevent Beak Overgrowth

A pet bird's beak normally grows between one and three inches each year, depending on the size and species of the bird. In normal birds, however, this is not usually noticeable since the beak wears down from use at the same rate. When the beak grows faster than it is worn down, beak overgrowth occurs, which can cause difficulty eating, playing and climbing. The most common cause of beak overgrowth is a lack of appropriate opportunities for wear, followed by poor diet and health conditions.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Wooden bird toys
• Hard food and treat items
• High quality, species-appropriate pelleted diet
• Fruits and vegetables

1. Offer your bird a variety of chewing opportunities. Your bird should always have at least two destructible toys in its cage, and these should be replaced when the wood parts have been chewed away. Perches should be made of a wood soft enough that the bird can gnaw on, rather than plastic or manzanita.

2. Feed your bird hard treats and pellets to help wear down the beak while it eats. Extruded diets tend to be harder than pressure-pelleted diets, and most seeds are too soft for this purpose. A limited number of nuts, in the shell, will help a large parrot's beak stay at its proper length.

3. Watch for signs of health conditions that can cause beak overgrowth, especially mite infestation. Crusting on the beak, cere or legs usually indicates that the bird has mites, and this will need to be treated quickly to prevent beak overgrowth. Any changes in the beak's appearance should be shown to your avian veterinarian, as several conditions can lead to deformity and overgrowth of the beak.

4. Feed your bird a healthy diet and restrict its intake of unhealthy and fatty foods, including seeds. One common cause of beak overgrowth is fatty liver disease, which occurs primarily in obese birds. Regardless of your bird's weight, you should feed a species-appropriate pelleted diet along with a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. Other supplements or dietary additions may be necessary depending on what species of bird you own.

Tips & Warnings

• Natural perches with intact bark will encourage your bird to chew and wear down its beak.
• Some birds, such as macaws and conures, have quite long upper mandibles. This is normal in these species and not a sign of a problem unless the beak causes difficulty in eating. Ask your vet if you are unsure whether your bird's beak is normal or overgrown.
• If your bird's beak appears to be peeling, try adding a few nuts to its diet. Nuts are high in Vitamin E and healthy fats, deficiencies of which can cause a flaky beak.
• Never punish your bird for destroying toys, nor should you restrict its access to toys for this reason. Bird toys are intended to be chewed and taken apart, and without the opportunity to do this your bird's beak may become overgrown.
• Do not attempt to trim your bird's beak at home unless you have been trained to perform this procedure. Beak trimming is significantly more risky than trimming toenails and should be performed by a professional whenever possible.

Resources

• Beak Overgrowth and Deformities

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