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Post by avinet on Jun 15, 2010 20:55:14 GMT 10
Everyone has heard of the sabre-toothed tiger - the extinct tiger from America with enormous canine teeth - well here is the cockatiel equivalent. He is around 12 years old, and has had a split bottom beak from a baby which is why the beak grows abnormally and needs regular trimming - which I have been doing from him being a baby. This time it had grown more than usual before he came for a trim since the owner had been away for several weeks. In spite of the beak he is in good condition, manages to eat seed without a problem and is a happy talkative little bird. Two photos showing the before and after shots. cheers, Mike   |
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Post by kylie on Jun 15, 2010 21:37:37 GMT 10
OMG!!!  What a sweetheart!! and to reach 12 years of age.. that just goes to show the will of some of these little guys!! You do a really good job on trimming him as well. Thanks for the pics! |
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Post by silvercloud on Jun 15, 2010 21:58:53 GMT 10
I remember you telling us about him before Mike. He's gorgeous. Tiels are such plucky lil guys ;D
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Post by meandem on Jun 16, 2010 10:28:36 GMT 10
Geez, I have never seen anything like that before. He is a little trooper! What a bird, and it is obvious he is loved otherwise he would not have survived this long. Awesome shots too by the way, it really makes it easy to see what you are talking about. 
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Post by finchbreeder on Jun 20, 2010 20:17:16 GMT 10
A little regular TLC and the little guy is able to have as good a life as if he did not have this problem. LML |
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Post by vankarhi on Jun 22, 2010 7:13:28 GMT 10
Wow check out that beak before the trim.
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Post by Laraine on Jun 30, 2010 14:00:59 GMT 10
Years ago I had a Cockatiel with the same problem. We had to trim it regularly. Does anyone know why it happens?
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Post by avinet on Jun 30, 2010 21:13:54 GMT 10
Years ago I had a Cockatiel with the same problem. We had to trim it regularly. Does anyone know why it happens? Overgrown beaks can be due to several problems. In this case the bottom beak is split into two halves, the split can be seen in the photos. As a result the top and bottom beak don't meet properly and therefore don't get the wear that would normally keep the beaks in shape. This sort of injury is often caused to a baby possibly by inexperienced parents catching the baby's beak while feeding and damaging the growing base of the beak. I've also seen it happen as a result of an injury when a bird gets some wire caught in the base of the beak - sometimes from cheap toys. Overgrown beaks can also be caused by health problems, such as Beak and Feather Disease, Scaly-mite, and nutritional deficiencies that harm the liver. cheers, Mike |
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Post by Laraine on Jul 1, 2010 11:24:20 GMT 10
Thanks for the info Mike.
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