Our Bird’s beak is incredible. This remarkable, constantly growing tool is available to our Birds at all times & is needed for almost every action they perform, so keeping beaks healthy is more important that we can imagine. In this article we will cover the basics about keeping our Bird’s beak healthy & strong.
USE IT OR LOSE IT
If our Birds don’t have adequate chewing, stripping & shredding opportunity, they are at higher risk of overgrowth of the beak. Much like our fingernails, a Bird’s beak continuously grows & chewing is vital to keep the beak warn down to the correct length. If a Bird can’t chew effectively, the beak can become too long which results in severe difficulty when using the beak. A beak too long can negatively impact feeding & drinking, climbing, playing, preening & can even be at risk of growing down into the throat or chest if left untreated. A Bird who can’t use their beak eventually loses it, whilst the beak is still there physically, it can’t be used as needed.
Chewing also tones muscles which are needed to help perform many actions in the Bird’s daily life. Not using these muscles, which are hard to exercise, can lead them to atrophy (waste). I have rescued Birds who have had no chewing opportunity & their muscles that would be exercised by chewing are so weak that they become exhausted when cracking a seed. After learning how to chew natural wood (with the bark) & safe browses, they end up really chewing wood (using their whole body while chewing) for most of the day without tiring.
Birds living sedentary lifestyles are at increased risk of many health conditions in later life. Chewing is a fundamental part of a Bird’s experience & a life enhancing form of exercise that often gets overlooked. It has become so common to see Birds in cages that are barren or full of toys that are not safe to chew (plastic, metal, rope etc) that we have forgotten the importance of chewing opportunity. Birds who have plenty to chew (wood), strip (natural wood with bark intact), shred (natural paper, safe flowers, herbs & browse) will have healthier beaks that stay in good shape.
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
What our Birds eat matters. It may sound boring or like people are trying to spoil your fun, but Birds need nutritious foods. Birds who have poor, seed only or junk food (even tiny amounts) diets are at increased risk of malnutrition, dietary imbalances & diet related disease- all of which can impact the health of beaks.
Birds who are not receiving the correct nutrition often have chalky, soft, ridged &/or flaking beaks that break easily & may grow at a very rapid rate. Having good sources of all vitamins, minerals, enzymes & micronutrients is vital for a Bird’s health. Birds who are correctly nourished should have smooth, shiny & strong beaks that don’t excessively flake or peel & that don’t overgrow.
Whilst all nutrients are important for health, some nutrients are particularly helpful for beak health. Protein, calcium & vitamin- A can be very helpful when it comes to beak health & strength. It’s best to feed Birds only nutritious foods, avoiding bites of our meal, junk food, low nutrition ‘treats’ etc. Beta carotene is a precursor to vitamin A, which is important in the formation of keratin & the good health of epithelial structures, so be sure to include this in your Bird’s diet. Below are some good, healthy sources of protein, calcium & vitamin-A that our Bird’s body easily recognizes & absorbs.
PROTEIN
Many pet Birds are fed meat, egg & fish as protein sources, but these are not healthy for our Birds. The Parrots & Parakeets in our care are herbivores, they don’t eat insects or carrion in the wild as is often claimed. Feeding animal products to a herbivore is much like feeding plants to a Lion, it isn’t the right nutrition & leads to issues. In recent years it has been discovered that feeding animal products to our Birds increases their risk of atherosclerosis & fatty liver disease. Their metabolism is set up to receive low fat, but our pet Birds receive almost twice the levels of fat as their wild ancestors (who also flew miles a day). This is why our Birds are experiencing an epidemic of diet related disease.
HEALTHY PROTEIN SOURCES- Chickpeas, lentils, peas, almonds, quinoa, chia seeds, flax seeds, dandelion greens, kale, broccoli, turmeric, basil, cayenne pepper & more!
CALCIUM- Dairy products are often given as calcium, but again this is not the correct source. Birds are not mammals, they aren’t designed to digest milk. Birds lack the enzyme Lactase, which means they can’t effectively digest dairy. I once rescued a Parrot who was so severely deficient in calcium that he was having seizures, his previous owner tried to cure the deficiency by feeding him huge amounts of dairy. It didn’t work because he couldn’t absorb the calcium properly from the dairy products, his seizures continued. After a week with me, where he had plant sources of calcium that his body recognized, his seizures stopped & the deficiency was corrected. Dairy is a very poor calcium choice for our Birds. GOOD SOURCES OF CALCIUM- kale, broccoli, mustard greens, sprouts, chard, sesame seeds, rosemary, basil, almond, leafy greens & more!
VITAMIN- A- vitamin-A is a very important nutrient that Birds are very commonly deficient in. The best way to provide vitamin- A is in healthy, fresh foods rather than supplementation. Too much vitamin- A can also cause health problems, so try & include it in your Bird’s healthy, varied diet. GOOD SOURCES OF VITAMIN- A- sweet potato, butternut (& other) squash, carrot, cantaloupe melon, kale, red pepper, papaya, mango, apricot & more!
WORRIED?
Does something concern you about your Bird’s beak? If so, an avian specialist vet is the best place to go. Avian vets know more about Birds than other vets & can help you. Taking your Bird for a checkup can detect any issues early on & help your Bird get the best treatment for their particular problem. An avian vet should always perform a beak trim if their beak is overgrown, never attempt to trim their beak yourself as their beak contains a blood vessel that if nicked (even slightly) can cause a serious bleed.