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Just wondering how often you Amazons need to get there nails trim and if different Amazons nails grow faster.

Our 2 Double Yellow Heads only need their nails trims every 5-6 months while our Yellow Nape must get his done every 2 months. His nails grow really fast and are hard as nails per our vet.

We just took all 3 again for check-up and nail trims on the 17th and it got me wondering how often others have to get their zons done.

Also every vet who has ever seen our Nape say they have never seen one has big has ours (not fat just big) and very muscular. He weight 2.2 lbs at least visit. Just wondering what other peoples Yellow Napes weight. Chuck is 20 years old now.

I don't get mine clipped and BOY O BOY do I have little pinprick wounds on occasion as a result If I had a partner who could restrain each bird while I dremelled nails, or if I was clever enough to use Barbara Heidenreich's techniques to train mine to let me manicure w/o restraint, I'd surely do it. But I just grin and bear it, and bleed a little when the bird gets startled by something while perching on mom's hand or arm I have too many birds and too few bucks to pay the vet to do it for me.

My guess is that nails, like beaks, very normally grow at different speeds for different birds, and that a bird's nail growth rate might vary seasonally or in response to many things in their bodies or environment. Like my own nails -- they're longish right now, but for reasons I've never fathomed, one day soon they'll all get short on me w/in just a few days. I used to think it was estrogen, but now that's gone and the nail pattern still fluctuates

I keep a cement perch in my pet and breeding pair of yellow nape's cage. I almost never have to do their nails. I haven't had to do Diva's since she was a baby. Her parents get their nails done once a year right before the breeding season. The cement perches really seem to help beaks and nails.

I have both companion birds and breeders. There is a difference when trimming nails as the companions enjoy a nice belly rub while I play nail trim. As for the breeders I have to do each one while they hang from the cage. As they grab onto the bars I take one toe and snap the end of the nail with a human clipper. I chart each bird in each cage with the nail I have done so far so when I spot them hanging on the cage I have an idea which one needs attention and which one is ok.

This technique requires me to do only one nail at a time. I do not overdue the frustration of holding a toe and pulling it through the bars. They are startled with the snap of the nail and I let go and then "forget" anything that happened. They are usually totally unaware and look at me when it is over, like "what?." It is quick and directed to get the job done without giving them the chance to bit me through the bars. With practice and experience anyone can accomplish this without pain or bleeding.

I keep an extra set of glasses, the nail clippers (sterilized and ready) and some corn starch right near the cages for this type of operation. To keep the beaks trimmed they all get plenty of hard shelled nuts that do the trick for me, as well as toys and perches that do somewhat of good job, but not the best. I still have to repeat the technique every six months.


Dutch

I am concerned that you say your Amazon is big. May be muscular, but perhaps is he also a little on the fat side? The reason I ask is that I once had an overweight Amazon who got fatty liver from being too fat. When I found out what problems this was causing, she lost the weight and recovered but one symptom was her beak and nails grew at a faster than normal rate, and were also a little soft from growing fast. This is a possibility with your bird if it is "big" and its nails are growing fast. Does your bird have a "cleavage" on its breast, where the sides are higher than the center bone? If so, it is overweight and at risk for fatty liver. Do not take this lightly, It can be very dangerous. One of the first symptoms you might notice is beak and nail overgrowth.

Chuck is not fat or over weight. He does not need a bra (lol). He is big per vets has in tall and muscular. He plays with my husband daily and they play what sounds like very rough but isn't. Chuck loves playing with his daddy. His nails have always grown very fast. He sees the vet every 2 months for nail trims and get his weight checked every time. Our Avain vet is always amazed at how muscular Chuck is. It's funny to watch the assistant try and towel and hold Chuck so his nails can be trimmed. Chuck is very strong and loves making the assistant sweat.

His chart at the vets reads in red " Green Monster Very Strong"

Our vet says what ever we are doing to keep it up because all 3 of our Amazon are very health.

Thanks for the concern though. We know Amazons are prone to being over weight.

If I knew how to post a picture of him I would so you could see him.

To clip too short you could clip that vein or as it is said. . . clip the quick,much like cutting your own nails TOO short and as it makes your finger sore for a day or two so will it do the same for the bird.The trimming of nails may have an effect on the bird.

Hope this picture shows he's not over weight, just hanging with his daddy.