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Hi, I have an adult female with a bad scissor beak. I keep it trimmed down as best I can. But she is now with a mate and in the nest box. Question is... will she be able to feed babies if she has any? Or will the beak prevent it?

I don't see why not, although depending on the severity may make it more difficult.

Perhaps Dutch may know more as he is a breeder. I am not, and I don't have anything larger than a conure.

I wouldn't necessarily use her as breeding stock to begin with. We don't know if it was a problem in the nest, feeding or hereditary influences that caused this abnormality. Please only use quality breeding stock in any planned breeding situation. And of course (goes without saying) DO NOT BREED HYBRIDS.

Now with that said, I would pull at day one, get a good brooder and do it yourself. Remember feeding day one is the hardest thing we do as Aviculturists. But the chances of getting a healthy and happy baby rests with these efforts. After this clutch I would suggest to separate them and she will live a happy life as a single pet and not a breeder.

If the pair has not yet closely bonded, I would separate them now. If they are already bonded, I would remove the nest box now and see if they would be content loving life together without eggs.

I have a totally unnecessary question: Why do some of the smartest people, when it comes to breeding parrots, act first, and ask questions after the fact ? Oh, yeah, I know I get in trouble for some of my comments.

The beak was not genetic, it was from incorrect handfeeding and "bobbing" on the cage. Sorry to disappoint. I set her up with this male because she is such a sweet heart and so is he. How about some wonderful baby birds around? She has been my girl for more than 10 years. And still is. She has laid eggs in her cage every year and this year she has a box and a boyfriend. I am well aware of day one feeding requirements. Have 2 pairs of greys that I pull eggs at pipping. I just asked if she would be able to feed with the beak. I haven't heard this question asked before so I really wanted to know.
Please don't shoot a bird breeder down and demand seperation of birds based on a simple question.

I don't think anybody is beating you up or putting you down Bird Lady. You asked and got an answer. If because you feel defensive that in the back of your mind we we're going to say this, then why ask?

First of all it is an unfortunate circumstance that ANY bird has a scissor beak. But to say it was because of poor hand feeding or any other reason suggests that you have already had this bird diagnostically or otherwise evaluated for the many reasons/causes of this abnormality. WHICH ARE MANY! Not just what some person might think.

PBFD is one that comes to mind right off the bat and is a leading cause of death and other disabilities of our breeding stock within the USA. Evaluate from the start and not just jump to conclusions. If this was already done, why didn't you say so in your opening remarks. There are so many other causes for this I don't wish to dive into here.

When someone like me (or Ahee above) makes a comment we are immediately thrown to the wolves as being less than sympathetic or understandable. Which is an out and out lie and these people should either grow tough skin or ask in a PET forum somewhere, here you are going to get the real truth, not sugar coated.

Next, why in God's earth would someone take a pet and make them a breeder?

All birds DO NOT HAVE TO BREED!

It is a fallacy to think that your pet bird in some way needs to validate his or her existence by breeding! These are human instincts and do not translate to our birds. ALL birds can go through life quite well without having a mate and being a MOMMA. When will people realize this and stop making breeders out of perfectly good pet stock?

When we do choose to breed, it should be from the best stock available of healthy and happy, well adjusted birds, owned by people who know what to do and when to do it. This is not just my philosophy it is the philosophy of the AFA and the American Aviculture Veterinarians. And it is just common sense isn't it?

And hopefully these breeders have deposits on their birds before the egg is laid!

Scissor beak birds have several problems, feeding the babies is the least of them. A normal hen has a disadvantage to the cock as she can not protect herself as viciously as the cock can. Now place her with a greater disadvantage by not having the proper defenses, and she is a sitting duck.

This is not only cruel but has no common sense or reasoning behind it. She can not clean herself properly, she can not feed her babies properly, she can not clean her babies properly, she can not preen her male properly, the list is endless.

Love your pet and don't make her into something she is not "properly" equipped for, and if you do, and come on here and ask us for our opinion, be prepared to get the truth. We are not a bunch of pet enthusiasts, WE ARE AVICULTURISTS, many of us are certified by one organization or another, and if you want to change this thinking you have to supply the data to the proper organization showing that "Their Findings" are wrong, not us!

the AFA has conventions every year, take your data and studies to them, and ask for time on the agenda to deliver your report; "Allowing Scissor Beak Hen to breed" and if you think Ahee and I are giving you a hard time... hey you haven't seen nothing yet! I've sat through some major yelling matches at these annual conventions. But in the end if your study bears merit then we all can learn from it, but for the time being.......... JUST SAY NO!

(reason for edit- repair awkward sentence structure)

...a real friend would tell you the truth of what you NEED to hear,
rather than only what you want to hear.
Of course, I treat kids a bit more compassionately, and I would never kick
a person that was already down.

[quote]I set her up with this male because she is such a sweet heart and so is he.[/quote]

I'm sorry but them being sweethearts has nothing to do with why they should breed. I have to ask why people still treat birds like other animals (dogs, cats, etc) and that the temperament of the parents will translate into the baby. It won't, parrots are not dogs! If that's the case then logically ALL wild caught breeders should have WILD babies. Wrong! I honestly get sick of hearing people say "Oh they are such a sweet heart, they should have a litter, clutch, etc of babies."
Baby parrots are sweet and good natured because of the breeder raising them that way, the socialization, love, effort, time that goes into a baby and their new owners continuing the same.
JMO

I am sorry I asked a question. And I am dissappointed by the attitudes here. I wasn't asking permission to breed my birds. I did not ask for any advice on how, when or if. No medical judgements on the reason for her beak were begged for. Yet you set yourselves up as judge and jury for a bird your haven't seen and a breeder you don't have any personal knowledge of. What gives? I won't argue or defend to any of you. I hope the next person who asked a question here gets an answer and not a judge and jury.

Relax Suzi Eslick,

We are not from the Government and showing up at your Antelope Valley home to take your birds on account of that Newcastle Disease.

I don't know if you respected your fellow colleagues over there at Ski Sunrise in Wrightwood, before you retired but here we are highly educated professional aviculturists. If you treat us like a colleague you will see that the information you received was exactly what you were asking for, but not sugar coated. We did not judge you just offered our opinion up for discussion.

And speaking about "Knowing You," I know you all too well Suzi, I use to work over at East Ave P, and your 150 love birds, Cockatiels, Conures and the three Timneh (Best little Timmy's in town) African Greys. You may be the big frog in the little pond in Palmdale, but here you are just another user upset that we didn't answer your question "like you wanted it answered."

So don't look down at us from your crooked nose saying we have a bad attitude! You are the one breeding a scissor beaked hen.

Suzi Eslick D and S Exotics
Palmdale, Ca 93551 - Tel. 661-947-1588
Breeds: Conures (green cheek, peach front, sun, maroon bellied, dusky head, aztec / olive throat, half moon); African grey- timneh; Parrotlets- pacific green, pacific blue; Zebra finches; Cockatiels- normal grey, mutations: whiteface cinamon, whiteface pearl, whiteface pied, whiteface lutino (albino)

Should we now add Blue and gold Macaws to your specialty?

[quote]When someone like me (or Ahee above) makes a comment we are immediately thrown to the wolves as being less than sympathetic or understandable. Which is an out and out lie and these people should either grow tough skin or ask in a PET forum somewhere, here you are going to get the real truth, not sugar coated.[/quote]

I agree 100%. I'm still a "newbie" compared to some of the breeders here with 14 years and counting. I value every word these people speak and even the ones that aren't sweet.
14 years of doing this, it's like someone hit the replay over and over. The same questions are asked over and over again by different (or the same) people. Some hoping to find that one person out of a 100 that gives them the answer they WANT to hear, not the one they SHOULD hear. If you want to gets replies like "Ohhhh, babies!! Can't wait for pics!!" visit a pet forum like PurpleHeart said. If you want to hear the truth then you ask here and you have to be prepared for the answers given (good, bad or down right ugly).

This is a question. Answer it or not. How do you know for sure that the female developed scissor beak while hand feeding/bar bobbing? Did the breeder tell you that? Did you hand feed her? Why wasn't their corrective measures taken at that time if this was the case, or measures to prevent further scissor beak (cage bobbing). Again just a question. But I would really reconsider breeding a hen with a problem just because she's sweet.