How do I trim an African gray's nails?

Answer 1

Carefully (ha, ha) I would suggest, if you have never done so - call around to some pet stores that sell birds or a vet and see how much they charge. Usually it is not very much to do this and is safer for you or the bird. Generally they will use a towel and hold the bird on it's back. As you have to be careful not to injure the bird - it is better to have someone who knows what they are doing assist you or show you the proper way. You can also trim their flight feathers during this procedure as well and check their beaks to ensure they are okay too. --- Regarding the above thoughtful answer, I agree that professionals do this job more effectively. However, many birds are heavily stressed by travelling to the vet. IN our case, I think we risked more injury to the bird by not doing nail trims at home. Different birds, though, may not be as affected. Note that it's a good idea to have some styptic powder around when you do this. Psiticines have large blood vessels in their claws and, if you cut too deeply, you can open the vessel, which often doesn't clot easily. The powder is to stop the bleeding before the bird is injured. We used a dog nail clipper on our Amazon, and it worked well. Remember though: Better to leave the nails a little too long than to cut too deeply and hurt the bird.