The parrot's beak is the cornea that covers the jaws from the outside and inside. It serves birds for chopping and crushing food, building a nest, cleaning plumage. The beak is of no small importance when turning the eggs during their incubation and feeding the chicks, therefore, it is necessary to monitor its condition and be able to provide assistance to the bird in case of illness.
Features of the beak
All parts of the beak are made of bone. Parrots have a tendon ligament between the skull and beak bones, which allows them to move the beak separately. Depending on the type of parrots, their way of feeding, adaptability to the environment, they may have differences in the appearance of the beak.
The cornea at the beak is constantly growing and shifting to the edge, thereby all cracks and damage gradually disappear. The stratum corneum is completely renewed within six months. With the help of receptors located at the end of the beak, parrots recognize heat, cold, touch and shape of objects.
In order for the parrot to keep its beak clean, it needs a special surface on which it will clean the beak from food debris and wash off excess keratin.
Possible beak problems and solutions
Parrots' beak can grow, and it is necessary to check if it is brittle or fragile. If the result is positive, and at the same time there are growths, then the cause is a tick, such a disease is called knemidocoptosis. It is very simple to treat it, it is enough to carry out a complete disinfection of the cell and use means to treat the affected beak. Aversectin ointment or petroleum jelly, offered in all veterinary pharmacies, is perfect for this.
In the absence of growths, liver disease (poisoning, tumor or infection) is possible. It is necessary to include in the diet of a parrot vitamin complexes: vitamin A and C, biotin, folic and pantothenic acid, minerals and calcium. These trace elements prevent softening and, as a result, changes in the structure of the bird's beak.
It is necessary to provide the parrot with special tools for grinding the beak. They can be mineral stones, special perches, sepia, branches of trees or shrubs, and you need to track whether the bird uses them. Supplementing your parrot's diet with hard grains and eliminating fatty foods that lead to liver disease and metabolic problems will have a positive effect.
The overgrowth of the beak may be the result of a bird hitting it against glass or hormonal disruptions. In such cases, the beak must be carefully trimmed, otherwise it will reach such a size that the parrot cannot feed on its own.
The pruning process must be carried out very carefully so as not to cut more than necessary. As a rule, a specialist should do this so that bleeding does not occur and a painful wound does not appear in the bird.
Beak defects can be congenital, due to poor egg incubation, or acquired during juvenile age. When hand-feeding chicks, it is easy to damage their beak, because it is soft and in the formation stage.
Such defects can be corrected in chicks. In adult birds, this is possible by surgery with the help of an experienced veterinarian.
