# How should i trim my Polands beak?



## HellsBells (Sep 9, 2013)

Have two Polands - one of them has an overgrown beak. (Pardon the wet head in the photos). How do I trim it and is it safe to do it myself!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I use nail clippers for dogs. Its ideal for fitting over the beak. See the dark part of the beak? Just like with nails you have to keep away from that. Try not to clip shorter than the lower beak.

A trick that makes it a tad easier, getting there is a trip but it works, is to insert a finger cross wise in the beak to hold it open. That also helps stabilize the head so you can trim without the bird fighting.


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## HellsBells (Sep 9, 2013)

Thank you Robin. That makes sense - I will give it a go!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Just like anything else, it will take patience and practice. I make it sound easy, peasy but the first few times I had to trim I was sure I was going to rip the beak off. Never did, thank goodness.

I see your guy has a bit of a twist in the upper beak. That's probably why the beak has grown out like that. So this is something you will always have to watch for. And it appears to be the genetic form so could show up in the peeps.


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## adorson (Jul 19, 2012)

I use a pedi paws for dogs nails. Mine freak out with the clippers but tolerate the pedi paws so much better. I would think it freak them out more but not my guys.
Robin, just wondering how you can tell if a cross beak is genetic or not by visualization. I have 2 unrelated crossbeaks and they are not related and I have not had any since then.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

See the top pic? You can just see a slight curve to the side. It sort of hooks to the right. That is the genetic form. This bird's is mild compared to many others.

The other, non genetic form, has perfectly shaped upper and lower beaks. There is a mechanical problem, thought to be caused by injury at a very young age, where the top sort of just crosses over to the side. 

I have one like the latter. And because the problem was still being discussed about whether or not it was genetic, I experimented with her. I hatched chicks from her, then bred a male from that hatch back to her. Bred siblings together. Not something I prefer to do but I needed to know that this would not end up with people I sold birds to. I never saw it in any of my birds. None that I ever sold had it show up. A couple of others tried it with the same results. 

If your two birds have perfectly shaped beaks that just don't line up completely then I would not expect you to see it appear in the offspring. But if the beaks are deformed expect to see it pop up if by chance you have some inbreeding going on. Two parents carrying the gene can result in a chick with the deformity.


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## adorson (Jul 19, 2012)

Thanks Robin! I will have to take a good look at my guys to see if I can tell.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

It is pretty easy. A nice straight upper that just doesn't line up with the bottom. The girl I have I can trim and you have to look closely to see that its not quite right. Any curve to the side or twist is the genetic one.


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## HellsBells (Sep 9, 2013)

Thank you. Can you give me any advice re their crests? When dry they are beautiful. When they get wet, they scrape around in the dust and mud and - well, you can see the result! Will this cause problems? Should I wash them? How should I take care of their poor crests? I did trim so they could see.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Other than keeping them in cages its just something to accept with these crested breeds. Some of my prettiest birds can make a huge mess of the crests, I just accept as being a part of them.


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