Cockatiels beak too long?

It should not have been on a mash diet.The correct diet is seed plus fruit and veg.You can trim the beak but you would have to be care full not to trim to far back.It would be better if you got some one with experience to do it for you.A bird breeder or perhaps the pet shop could advise.

You do not use files or electric tools,you use a pair of nail cutters.Do not cut too much off, you only cut the tip.A small piece of old mortar or a brick to chew at will help to keep it down.

ADD: Is it possible for you to show a picture of your birds beak? If you have no experience trimming a birds beak w a dermal don't even consider a grinding stone----please----do not use either. A picture would help determine what to suggest for the job (or if it even needs trimming). Trimming a beak should not be taken lightly. Doing it wrong can damage the beak or seriously injure the bird. It's not dead tissue, the beak has nerve endings and blood vessels. You should really consider having someone w experience help you.

You can trim the beak but I would suggest you view a few YouTube videos of the procedure before you do it. Also, have all the supplies you may need ready. This would include first aid items to stop any bleeding that may occur. A seed diet is fine for a cockatiel esp if it is supplemented with various fresh foods. Seed will even help keep a beak in trim to a certain degree due to cracking open the hard seed.

Sprouting seed is very easy and one of the most nutritious things you can offer your bird. In the wild cockatiels eat a mostly seed diet but the seed are in various stages of maturity so they offer allot more nutrition than just the dry seed form usually fed to pet birds. This site gives good info on sprouting: http://sproutpeople.org/ Click onto the second ox down on left side of page "Sprout School".

You mention cuttlebone---this is a calcium supplement & is not hard enough to do anything for keeping a bird beak trim. To add calcium to your birds diet use crushed egg shell. I use the shells from my hard boiled eggs or if the shells are from raw eggs I run them under very hot water or nuke them in the microwave for about 7 or 8 seconds to kill bacteria. Let them dry in the fridge & crush them. I keep a little cup in the cage or sprinkle on the seed & over the soft food. The crushed shell will store very well in the refrigerator in a Ziploc bag or a tightly covered container. I keep a rock in most of my cages. It should be large enough for the bird to stand on but not be wobbly. Clean well before putting in the cage & then clean as necessary. The bird will usually rub it's beak on the rock & this can help keep it trim (the beak not the rock LoL).

Hope the beak trimming goes well. Don't trim too much & as mentioned before, be ready to deal w any bleeding that may occur. This site has allot of good cockatiel info: http://www.cockatielcottage.net/

You should find someone who knows how to cut the birds beak.

Birds will struggle and if you hit the area of the beak that the blood

flows through, then you will have serious problems. Only the

very opaque part of the beak should be cut and not back too far.

Plus, trying to trim this with tools could cause the beak to obtain

fracture like chips up into the blood filled area. I highly advise

you to get a professional to do this and show you how it should

be done, so you can do it later, yourself, with the right equipment.

When a bird starts to bleed from any area, they can lose alot

of blood in a very short period of time...which would be a threat

to their life.

Are you alright!! dont even think of trimming the beak..your bird will die. and which part of India do you stay in? because Im from Mumbai and you do get cuttlefish bone at local bird shops. Its fine if the cockatiel has only seed..try giving some fresh veggies (which I doubt she would eat anyway since shes not used to it). Since shes healthy and active, its fine..don't get worried.

If the cuttle bone in his cage isn't doing the trick, it's time to get a new one or head to the vet so they can sand it down. You might have to take him back from time to time to get it redone, but it'll help both of you in the long run. The rubbing on the bottom of his cage is a nesting behavior. It just means he's sleepy and is getting ready for bed. Don't worry about the sneezing. The next time you clean the cage, if you have a sink with a sprayer, use lukewarm water to give your guy a bath. He'll feel better and it might help with the sneezing. Good luck, and I hope it helps.