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[Shell79]

Hi everyone my 16 year old amazon is going through a long moult and a beak flake his beak has been bad for about 3 weeks I have been giving potatoes green beans carrots millet and fruit along with his seeds still no improvement is it normal a flake like this

 

[Veganature]

What I do for Oliver my Orange Wing is I file his beak and then rub a drop of coconut or olive oil on his beak to keep it looking nice and smooth.

 

[Sarahmoluccan]

Hmmm.... I dunno... @melissasparrots is a good person to ask thou

 

[melissasparrots]

Mine often get flaky during the molt. Sometimes even between molts. Some people have found that adding a little bit of flaxseed or coconut oil helps. I haven't found that to be true myself. With really tame amazons, sometimes I'll use my finger nail to help them peel off the layers. Otherwise, chew toys help or one of those cement perches next to a food station so they can wipe their beak on it when done eating.

 

[Mizzely]

Vitamin A and D3 can also help. Orange veggies and unfiltered sunlight, or a balanced pellet

 

[melissasparrots]

Other things that might help would be a really good soaking shower several times a week if your bird is willing to tolerate it. Water helps to soften keratin and makes the outer later of beak and nails easier to shed.

 

[txdyna65]

I agree about the shower, what also seems to help my Lucy is good perches that she like to scratch her beak on. She likes to scratch her beak on one of those sandpaper perches that has it on 2 sides but not in the middle part where she sits. I forget the name of it but it also helps keep her nails from getting sharp. She also has several natural perches I made for her that has the bark on them, she scratches her beak on those as well. Seems to really help her flaking beak when she gets it.

 

[Barbara jasko]

beaks flaking or wearing around the edges is normal and most noticable on dark beaked birds. Sometimes I take a fingernail buffer and buff it around the sides a bit and then put a bit of oil on it. This is mostly cosmetic and not a reason for concern. Beaks are like our fingernails and will be replaced with new beak growth.

 

[Begone]

What I do for Oliver my Orange Wing is I file his beak and then rub a drop of coconut or olive oil on his beak to keep it looking nice and smooth.

But just because it will look healthy because you have add oil on it don't tell that it is healthy. That is only to hide the problem.
To add oil on a beak can also make it very unhealthy because the beak can't regulate moisture anymore.
If you must add oil on the beak, do it very spare/rarely and always when it's wet.

Flaxseed oil is good, but should be added on the food, not on the beak.

I will say a good varied diet, real sunlight and regular bath will make him and his beak healthy.
That will also make him have better and shorter molting periods.

 

[svetlak]

Beaks grow from beneath the visible surface of the beak, so it is normal that the existing surface should crack and flake at some point. As long as your bird is on a healthy diet and has stuff (branches/rock) to wipe/scrape his beak on, he will be fine. Every parrot's beak will get flaky at some point.

You can always go to the vet for a quick visit if it's going to give you peace of mind, but you cannot expect a smooth beak all year round, that's for sure. It will flake, believe me

 

[Veganature]

But just because it will look healthy because you have add oil on it don't tell that it is healthy. That is only to hide the problem.
To add oil on a beak can also make it very unhealthy because the beak can't regulate moisture anymore.
If you must add oil on the beak, do it very spare/rarely and always when it's wet.

Flaxseed oil is good, but should be added on the food, not on the beak.

I will say a good varied diet, real sunlight and regular bath will make him and his beak healthy.
That will also make him have better and shorter molting periods.

Hi and thank you for the advice. However, Oliver is NOT the bird with beak issues. He has plenty of chew toys that he just loves to chew. Oliver gets regular weekly showers and daily steam baths. I only apply coconut oil very sparingly after having sanded his beak when needed.