Copeing

[Tiercel78]

Intrested in other people way of doing these jobs i.e Beak and Talons. Maybe we can learn some diffrent tricks from each other. I'll post my method soon. I just wanted to make this tread before I forgot.

[Weasel]

My way is real easy......I take the bird to the vet ;D. I have had a local rehabber do it with a dremel tool too. The vet uses a similar method. They first clip off the excess at an angle with sharp clippers, then they smooth the shape with a dremel tool. Caution must be used as the bird can get too hot if used too long on the beak. Hooded is recommended too.

[Weasel]

As for the talons....I have not yet had to do that. Use a few sisal rope perches in the mews and they will naturaly wear down. I have even herd of some people useing those rough parrot perches to aid in wear.

[Tiercel78]

My way for copeing beaks is a little diffrent than the vets way. I use diag. clippers to clip the main angle portion and toenail clippers to round out the tip. Then I have jewelers files to to smoothout the tip and work on the sides. I just don't feel comfortable using the dremel yet. One little mistake can cause big problems. Plus like weasel said the heat build up. I think if I got that extenstion that has a thinner grip for the dremel I'd feel more comfortable. As Far as Talons In the past have just used clippers and the quick stop or a candle to stop bleedind if it acures. As far as sharping talons I have put emorey paper on a small dowl. Soaked the feel and worked of the lose stuff with the emorey paper.

[frootdog]

It is not wise to use the sodering gun on nails or beaks. Your worried about heat from the dremel? The heat of the sodering gun is way intense. It can cause permenant damage to the nerve and blood vessels in the nails and beak. One vet I worked for years ago used a similar cautery tool for a dog nail trim and all the nails sloughed and NEVER grew back. I would stick to a dremel, files, clippers, and silver nitrate sticks or quick stop styptic powder.

[Jay]

I have never coped my bird myself. Instead I had a very experinced falconer who was in the area come by. He uses a pair of pliers and a small pocket knife. The pliers have a cutting edge that he clips the extra off then shapes with the pocket knife. I had read somwhere not to use these tools, but he said he has been doing it this way over 40 years no problems. He doesnt like the electric tools because one slip and you really messes up. With the pocket knife you can slowly flake away what is needed.

Talons have never needed a real coping job, they started to dull at one point when I was having problems with my mews. I just put the bird on a perch and used the same meathod of slowly flaking away with a small pocket knife. If you ever take a knife and run is slowly over your fingernail and get the flake/dust, this is exactly what I do with the bird. Very small amounts taken off in a very controlled way.

[harrishawker2]

frootdog said:

It is not wise to use the sodering gun on nails or beaks. Your worried about heat from the dremel? The heat of the sodering gun is way intense. It can cause permenant damage to the nerve and blood vessels in the nails and beak. One vet I worked for years ago used a similar cautery tool for a dog nail trim and all the nails sloughed and NEVER grew back. I would stick to a dremel, files, clippers, and silver nitrate sticks or quick stop styptic powder.

we in the uk use potasium courtariasing crystals

[colohen]

If you have ever drawn blood more then once , then you really need to see some one who knows what there doing cause your going way to far ! And a soldering gun no way !! the heat is so intense that your doing permanent damage weather you know it or not !!
If you have good perches , regular exercise and a proper diet , very little copeing is required !
I have had the some RT for 5 years and NEVER needed to use copeing on her , except when she lost a talon and then it was only to keep the proper shape as the new talon grew back in ! As for the mandible , she rakes it on her perch !! ;D so she does the copeing her self !!
Other then kestrels , I cant speak for long-wings but I never need to cope my hawks out side of a quick check of the talons before session to insure the sharpness and she is ready to go !
Problem areas > Birds that are never flown , like education raptors , birds with diet problems such as calcium deficiencies , damaged talons like squirrel bites .
You take care of your bird and your bird will take care of her/his self !

[Tiercel78]

Ok,
After some thought and talking with Colohen I will retract the information dealing with soldering irons and have modified the post. I'm not backing down on my position but I will agree that it shouldn't be tried by the falconer that has never seen it done properly. -Zach

[Tiercel78]

I wrote Dr. Redig about my method and here was his reply on the subject of using Sodering Irons. He is right it's better to not get it to bleed in the first place. The point I'm getting at is that it can be used safely. Now if you chose to do it it's your choice.-Zach



You're basically cauterizing the tip of the beak and if done with care,
it
should not be a problem. Better to not get it to bleed in first place
..
obviously.

Dr. R

[lenardthefalconer]

I think that you could make your birds bill real pointy if you use some sand paper.

[jfneumann57]

i just do a rough job nothing too fancy and give her a section of turkey/chicken back to woork out the little things herself

[longbow]

Ok, I totally agree with the raptor taking care of it's own copeing but in all honesty copeing a hawks beak goes back a few thousand years so one must assume the need arises every now and then. Besides a sisal rope perch, is there anything that a person could put in his mews that the bird would actually feak on to help a little. Cash has a very sharp beak and that has never been a prob with his talons either. What I'm starting to see is length that I'm not liking and it may not be an issue but it is better to head it off now then let it become an issue. His only perches are sisal rope and his flooring is 6 inch deep river pepples. He has a huge limestone rock by his water pan that he feeds on. Suggestions ?