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Earl is pictured here with a cinnamon pied cockatiel just after her grooming in our Grooming Centre.

Grooming Services

     Our professional Grooming Services are available for all types of domestic cage birds. We can do the nails, wings, band removal (aluminium and plastic bands only) and we even do beaks.

NAIL TRIMMING

    Getting your birds nails trimmed on a regular basis is very important for your birds well-being.  Nails that are too long or have a very tight curl to them can cause serious injury.  Overgrown nails can get caught in toys, cage wire, dishes etc., which can severely injure the leg and if the bird is left hanging long enough, possibly their life.  We have even seen birds with nails so overgrown that they were unable to perch.  Those of you with tame birds will understand the necessity of getting your birds nails done regularly.  Especially when the nails are so sharp that you don't want to hold your bird due to the discomfort that the nails bring you.
    If you are unsure as to whether your birds nail require trimming, just observe your bird when they land on a flat surface.  When your bird stands on a flat surface the toenails should just touch the surface.  If the nails are too long or tightly curled they will either lift the end of the toe off the ground or the toe will be bent sideways.

WING TRIMMING

    Getting a birds wings trimmed is a personal choice.  There are pros and cons to the decision that you have to make about getting your birds wings trimmed.  The only cage birds that should not have their wings trimmed are all finches (including canaries), softbills (such as mynahs, toucans, etc.), doves and quail.
    Some of the pros for getting the wings clipped are: Safety, by preventing the bird from flying around the house they are unable to fly into windows, mirrors, etc.  Clipping also reduces the risk of loosing the bird to the great outdoors if someone accidentally leaves a window or door open (kids are really bad for this).  A clipped bird is also less likely to knock something valuable off a shelf or chew up a picture frame.  There are also the control issues that you have to consider.  A clipped bird is much easier to catch and put back in the cage when you go out, it is also easier to catch than the one flying around the 14 foot cathedral ceiling.  You will also find that with some birds (cockatiels are one) that the sweet lovable bird that wants to be with you suddenly becomes an ornery cuss when it gets its flight back, something like a headstrong teenager with their own car.
    Some of the cons for getting the wings clipped are: With some birds a clipped wing can spell disaster, these birds are unable to handle a wing clip and will crash to the ground frequently (they usually are a little daft about being grounded and they try to fly anyways).  It is not worth risking injury with these birds just to have them clipped.  Some people love to see their bird fly and enjoy watching them boot around the room, as long as they are careful with windows and mirrors and they don't have anything valuable for the bird to chew, this is great.  There are also those owners that have cats and dogs in the house and it may be safer for the bird to have flight than for is to land on the ground in front of the other family pet.
    These are the most common reasons that people have their birds wings clipped or not clipped, there are many more, you have to decide what is right for you.
    A bird that has been properly clipped should be able to land on its feet about 4-6 feet away from you (from chest height) with control.  A bird that cannot control the direction that it descends or that drops like a rock or that is still flying is not clipped properly.  A bird that is still flying after a clip just needs a little more off to slow it down.  A bird that cannot control itself or drops is in serious trouble as it is likely to injure itself.
    WARNING, a clipped bird can still fly!  Even if your bird is clipped it can still fly if it gets outside.  A good wing clip will allow the bird to land safely on the ground when it is indoors.  Outdoors the same bird can take advantage of thermals and breezes to gain altitude and fly away.

BEAK TRIMMING

    Most birds never need to have their beaks trimmed.  Only the birds with overgrown or misshapen beaks require re-shaping.  All birds beaks "flake" to a certain degree as the old layers of the beak flake off.  Some birds never wear off this flaking and it can build up to be quite heavy, sometimes it is thick enough that food particles, such as fruit, get caught up between these layers which can lead to fungal growth inside the beak.
    We can clean up most beaks to remove all excessive old growth from your birds beak to prevent any future problems.  We also re-shape beaks that are either overgrown or misshapen (i.e. lower mandible grows up past the upper mandible).  Repairing misshapen beaks take a long time as the re-shaping process helps train the new growth to grown properly.

Medical Services

     We offer a variety of medical services for your bird. We can apply emergency first aid to a bird, examine your bird to determine if Veterinary attention is required and administer medication to your bird if you are unable to do so.

Other Services

     We provide many other in store services for you and your bird. These include:

     Cage cleaning: If you find that cleaning your cage properly is too difficult, we can do it for you.

     Cage De-miting: Red mites are common among cage birds. Canaries and finches are more likely to get them than other birds, but all birds can get them. Your bird does not need to have any contact with other birds to get red mites, just leave a window open and the wild birds will be more than happy to share theirs. Red mites use birds as a carrier and as a diner. The mite prefers to live in dark crevices, close to where the bird sleeps or in nests. This makes your bird and it's cage an ideal place to live. Lots of crevices around the cage to live in and a restaurant that is open 24 hours a day.
     If you think that you might have mites in your cage, you can bring in the cage and bird and we can look for the mites. If there are mites present we can de-mite the cage for you.

     Perch fitting and cage set-up: We can help you set up your cage to help maximize the space within the cage as well making the cage easier to clean. We can also fit new perches, that are the right size for your bird, or re-fit your old ones so that they fit better in the cage.

     Handling your bird: If you need a hand with taming your first budgie or dealing with a problem with your bird. We are more than happy to help out by showing you how to handle your bird.