CARE OF FEET AND BILL.
As a canary grows old it will be noticed that its claws become long and catch on the perches and wires as it hops about the cage. In a state of nature the activities of the bird as it moves about on the ground or among twigs and limbs keep the claws properly worn down. Confined in a cage the canary is less active, and while the claws have the same rate of growth they are here subject to much less abrasion. It is necessary, therefore, to trim them with a pair of sharp scissors every few months. It is important to watch the condition of the claws carefully, as by catching they may cause a broken leg. In each claw a slender blood vessel extends well down toward the tip. This is indicated in Figure 6 by the letter A, and may be seen on close examination through the transparent sheath of the bird’s claw. In trimming cut well beyond this canal (at the point B in the figure) and take special care not to break the leg while handling the bird.
Fig. 6.—Diagram of foot of canary with overgrown claws. A, Terminal blood vessel; B, point at which claw may be trimmed without injury.
In cage birds the horny covering of the bill, as well as the claws, sometimes becomes distorted through growth without sufficient wear. The tips of the mandibles may be pared down with a sharp knife, but care must be taken not to cut deep enough to reach the quick.