Nail cutting... How short is perfect?

[chickadeedeedee]

I had 2 canaries and a large amount of finches rescued and their nails were unbelievably long. It's taken me a long time to cut them back to a reasonable length (they use to twirl!) and things are looking good. I'm trying to reach a length so that they stop balancing on their nails and grip the branch with their actual feet.

The pictures I see online of canaries often show nails that I consider to be too long.

Does anyone have a picture or a clear description of a perfect length to receed to?

[kathmcm]

Did you check out the page on nail trimming in the Health section of the Finch Information Center on this site?

[chickadeedeedee]

Did you check out the page on nail trimming in the Health section of the Finch Information Center on this site?

Excellent, thanks, I didn't know that was there.

Still though.. The pictures of nails in the normal nail section do not reflect the diagram below it showing the nail in line with the toe.

As you can see from the far right image, the one toe curls tightly so it lifts the toe up, I don't know if you're able to have the quick receed enough that the nail will eventually grow out with less curl or is it meant to be that way?

[kathmcm]

I think that maybe that curled toe in the far right picture of the normal nails is just a toe that is kind of scrunched up because of how the finch is grasping the perch. I am attaching a pic of one of mine that looks like that.