Window eater

Vilatus · Oct 19, 2017

I need some suggestions.

My budgie has a hobby of trying to chew the wooden framing on my windows. I've been trying to stop this behavior for months. Distracting him, offering food, putting him away when he does it, etc. Nothing is working, and his out of cage time is starting to be a lot less than I would like it to be. Almost all his toys in his cage are wooden, so it's not like he doesn't have enough to chew on. He also has a bunch of toys outside it to play with that aren't wood. Last week he chewed an entire yucca log (about 8 1/2 inches long) hollow in a day.

I know their chewing is instinctual, but it's getting to be a problem outside the cage. How can I lessen this behavior?

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Kentuckienne · Oct 19, 2017

Sadly, there isn’t much you can do. Parrots are not domesticated like dogs or cats. They haven’t been bred with an instinct to please humans. We had the same problem with an Amazon, and he just couldn’t be left unattended. In one second he could totally ruin a nice piece of furniture by taking a hunk out of it. All you can do is manipulate the environment.z

Maybe put a sacrificial piece of wood over the window for him to chew, or set up some physical barrier so he can’t reach it. Chewing is a strong, deep, ancient instinct and a bird will find what it likes to chew and chew it.

AmyMyBlueFront · Oct 20, 2017

Kentuckienne said:
Sadly, there isn’t much you can do. Parrots are not domesticated like dogs or cats. They haven’t been bred with an instinct to please humans. We had the same problem with an Amazon, and he just couldn’t be left unattended. In one second he could totally ruin a nice piece of furniture by taking a hunk out of it. All you can do is manipulate the environment.z

Maybe put a sacrificial piece of wood over the window for him to chew, or set up some physical barrier so he can’t reach it. Chewing is a strong, deep, ancient instinct and a bird will find what it likes to chew and chew it.

Yep! Amy has a bazillion chew toys in and out of her house..her favorite?..her table-top T-perch!

"Uncle David" has to make her a replacement T-top about every six months.

Jim

clark_conure · Oct 20, 2017

is there anything he doesn't like? I'd say add pepper to the sill but apperently birds like that....maybe find something he detests and put that on the sill so the taste is abhorrent.

Kiwibird · Oct 20, 2017

Close the curtains when she's out so he can't reach the window trim? Or hang curtains if you don't already have them. Big box stores have nice, affordable options. If curtains are hung properly they should cover an entire window frame.

I'd also find out what kind of wood it is (guessing pine?) and buy her some of that kind of wood? Maybe the wood you're buying is too soft. I've seen those budgie/small bird wood toys and they are always made of such soft wood, my nails could damage it. Maybe she craves a slightly harder wood to chew on?

Kiwibird · Oct 20, 2017

AmyMyBlueFront said:
Yep! Amy has a bazillion chew toys in and out of her house..her favorite?..her table-top T-perch! "Uncle David" has to make her a replacement T-top about every six months.

Jim

Amy just wants to be sure she keeps "uncle Dave" busy

GailC · Oct 20, 2017

I read about using untreated pine 2 x 4 board placed on the window sill, maybe that would divert his attention.

jm0 · Oct 20, 2017

There is actually one thing you can do. Put Angle iron on the window sill to protect the wood. He'll stop chewing right away, because birds can't chew steel. Maybe this will solve the problem. Just for a month or two. Should be enough to break the habit

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Vilatus

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