Rubbing himself

Hi All

Barney has taken to rubbing himself on the end of his swing does this for long periods he is happy and n good condition has plenty of fresh food fruit and veg etc plus his feed a few nuts

Also how often do you need to clip toe nails and trim beak

Thanks
Trev n Jen

First quick question - what actions are you taking to prevent creating an environment that triggers his hormones? (sleep, food, toys, etc - that way people can more accurately answer your topic)

As for the nails and beak trimming, let me flip it around - how often do you need to clip your nails? It really depends on the length, right? Be sure to see an avian vet (not a general vet) to make sure his beak growth is ok. Some ekkies are prone to dietary issues, which cause problems with their beaks.

Ideally if you have proper perches, you won't have to go for grooming that often (if at all).

What area of himself is he rubbing to be clear?



Vent area= hormones


Head= itchy head, possibly pin feathers need scratchin'

My vet told me she does not trim beaks unless there is a medical issue, and that nail trims are for the caretaker's comfort, but the bird should have suitable environment and activities to wear them naturally.

Is he rubbing his butt/vent area on it? If so, that could be sexual....cough cough.
I have never ever heard not to trim a bird's beak unless there is a medical issue. EDIT-- MANY healthy birds (with lots to chew on) still need their beaks trimmed but this may be species dependent. I know cockatoos often do (sometimes more than 1x a year). Now, if his beak is definitely not too long, then don't trim it for kicks, but even with things to chew, many birds need trims (depending on their type/beak length etc).

I wonder if this varies by species? I've never had to trim a beak on any of my parrots ever......

Laurasea said:

I wonder if this varies by species? I've never had to trim a beak on any of my parrots ever......

Click to expand...

I have. But there was medical issues prompting it. Have a budgie who is due for a 2nd beak trim soon I think. Other than that, never. And have not heard of it being a part of normal grooming of healthy birds.

Yes my Quaker Parrot does the same thing the randy little critter, its just hormones kicking in with no females around, so the perch is the next best option.
Thanks
Noah Till

Laurasea said:

I wonder if this varies by species? I've never had to trim a beak on any of my parrots ever......

Click to expand...

It very well could vary by species--- I know cockatoos get it done commonly.

The rubbing definitely sounds sexual, unless I'm misunderstanding what you're describing. As charmed mention, make sure there's nothing around stimulating hormonal behavior. Dark, nest-like areas, excess of sugars, fats or proteins, petting the back, under the wings, along the length of the tail, or (obviously) anywhere near the vent area.

Other than that, if relieving himself in this way doesn't bring about any other undesirable behavior, I'd say leave him be. Some birds will become more aggressive and such. But others just feel the need and find some fortuitously positioned object in the cage that does the trick. If your guy falls into the latter category, then why not?

As for trimming beaks and nails...

Jolly never needs his nails trimmed. And I've gotten Maya to the point where she only needs them trimmed maybe once every year and a half. This is because I put at least one of those specialized perches that wear down the nails in each of their cages. The concrete types. In front of their food bowls. This way, when they're doing their happy food dance, they wear down their nails. Very effective. (Note: all the other perches are wooden branch types. Having all concrete perches can irritate their foot pads.)

My ekkies have never needed beak trims. They handle beak maintenance themselves via the wood they chew in the cage, or the hard surfaces of some of their perches. There are some birds that don't do this enough, or others with either dietary issues or liver issues that cause beak overgrowth. But for those, it would depend upon the rate of growth. But as Noodles mentioned, don't give the beak trim just to do it. It should be medically necessary.