Do your Bourke's chew?

[buurd]

What I've read of the little information on Bourke's out there, is that they don't chew on things, like regular parrots do.

I've noticed that this is consistent with my bourkies' behavior, too.
They chew their food, but I havent seen them chew on anything else in their cage. Not the bars, toys, or the paper towel that I was using to line the bottom of their cage. I havent seen them so much as try to lift or rearrange it.
I have seen them put their beaks on the top of the drapes while they were hanging on top of them in the window, but I think it was to steady themselves on the fabric, which is a lighter weight. Likewise they like to bounce on the flaps of a brown box, and sometimes steady themselves with their beak, but there are never chew marks on it.

What about your Bourke's? Do they chew on anything non-food related, and what do they chew on?

I also would like to know if they move anything around in their cages?
I would expect that most birds, when they want to lay eggs, would rearrange anything they could find into a nest. Bourke's are said not to make nests. Instead they find a hollowed out tree trunk or the like, and just hang out in there, laying their eggs on the floor. Could this explain why they might not move materials around in their cages, etc?


Edited to add more:

Bourke's are also said not to preen each other. I find this true. I've never ever seen them even attempt to preen one another.
Have any of you seen this behavior in your Bourke's , and if so, under what circumstances did they do it?

 

[Rozalka]

My Bourkes don't chew neither except few exceptions (all of them was in the past):
- an armchair - they used to sit there and chewing
- little wires (I'm not sure how to name in English), I use them to hang a bath
- protruding perch elements - I think it used to disturb them and they wanted to remove (and did)

If something is on the bottom of the cage, my Bourkes sometimes move it.

I've never seen preenig each other neither. One of Bourkes did an exception for budgie and was preening him (then I had only one budgie, now 2 so the Bourke stoped doing it)

 

[buurd]

My Bourkes don't chew neither except few exceptions (all of them was in the past):
- an armchair - they used to sit there and chewing
- little wires (I'm not sure how to name in English), I use them to hang a bath
- protruding perch elements - I think it used to disturb them and they wanted to remove (and did)

If something is on the bottom of the cage, my Bourkes sometimes move it.

I've never seen preenig each other neither. One of Bourkes did an exception for budgie and was preening him (then I had only one budgie, now 2 so the Bourke stoped doing it)

! He preened a budgie ! Maybe a millet seed was hanging off him that the bourkie wanted? ;p

This is really interesting to me; why they dont preen each other.

What could be the reason for this? They live in dry climes but also can be found in greener areas, iirc. What is it that makes the not preeners? It's got to be a social as well as a practical thing, preening each other. They are supposed to be prolific at mating, so. They like each other well, so it's not like a male vs female thing.

As for chewing, did they actually leave chew marks on anything?

My guys like to throw foraging obstacles around to get at their food, but Ive never found evidence of them chewing on them. I lined the bottom of the cage with paper towel in one long sheet, and theyve never moved it, or chewed on the ends. Their toys dont have marks on them. The preening toys are never pulled apart. Ive seen them put their mouths on them, rarely, though.

Again, I see them pecking at box flaps or items when they are out of the cage and exploring (not chewing, more like examining or playing). But they usually are more interested in trying to peck at any of their food that's made it onto the (wood) floor.

 

[Rozalka]

I lined the bottom of the cage with paper towel in one long sheet, and theyve never moved it, or chewed on the ends.

I do simillar but also strew with grit. My Bourkes draw out the paper and chew it. I forgot about it but this is the only way of chewing atm.
I sometimes see some chew marks but it's nearly nothing. Present only in the paper. In the past my dad was chasing them for chewing the armchair. I still don't know why they used to like chew it (there were chew marks)

 

[buurd]

I do simillar but also strew with grit. My Bourkes draw out the paper and chew it. I forgot about it but this is the only way of chewing atm.
I sometimes see some chew marks but it's nearly nothing. Present only in the paper. In the past my dad was chasing them for chewing the armchair. I still don't know why they used to like chew it (there were chew marks)

Ellen just recently mentioned that it's not safe to put absorbent or paper material anywhere they can chew it, in this post:
http://www.parrotforums.com/792140-post23.html

My birds came with oyster grit in one feeder dish.

 

[Rozalka]

I do simillar but also strew with grit. My Bourkes draw out the paper and chew it. I forgot about it but this is the only way of chewing atm.
I sometimes see some chew marks but it's nearly nothing. Present only in the paper. In the past my dad was chasing them for chewing the armchair. I still don't know why they used to like chew it (there were chew marks)

Ellen just recently mentioned that it's not safe to put absorbent or paper material anywhere they can chew it, in this post:
http://www.parrotforums.com/792140-post23.html

My birds came with oyster grit in one feeder dish.

I had read another opinion that paper is safe

 

[buurd]

I think she was commenting more on th e absorbaent type fillings you find in commercial puppy training pads. BUt kitchen paper towels are touted for being absorbent, too.

I did read that bourkies do better on a flat floor surface, rather than a cage floor. But my birds spend most of their day perched, and not walking back and forth in their cage. They go down there when there is food there, to throw around foraging items, or to perch on the side of a bowl or item. They spend more time walking around on the hardwood floors, outside of their cage. But again, outside of the cage, they spend most of their time perching on stuff.

I honestly dont know if having a cage bottom is good for them because they dont seem to be as dexterous as other parrots, who can climb, and I am afraid that they might get their foot caught in the cage bottom when they have a night fright, which they also seem more prone to, than other parrots.