Fingers Crossed on Tail Biting

[khaiqha]

My two year old alex just molted his tail feathers today. He's been going through a heavy molt, including his primaries and all of his facial feathers (for a few days I could plainly see his ear holes, that was weird). Anyway, this will be the second time he molts his tail and I'm anxious because he habitually breaks it.

Even as a baby, I noticed he would bend his tail feathers, to such an extant that they would actually have permenant crinks in them until he got a bath. His tail would look like a dolphin's tail, or a crazy tv attenna at times. Eventually these crinks would break, shortening his tail. Once it breaks, he chews on it, shortening the tail even more, stopping once it gets to a certain length (about half the original). He did this with his first tail, and again with his second tail after his first molt.

Why he does it is anyone's guess. I do notice that if he's bored or nervous he's slightly more prone to do it, but he'll also do it when he's happy as well. I have this crazy idea that he does this because his tail gets in the way. At the store, he was kept in a small cage while he was weaning instead of out on a stand because I requested he not be clipped. His tail would get roughed up by the bars often. At home he has a large cage, but depending on what angle he sits on a perch or how he climbs around the bars, the tail can still get roughed up by the bars.Also when I sit against the couch, he has tail issues as well.

Another reason I think he does this intentionally is that he trims his own claws. Rarely his claws will get too long, or more often they get too sharp. When this happens his claws get stuck on my shirt, blanket, etc. He will then chew on the claws that are too long/sharp until the tip breaks off.

So anyway, it kills me when he does this to his tail. Comparing tail feathers from previous molts, he always chews them down to the same length each time. Is there anyway I can get him to stop doing this? He hasn't chewed on his tail in almost a year, but that could just be because it's at the length he likes right now. The store that sold me him said babies usually never take care of their tail, so they're prone to having messed up tails, but adults (3+) will take better care of their tails.

 

[Betrisher]

I wonder whether you're giving him plenty of chew toys to occupy that big red beak? My Alexes like to chew anything and everything (including their feathers if they get bored). The onus is on us to keep the red bills full and occupied! LOL!

I collect all sorts of cardboard, wood, plastics (some people prefer not to use plastics, so you'll need to make up your own mind on that score) and whatever the Beaks indicate might make good chewies. Sometimes, I'll tie things in bundles with paulie rope (eg. a bundle of plastic spoons or wooden coffee stirrers) and other times I'll just toss a selection of stuff into the rummage basket than hangs in the cage. The RB is just a hanging wire plant container with various baby pram toys and plastic beads etc pinned to it with carabiners. I fill it with chewies and will usually throw in a handful of shelled peanuts or whatever treats I have on hand.

I've also supplied the Beaks with lots of swings and hanging toys, but their favouritest thing is simply chewing. While they will sit on the swings or the boing or the swinging rope, they spend most of their time chewing. I think that sort of demonstrates to me that I need to keep up the chewy material more than anything else.

I hope you work this out as I know an Alexandrine loses that indefinable something when he's regrowing his tail. My Barney always looks positively embarrassed when he's going through his duck bum phase and the time when Dominic (the Galah) bit of the end of Madge's tail was not a happy one. She kept looking at it as if to say 'Blasted Galah - I'll get him for that!'

 

[khaiqha]

Here's an example of what he does to his tail. He's been much, much better about it now, although unfortunately all it takes is just 30 seconds for him to do this to his tail. He's broken off the tip of the longest feather, but since then he hasn't messed with his tail.