Non-Shredding Okay?

[UserAZ]

It has been a year yesterday I had Tweety. I got to thinking. He never shreds. As a matter of fact, he really does not play with anything but the swing. I have seen many posts about birds loving to shred. He does not seem to like playing or shredding anything all year. But he otherwise still seems happy, chirping, loud, and acting normal (to me). My question is if it is okay that some budgies do not shred things at all.

 

[Shezbug]

If my guy does not have balsa perches he will not shred. Sometimes its about finding the right material, sometimes it is about finding the right placement. What have you offered for your bird to chew on?

 

[UserAZ]

I tried paper. Still always paper on the cage floor (he just walks on it, not tried to tear apart). I have crumbled paper on top for him to push around when getting seeds outside the cage (pellets are inside the cage). But that all he does is push it to get to the food.



October 2023


Some of the new things I got from Lil Monsters in November. He ignores the flag toy, which has balsa rope/string, and the Chinese finger toy. He only goes near them if he realizes I put millets there.



November 2023


I have other hanging toys but they not anything to shred.

The swing he on a lot looks like it is something to attack, but he just swings. Does not peck at it.



October 2023


I have also tried toilet paper, with and without a roll center, different types of paper and made them hang, and old cloths (like a bathroom washcloth). Nothing!


I spent money (had to budget for it) on him and he does not even bother with things I have purchased. :/

 

[Pixiebeak]

My Budgies really went to town on the softer wood back of this toy @Macawnutz ehst is the back made of? Or @Shezbug may know, or somebody lol this really soft wood they like

 

[GreenThing]

(A quick aside-- I'd personally avoid fabric/yarn fringe, especially if he fiddles with it-- lots of budgies get an impaction from little fibers building up)

All my budgies are just incredibly finicky about toys. Some things they liked as a baby do nothing for them now. Balsa and raffia are usually popular-- and wood perches with some bark on them, like bottle brush, are their MOST favorite thing. I'd just keep trying things! Watch Tweety's behavior and try putting toys in different places and leaving them for a bit. Mine are always scared of a new toy for a few hours.

 

[Scorpi0]

Two thing my budgies cant resist shredding are bird kabobs and sola balls. Once they see those, they have to murder it. Everything else might get poked at every now and then though.

 

[Shezbug]

My little one is not overly keen on hanging toys for chewing but I promise you we go through so much balsa it is crazy.. I buy the square balsa rods and shove them through the bars as a perch (they go the whole length of the cage) for my little one to personalise with chewing and he loves them, balsa hanging toys can sit there for months without being touched but his hanging beads on leather string and his hanging bells he loves to bash at and grab with his foot- so he likes his balsa to be in a fixed place or he wont bother chewing it, he never touches paper which is odd as all my past budgies were serious paper shredders. I have offered my little guy cork, mahogany, palm shredders, finger traps and sola amongst other materials and none of it interests him apparently.

Each bird is different and sometimes it can be a matter of materials or placement that really affects the birds interest.

 

[UserAZ]

I considered those ball things, but they be rolling on the bottom of the cage with poop. I tend to not keep things on bottom of cage. Ah, but maybe as long as they not roll off the top of the cage, like those kabobs, I can place items up there. Just need to get one for his little beak to handle.

I will look more into mountable balsa and raffia type items as you all stated. Even long pieces as @Shezbug mentioned.

I wonder if I could wrap up a piece of paper like a candle. Dip it in something and then cover it with millets. He go for that.

 

[Macawnutz]

View attachment 441766
My Budgies really went to town on the softer wood back of this toy @Macawnutz ehst is the back made of? Or @Shezbug may know, or somebody lol this really soft wood they like

1/2" extra light balsa wood