Biting or grinding on cage bars?

[Candace & Rudy]

Something Rudy does to get attention (or it seems like he does) or when he's firing away some attitude is biting down hard on the cage bars. He also runs his beak back and forth like a crazy bird. Which is fine...i guess?? But when he bites down it looks like he could be grinding his beak...

Should I be worried, or is this normal? Or do I need to get a beak bone or something?

Side note: Rudy is still being his ornery self the past few days. He is still in love with Travis but has decided to test the waters with him as well so we both have our work cut out for us building a relationship with the little guy. We are just taking it one day at a time..He and I had some good experiences today (not coming out of the cage), but still had some fun hide-and-seek time before bet.. It was great

 

[painesgrey]

I haven't had much luck with getting my birds to use any beak conditioners (or cuttlebone, which isn't really a beak conditioner anyway), but they readily chew up wood toys and perches. As long as you're providing him with safe, natural ways to maintain his beak then his chewing on the cage bars is probably a behavioral thing (frustration?) rather than a need he's fulfilling.

 

[Candace & Rudy]

I haven't had much luck with getting my birds to use any beak conditioners (or cuttlebone, which isn't really a beak conditioner anyway), but they readily chew up wood toys and perches. As long as you're providing him with safe, natural ways to maintain his beak then his chewing on the cage bars is probably a behavioral thing (frustration?) rather than a need he's fulfilling.

Thanks @painesgrey He's got a wood perch (not sure what kind, it came with him when we adopted) that he has chewed up quite a bit. I think this is definitely more of a behavioral thing... I just try to calmly say "No don't do that" or "No Rudy, it's okay" I've tried ignoring too. He bites down SO hard though!!

 

[JLcribber]

More importantly what are the cage bars made of? If any coating is wearing down he is ingesting it. Stainless steel or aluminum is recommended for heavy car chewers.

 

[JLcribber]

I just try to calmly say "No don't do that" or "No Rudy, it's okay"

This is a drama reward and will actually encourage the behaviour. You can not bring "any" attention to an undesired behaviour.

Trying to get him to chew other things is fine but it will not change the fact that when he's behind those bars he's gong to chew them.

 

[Candace & Rudy]

More importantly what are the cage bars made of? If any coating is wearing down he is ingesting it. Stainless steel or aluminum is recommended for heavy car chewers.

@JLcribber im really not sure. The cage came with him and I've looked all around for markings to try an identify. At a really close look it doesn't appear that anything is chipping or wearing from his biting but I'm sure that's possible. I've snapped a pic, can you tell from experience just by looking?

Thanks for the tips on not acknowledging the behavior. This is definitely more training for the owner then the parrot! Lol

 

[JLcribber]

@JLcribber im really not sure. The cage came with him and I've looked all around for markings to try an identify. At a really close look it doesn't appear that anything is chipping or wearing from his biting but I'm sure that's possible. I've snapped a pic, can you tell from experience just by looking?

Thanks for the tips on not acknowledging the behavior. This is definitely more training for the owner then the parrot! Lol View attachment 217437

That is powder coated. Should be fine but keep a close eye on the places he chews for wear or chipping. If there are any chipped off spots now I would invest in a new cage because that means he has already been able to chip some coating off.

 

[Candace & Rudy]

That is powder coated. Should be fine but keep a close eye on the places he chews for wear or chipping. If there are any chipped off spots now I would invest in a new cage because that means he has already been able to chip some coating off.

Will do, Thank you!!!

 

[gibsongrrrl]

I agree with John. Definitely check for wear in the finish. Weeble used to chew/grind/ping her bars and ended up ingesting paint chips from the powder coating and got metal toxicity from it. She is in an aluminum cage now.

 

[Candace & Rudy]

I agree with John. Definitely check for wear in the finish. Weeble used to chew/grind/ping her bars and ended up ingesting paint chips from the powder coating and got metal toxicity from it. She is in an aluminum cage now.

Thanks @gibsongrrrl I will keep checking and in the meantime start saving for an aluminum cage. For my info how did you know Weeble had metal toxicity? Any particular behaviors to look out for?

Thanks for your help!

 

[gibsongrrrl]

Thanks @gibsongrrrl I will keep checking and in the meantime start saving for an aluminum cage. For my info how did you know Weeble had metal toxicity? Any particular behaviors to look out for?

Thanks for your help!

One morning when I woke her up I saw she had vomited. Over the next two hours she would try and eat and Mothing would go down and didn't poop. We thought it was a blockage, but X-rays showed nothing. Then she let out a huge bomb and was able to eat and drink normally. I was checking her droppings for undigested food in case it was PDD and found paint chips from the cage finish and pushed to have the tests done and they both came back positive. She was just slightly off in her behavior, but it was very obvious to me something wasn't right and I am so thankful I had them test for it. I knew the cage she came with had lots of finish missing so it could have been going on for some time before I got her and then found spots in her new cage where she had been chewing on it.

 

[Angel Prince]

my quaker, Kiwi does the same, she'll hang onto the side of the cage, and then bites the cage bars. its so weird! she also has this one bell hanging down from a chain in the middle of her cage that she will hang onto with one talon/claw? she loves that bell. anyway, sometomes she'll hang upside down like a bat, and put the chain in her beak, and just yank it around like she's mad at it or something.


Any advice/tips? thanks

 

[Sarahmoluccan]

My U2 Echo would rub his beak along the bars to the point it was actually reshaping his beak. Echo was rehomed to me and came with a really crappy small cage. I knew I had to get him out that cage ASAP. When I did stopped grinding is beak along the bars. This was some time ago now, I don't think he stopped overnight but it was pretty quick.

Given my experience my advice would be to make sure Kiwi is in a suitable size cage, and keep an eye on how her beak looks. Also like others have said make sure you know what your cage is made of. If is a powder coated keep a very close eye on it and make sure there in no chips in the paint.

Her attacking the bell sounds like play behavior to me

 

[Hotpockets]

Roy rubbed/slid his beak along the bars for a bit when I put him in his new cage. I read it can be for pleasure or for territorial reasons. I do think it was territorial because the store said he wouldn't come out on his own and had to be netted. I've never netted him, but was in the process of getting him used to me being around the cage by putting food and toys in it. That made him edgy and sometimes he'd rub the bars right after. He stopped after a few days, though.

 

[Alan 58]

My ringneck is constantly biting/chewing the top of his cage bars and has started to wear away a small patch of feathers on his forehead. I am getting rather concerned about this patch and that he might break his beak coz he is really putting some force behind this all. Can anybody help

 

[Ripshod]

My ringneck is constantly biting/chewing the top of his cage bars and has started to wear away a small patch of feathers on his forehead. I am getting rather concerned about this patch and that he might break his beak coz he is really putting some force behind this all. Can anybody help

Does he get any out-of-cage time? Does he get enough?

 

[Alan 58]

Does he get any out-of-cage time? Does he get enough?

He is only 5 months old and we have only had him for one week. He wasn't hand reared and is not hand trained so was advised not to let him out until he hand trained

 

[JoannaHarold]

One morning when I woke her up I saw she had vomited. Over the next two hours she would try and eat and Mothing would go down and didn't poop. We thought it was a blockage, but X-rays showed nothing. Then she let out a huge bomb and was able to eat and drink normally. I was checking her droppings for undigested food in case it was PDD and found paint chips from the cage finish and pushed to have the tests done and they both came back positive. She was just slightly off in her behavior, but it was very obvious to me something wasn't right and I am so thankful I had them test for it. I knew the cage she came with had lots of finish missing so it could have been going on for some time before I got her and then found spots in her new cage where she had been chewing on it.

I returned home tonight to see that Harold had bitten off his cage quite a bit of the coating.....he regurgitated/vomited and i got it before he swallowed it back and inside are pieces/splinters of cage covering !!! Im worried sick. Here is the photo attached. Here also is the cage itself. Hes been using it since the very start of August. On the description it says "zinc free powder coating". He's always had a bite at it but never as much as today !!!
Joanna.

Rainforest Nova II | Scarletts

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[Shezbug]

I returned home tonight to see that Harold had bitten off his cage quite a bit of the coating.....he regurgitated/vomited and i got it before he swallowed it back and inside are pieces/splinters of cage covering !!! Im worried sick. Here is the photo attached. Here also is the cage itself. Hes been using it since the very start of August. On the description it says "zinc free powder coating". He's always had a bite at it but never as much as today !!!
Joanna.

Rainforest Nova II | Scarletts

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You’re unlikely to get a reply from this member for this old thread. The member you quoted hasn’t been online here for years.

 

[JoannaHarold]

Hes now excreting a lot of the cage a lot of the cage coating in his stool....ive just given him some apple. Its night here and the shops are closed. I dont have peanut butter....