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Satisfying their scratching need


Greytness

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Do any of you provide an area set up in the bottom of your greys' cages to help them satisfy their scratching needs? I have a grate at the bottom of my baby's cage, but feel that he needs something to scratch into instead of the bars. I don't want to remove the grate and have him scratching in the area where his food and poops fall.

 

Any ideas?

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We have always kept a cardboard box with flaps taped shut and cut a door opening for dayo to walk in and scratch, chew and hang out in. We use a 10lb Dog Bone box. Any cardboard box would do though. He goes through about one a month. By then he has scratched and chewed through the entire bottom of the box. When he was still just 4 to 8 months old, sometimes we would see his talons sticking out of the opening and he he laying down sleeping soundly. As he grew older, the sleeping like that stopped of course.:)

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We started out putting wadded up news paper in it, but quickly found he thought it was just clutter and just tossed it out of his way. So we stopped doing that. We did used to then fold up a small cotton towel folded and placed inside, which he napped on when young. But, he soon started just pulling it out so he could get to scratching and tearing up the bottom. But, every grey is different, so experiment and see what your grey likes. It does not hurt anything and gives your grey new experiences. You will quickly learn his likes and dislikes. :)

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Glad you mentioned the tape, Timbersmom, because I hadn't thought to remove it.

 

His breeder just called to check in on how things are going so far. I mentioned the scratching thing, and he said that they do it to try to get out; that it's not a foraging thing. But don't they do that in the wild to forage for food on the ground? Perhaps they do it for both reasons.

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Maybe it is both, but Timber doesn't seem to be trying to escape but rather to remodel. He will chew small holes in the sides to peer out of, and he does eventually scratch and chew through the bottom. That's when I have to replace the box unless it gets soiled before that.

 

Timber will spend an hour or so in the box at times. He will scratch, chew and nap in the box. He also hides in there and springs out when I come back in from another room.

 

He is a small TAG, and doesn't like to chew on wood much. I assume he uses the cardboard to satisfy his natural instincts to shred and chew. As to his motivations, who knows? A busy bird is a happy bird in my book ;)

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None of my parrots go to the bottom of their cages and dig or scratch. They are perch dwellers.

 

Thats what I was going to say Marco doesnt really go to the bottom of her cage anymore ... way more or a perch/tree stand/boing dweller... if she gets to itching specially in the winter I keep the humidifyer on for her and it cuts down on alot of it plus baths

Edited by aerial.2000
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I put empty cardboard boxes on top of my kitchen cabinets on their side. It keeps my birds from chewing the top of my cabinets. They won't go to the bottom of their cages for anything! I do have a corner shelve which I cover with vet wrap for them, sometimes I put old phone books on them for them to chew up.

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My first two parrots were both perchers, and Inara is also (when in her cage). When she first came to live with us, her former people said that she would go to the bottom of her cage and scratch at the sides when she wanted out. She stopped doing that sometime during the first week she was with us. We have always said, "Want up?" when we offer to take her out of her cage, and she began saying "up up" when she wants out. She does, however, get walking around foraging time hanging out with me on the couch. I put a towel on the couch, and have wooden beads stuffed with birdie goodies and paper to shred, etc. I love Baileyspapa's foraging box idea, and have not yet gotten around to creating one for her, but I shall.

 

For the folks who have cardboard boxes in the cage, my question is this. Inara is a DNA sexed female, so I'm hesitant about providing anything in her cage that could eventually motivate her to start egg laying. Do you think this would be a concern or no? I have not had 1) a youngster before (she is 28 months) and 2) not had a female (as far as I know) before. Would appreciate any insights and/or advice.

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For the folks who have cardboard boxes in the cage, my question is this. Inara is a DNA sexed female, so I'm hesitant about providing anything in her cage that could eventually motivate her to start egg laying. Do you think this would be a concern or no? I have not had 1) a youngster before (she is 28 months) and 2) not had a female (as far as I know) before. Would appreciate any insights and/or advice.

 

That is a good question. I suppose it could induce nesting behavior and once sexually mature, perhaps an egg. I know the reason Dayo goes down to the box these days and starts digging and prettying up the join is he checks on my wife to see if she's watching. Once he knows he has her attention he will go completely inside, wait 10 or 20 seconds, pop his head out to check on her, perhaps cheep at her then scramble back in and wait. It is clearly obvious to me, that Dayo is wanting to get his love muffin in to his nest. Now out of the cage, sometimes he fly's down to the floor and explores. Sometimes he will grab the carpet and just start scratching like a mad man for a while. They do scratch dirt etc. in the wild when foraging and most birds do.

Edited by danmcq
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My first two parrots were both perchers, and Inara is also (when in her cage). When she first came to live with us, her former people said that she would go to the bottom of her cage and scratch at the sides when she wanted out. She stopped doing that sometime during the first week she was with us. We have always said, "Want up?" when we offer to take her out of her cage, and she began saying "up up" when she wants out. She does, however, get walking around foraging time hanging out with me on the couch. I put a towel on the couch, and have wooden beads stuffed with birdie goodies and paper to shred, etc. I love Baileyspapa's foraging box idea, and have not yet gotten around to creating one for her, but I shall.

 

For the folks who have cardboard boxes in the cage, my question is this. Inara is a DNA sexed female, so I'm hesitant about providing anything in her cage that could eventually motivate her to start egg laying. Do you think this would be a concern or no? I have not had 1) a youngster before (she is 28 months) and 2) not had a female (as far as I know) before. Would appreciate any insights and/or advice.

 

 

In a cage, most of the time having cardboard boxes shouldn't activate any egg laying phase unless the bird has overactive glands. It can activate possessivenes. A bird with overactive glands doesn't need any type of item that even remotely resembles any nesting material or enclosed area to stimulate them. They'll lay eggs on the grating, in a food dish, in a corner of a cage etc. 95% of birds that do that are usually adults who are very mature. 7,8,9,10 yrs old ( normal breeding age).

In my opinion, the real problem is having that cardboard box in the cage in the first place. Why?? Greys are very possessive and giving them something to hide in all the time can eventually lead to aggressive behavior which can result in biting. The box becomes their possession and they don't like their possessions messed around with. They can even feel the same way where toys are involved. A grey doesn't need a cardboard box in the cage and if that bird DOES get stimulated, there's lots of trouble around the corner especially if that bird is an adolescent. Their health, strength and calcium levels can fluctuate which is a no no where greys are involved.

There's loads of other items that can be put in a cage.

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One can use a flat piece of cardboard, cut a side off a box and lay it in the cage for them to destroy if they wish. some people get a dish tub and fill partway with sand or shavings and hide treats and foot toys inside for them to find. Do let them see you place some of the treats or toys the first time so they know what is in there. Messy but fun for them.

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