Why do my birds keep chewing perches and ladders? Is it normal?

It is not uncommon for birds to chew at one particular spot on a perch. It looks like you have a number of wooden dowel perches in the cage - you could try to vary these by providing Manzanita wood perches (they look more like branches) and this may provide them with some areas that they can clean their beaks and wear their nails as well. For your question about the food dishes - it is very common for birds to only utilize materials (including food, water, toys, and perches) that are at the top of their cage. The reason for this is that they typically live in the trees, so they like to be high up the majority of the time. I would advise removing the dishes that are down low, and only providing dishes high in the cage. You can still provide multiple dishes if desired, in case you have some competition for food among the birds in the family. I hope that answers your questions, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Destroying wooden toys and ladders is actually natural behavior in birds and is good enrichment. Some things you can do is offer a variety of other toys and things that they can destroy. Use newspaper or cardboard rolls to wrap and hold treats to give them something to destroy and forage at the same time. You can consider getting slightly thicker woofer toys that may last longer or combining some plastic perches and ladders with wood. A variety of shape sizes and textures is healthier than one size and style only. Concrete type perches help to file thier nails. Wood such as Manzanita is extremely hard and much more durable than the plain wood perches. Below are some toy ideas. There are also resources available on the web to see what tree branches you may have in your yard that are safe for perches. https://lafeber.com/pet-birds/top-toys-for-parakeets/ https://lafeber.com/pet-birds/bird-owners-can-find-new-uses-for-these-recyclables/

It sounds like Lily may be a bit bored or wants to get out and explore. Adding some enrichment to her cage, such as puzzle toys she can chew on for a treat or something she can snuggle and preen may help redirect the behavior to safer items and give her some more enrichment. If you're able, letting her have some time out of her cage such as on a cage-top play pen, or in a safe room interacting with you can help give her some extra enrichment as well.

Thanks for reaching out about Miso and including photos. Psittacine Feather Destructive Behavior can have many causes: stress, nutritional deficiencies, some viral diseases, external parasites (mites, lice) and other problems. A veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. Provide more distractions toys, give showers to induce bathing, check and correct nutrition. These are all things to try. Good luck.

It may be due to curiosity or boredom. Provide a variety of foods (pelleted diet, some seed, fresh fruit and vegetables) as well as a variety of toys to keep them engaged. A grate at the bottom will prevent them from reaching the droppings.

This chewing may be due to boredom, stress, illness or injury. Check Sweeto's leg for redness, swelling, sores, bleeding or discharge. See your veterinarian or an experienced avian vet if you see any of these. Survey the area around her cage for any negative stimuli. Reduce or eliminate them if possible. Provide a variety of toys to prevent boredom and keep her engaged. Play and talk to her as often as you can. If you see her chewing, stop her then distract with a toy, treat or playtime. Reward and praise her when she complies.

Some toys or changes to the environment are definitely a great way to help reduce boredom. You can look for toys that are soft or fuzzy to encourage preening and chewing behavior, or toys that can move around such as swings or bendy ladders for exercise. Treats that have to be pecked at are also great enrichment. Just be sure to choose toys that are designed for your bird's size and activity level. If you have a pair, you may also want to add in a nest or some nesting material to encourage building and give them extra enrichment.