Preventing un-wanted wood-chewing?

Hello! My two rescued African greys have really warmed up to me and are very comfortable in my home. The problem is they're too comfortable, and take pleasure in being naughty and pushing my boundaries. They also like to egg each other on. As soon as I look away, they run across the floor and start chewing on my molding (wood-trim and also the plastic trim in my kitchen). The molding will have to be replaced, but I want to kick the habit before I do so.

I know the best solution is to supervise them, and I do my best to do that, but I can't always carry them from room to room as I move about the house, and they are very quick and often sneak a bite before I notice. (I know caging them is also an option, but I avoid caging them when I'm home.) Has anyone found anything bad-tasting you can rub on the molding? A family member recommended a sour-apple spray she uses for her puppy, but I haven't researched if it is bird safe (and our birds love apples!).

I've also wrapped packing tape around the legs of my furniture, but I don't think that tape feasible for hundreds of a hundred + feet of wood trim!

The molding is just "stuff" and I try not to let it bother me, but I also worry if I don't stop it, the drywall is next! Plus, my family already thinks it is weird I rescued parrots and the fact that they're eating my house doesn't help convince my folks that I'm doing the right thing.

Thanks for your advice!

ETA: They also have lots of toys and acceptable pieces of wood to chew. They enjoy shredable toys and chopsticks, but ignore more "block" type toys I give them. I believe they specifically like to chew what was not offered to them in order to be sassy!

I think they should be trained to stay on a play gym or play area of their own while they are out of their cage. You don't mention that you have such a place. Clipping their wings may help during the training process. After they are trained, the feathers can grow back in. It will take some work but it can be done.

I'd llove to know that million dollar answer, lol.
Serioulsy though, there is no one answer simple solutuin, but inthink u already know that. I really like to give my birdy lots of floor time too. He loves it and spends lots of time n the move getting exercise, since he is clipped. I find by trial and error what distractions he will be busy wih for a long time that he likes. A piles up towel for him to make tunnels in, am open thick cardboard box laying on it's side, foot toys here and there, a playgym alway on the floor with food and water, a way for him to get back in his cage on his own. U have two fids, so that chamges the dymamic, double trouble, haha. None of what i do is fool proof, he still occasionally decides to whittle a few bites out of moulding, etc.

I want to mention some safety things u pro already know.... Outlet safety caps, no access to electric wires because it is only a matter of time....

Thank you both for your replies.

Merlee said:

I think they should be trained to stay on a play gym or play area of their own while they are out of their cage. You don't mention that you have such a place. Clipping their wings may help during the training process. After they are trained, the feathers can grow back in. It will take some work but it can be done.

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They have a manzanita tree next to their cage that they share with my amazon (the tree is in between their cages). I also have a tabletop t-stand on my ding table, and a bigger t-stand that has food dishes that I keep in my office.

Neither are clipped, but only Sophie flies. Joey was clipped before we got him, so I don't think he's learned how to fly yet. Sophie flies to the floor, and Joey will jump or climb down (their cage is low-to-the ground).

I'm not sure how to train them to only go in parrot-allowed spots. My amazon and conure are so well behaved they stay exactly where I leave them for hours (so long as they have food/water). The greys used to be this way, but have gradually gotten bolder as they've become more comfortable with our house. I know how to train animals when I am supervising--touch the target, do a trick, etc., but I don't know how to teach them to behave when my back is turned. I hear folks with flighted parrots teach the parrots they're only allowed to stay on their perches, and I'd love to learn how to teach my greys that!

I am happy they're so comfortable at our house. Sophie in particular was neglected before she came to the rescue, and was a shy/introverted bird at the rescue itself, so she has really blossomed at my house... but with her confidence comes brattiness!

I could try moving the manzanita tree but it doesn't have food or water dishes on it.

I have a galah who LOOVVVES trudging around on the floor...or climbing up onto the curtain rods to try and eat the wall. I do a lot of redirecting lol if I see her playing in unacceptable place, I remove her and put her in a place where she's encouraged to play....sometimes it takes multiple times of redirecting her for her to get it. But if she keeps it up she gets shut in her cage (which is rarely).

Have you tried switching a toy or two on the play stands, so that they have something "new" to play with/discover every other day or so?

My big guys are into pine cones at the moment. As long as there are pine cones attached somewhere on their Java trees, they stay put. As soon as they are gone, I have some wild winged creatures exploring the house.

JerseyWendy said:

Have you tried switching a toy or two on the play stands, so that they have something "new" to play with/discover every other day or so?

My big guys are into pine cones at the moment. As long as there are pine cones attached somewhere on their Java trees, they stay put. As soon as they are gone, I have some wild winged creatures exploring the house.

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Oh yes, having "new" toys or really interesting toys helps

Chili loves to shred anything paper, so sometimes the simplest things like a paper bag with toys hidden inside is enough to entertain her lol

JerseyWendy said:

Have you tried switching a toy or two on the play stands, so that they have something "new" to play with/discover every other day or so?

My big guys are into pine cones at the moment. As long as there are pine cones attached somewhere on their Java trees, they stay put. As soon as they are gone, I have some wild winged creatures exploring the house.

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I do make the birds a new toy when I cage them (skewering various toy parts on a metal skewer) and a fruit-kabob, but I haven't thought to do it during when they're out to keep them near their cage. Thanks!

Wayne, thanks for letting me know it is called "stationing." I will try to find some guides/training videos. I have been meaning to train the birds to fly on command (seems especially important if they ever escape) but wasn't sure how to begin.

Living With Parrots Cage Free: My Bird Knows When She Is Bad, Right?? !! (Hmmm)...


stationing | Search Results | Lara Joseph

I started station training today with some luck. Is it OK for the birds to see each other be trained if I'm using the same cue-words and bridge-word? Joey just flutters and calls out for Sophie when they're separated, so I brought her in the room to watch me train him. She gets it--he's a bit slower.

Monkey see, monkey do. It can cause some confusion, but they can also learn when you are training another bird instead of them. They can also learn from each other.

I hadn't target trained these two yet because they're easy to handle and set up, but today I worked on having them touch my fist for a treat. Having them both there worked well because when one didn't get what I was asking for, the other usually could figure it out.

Maybe having one out at a time may help so they don't have the support each one needs to be brave while on the floor.

I'm having the same problem with my Macaw (I adopted him about 2 months ago). He

will hang out on his Java tree for a couple of hours. I dont want his life to be the

cage or treestand. He loves to go exploring. He has a corner in the kitchen that has

an open box and other foot toys for him to play with. He loves to play in the dirty

cloths basket so I just put some old cloths/socks in a bin for him to play with. I hope

this dosen't turn into another problem like chewing up our good cloths. I think I'm

going to make some tunnels out of boxes. I'm a box Hoarder now lol. He has 3 areas

in the house that he chews on the base broads. He doesn't know he can fly so

he runs behind me and follows me around the house. So when he sees the office he

will go in and play behind the door and chew the base boards. He likes to follow lines

with his beak he does it with the base boards and the hard wood floor. I should strap

a duster to him and he can dust my base baords lol.

Merlee said:

I think they should be trained to stay on a play gym or play area of their own while they are out of their cage. You don't mention that you have such a place. Clipping their wings may help during the training process. After they are trained, the feathers can grow back in. It will take some work but it can be done.

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How do you train them. My African Grey is 20 and all she wants is to chew the molding. When I put her on her stand she starts screaming. I give her attention and scratch her head all the time. She doesn't like the stand too much. She began screaming after I remarried and doesn't like my husband

tikobird said:

Merlee said:

I think they should be trained to stay on a play gym or play area of their own while they are out of their cage. You don't mention that you have such a place. Clipping their wings may help during the training process. After they are trained, the feathers can grow back in. It will take some work but it can be done.

Click to expand...

How do you train them. My African Grey is 20 and all she wants is to chew the molding. When I put her on her stand she starts screaming. I give her attention and scratch her head all the time. She doesn't like the stand too much. She began screaming after I remarried and doesn't like my husband

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This is an inactive Thread that is more than six years old. You would be better serviced to begin a New Thread.

Yes, it would've been better to make a new thread, however, having said that:

Why do you not provide 'OK' timber for your bird to chew on? Mine go through old, untreated pallets at a rate of knots, chomping them into matchsticks on a regular basis. It takes my Alexandrines about four days to chomp a pallet slat in half, the corella takes a little longer since there's only one of her. In addition, I provide native safe timbers like eucalyptus and callistemon when I can get hold of branches from storm-fall. They *love* cracking open the gumnuts and stripping bark off the branches, eventually smoothing them almost to a sheen.

Chewing is part of a parrot's 'job' in the wild. I don't know of any parrots that don't enjoy chewing, although I s'pose there are aviary-bred birds out there who never learned the skill. Anyway, I bet your bird will be much less destructive to your house if you provide good chewing-timber which is more fun than furniture or mouldings.

I see you're in Florida. I believe there are plenty of Australian melaleuca (swamp myrtle) in Florida and that would make *excellent* chewing material! Firstly, it's not toxic but secondly (and more importantly) the bark comes off in thin sheets and strings. Birds just *love* the sensation of stripping strings off wood! Why don't you see if you can get hold of some melaleuca branches and see what happens? (PS. The blossoms are full of nectar - added benefit - and the nuts filled with sweet seeds - another added benefit).

PS. Mutilating your bird by clipping will not remove his natural instinct to chew. It will simply disable him and may even promote self-injury like plucking (if the bird has no chewing fodder, he may look to his own feathers for relief). Also, training him to stand on a perch or station all day is exactly the same as keeping him in a tiny cage. Parrots need exercise and for that, they need space.

PPS. Other chewing options: packing cardboard (my flock also goes through this at an alarming rate), coconut husks (hair left on), dried corn cobs (a few grains left on for yum value), whole vegetables like sweet potato or even just a bunch of grass seeds from your back yard.

At our house, every piece of cardboard that comes into the place ultimately winds up in the birds' cages. That's everything from cartons to wine boxes (wine and bladder removed of course) to the boxes toothpaste comes in. Each of my cages has a hanging wire planter (we call them 'rummage baskets') which contains foot toys and chewy toys (like toothpaste boxes). The Alexes love to sit in their basket and chew. The Corella, not so much: she'll delicately select her chew-toy and then swing upside-down from the bottom of the basket as she chews it.

Our grey did this exact thing. I'am a carpenter and have access to unlimited raw wood molding. Just research what wood is safe, I cut mine up into multiple sizes and let him go at it. He prefers the raw molding to the stuff nailed on the walls. That works for us. You can buy raw molding at home depot Lowes.... Etc...

Cycletim said:

unlimited raw wood molding . . . I cut mine up into multiple sizes and let him go at it. He prefers the raw molding to the stuff nailed on the walls.

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Curious if in the routine a bird would be able to effectively differentiate. Is that to say he leaves installed molding unmolested?

Years ago I organized students to collect broken boards from a Taekwando tournament. The unbroken size was about 12 x 12 x 1 inch (30.48 x 30.48 x 2.54 cm). They loaded them up into corrugated cartons in the back of my pickup truck. The haul was impressive. I donated them to Meisha's veterinarian who specialized in birds and offered boarding services. Meisha paid little to no interest in the boards.

He uses the raw molding of all different shapes and sizes as foot toys. He goes through phases with hanging shredding toys and foot toys. I the molding in a basket with other foot toys, and he unloads it all over the place. I think they like to feel molding profiles with their tounge\beak.