Biting toe nails???

[lnlovesorange]

Just a question for everyone. I've noticed the last couple of days when my male is out on free fly time I notice him biting is toenails!!! Almost like a person does, if you get like food or something stuck, you might use your tooth to get it out (gross I know, but I'm sure you know what i mean) And i noticed the female picking at her feet a little too. I've checked their feet and as far as i can tell they look healthy, no scales or anything... (I'll post pictures, if I can get good ones) Anyone ever see their kids do this? It's not a constant thing, just when he's walking on top of the cage, or sliding down the open cage door, he'll look down and start pecking a little, then actual bit the nail, like he's pulling something off of it.... again, not super concerned, just wondering if maybe i should be? Thanks all!!

[debbie276]

I would use a magnifying glass and look at the toes just to be sure there isn't a thin hair or thread around his toe. I'm sure it's nothing but better to be safe then sorry.

good luck

[lnlovesorange]

debbie276 Thanks Deb, I do shed like a St. Bernard...so not a bad idea, plus everything Charlotte gets him into... Gosh they are nosy, they need to land on, poop on, and put their beak on EVERYTHING!!! And he's not so adventurous, but SHE is a maniac, and he protects her, so he just kinda goes along for the ride!!!! Usually reluctantly!! LOL Thanks

[debbie276]

Your very welcome When they get to fly free you just never know for sure what they get into.

[Atbird]

My canaries also do that occasionally.

[MiaCarter]

Agreed! I'd check for hair or a fine fiber.

I'd also see if he's stepping in anything potentially irritating while he's out and about.

I see my guys doing this on occasion too, not all that frequent though.

I'd keep an eye on him for any signs of leg mites (also called tassle foot).

They can take several months for symptoms to become evident. One of the first signs you see is frequent biting at the feet, nails and legs.

The next sign you would see is layers of dry skin that aren't sloughing off like normal. (Ultimately, that dead skin starts to form "tassles")
They can also form chronic sores and infections from biting at the toes/feet/legs.

Chances are it's probably nothing to worry about.
But always good to be aware of the problems that can happen!

[lnlovesorange]

I didn't see any thread, or hair on his foot. But I did notice that he only does it when walking on top of the cage, like maybe when his little toes slip through it like itches, or tickles, cuz I've NEVER seen him do it in the cage, like on a perch or food bowl, and I know there is nothing they can get into on free fly time (except dust, but I've been VERY good about cleaning that up also when I see that they are exploring new places in the room) For instance they started landing on the top shelf in my room but they had never been up there before, they got OBSSESSED with this clear purple Rubbermaid tupperware container one with the top is attached, I had like make-up and stuff in it, and they GOT OBSESSED with it, for like 3 days, every time they came out they went right to that thing, landing on it, pecking at it, walking around it, yelling at it... it was so crazy to watch... anyway, the first time i saw them up there, i said oh, let me check up there, and i cleaned it up, now i clean it constantly to make sure it's clean up there for them, that's one good thing about birds,, they make you clean!! HAHA

[Atbird]

You clean where the birds go!? I just figure they are like little self propelled feather dusters They'll clean the dust with all their flapping

[MiaCarter]

lnlovesorange -- I bet it's something about walking on the cage that tweaks his toes.
That's probably all it is.

Ha, that gave me a chuckle envisioning them yelling at the purple tub. LOL
They're funny with semi-transparent containers. They must perceive it differently from us, because birds always seem to get overly interested in them.
At first, I thought it was something about transparent barriers --- seeing an object, but being unable to access it.
But that's not it because those very same birds understand that they can sit in the windows of the French doors that lead separate the bird room from the rest of the house and they understand that they can't access objects through the glass (e.g. they don't react to cats. And if you tell one of the cockatiels that you want to give him head rubs, he won't bow his head; you've got to be in the room. So they understand transparent barriers.)

But it's something about those transparent boxes! They just befuddle the birdie mind!

[lnlovesorange]

MiaCarter I KNOW!!!! It is hilarious!!!! I could watch them mess with that thing for HOURS...and I did!!! HAHAHAH. They've left it alone as of late, but I'm sure they'll get back to it, show the kids, so they can yell at it too!!! Another thing is before I bought them i bought all these fake birds (i was a bird fanatic before them, even more so now) just because I was going through a really hard time in life and birds made me happy so i bought little birds and placed them around my room... Well, my birds were NOT having that!!! They jumped on this bird, and picked at it's feather, they showed it who was boss. let me tell you...i have pictures, i was going to put a post up in General, cuz the pictures are HILARIOUS!!! They are so curious they have to check out everything, and then Lord help you if the birds don't like you!!! It's pretty great, needless to say I took the fake birds out, (some had like a glitter that made me nervous) so the curtain rod is now their and only their domain!!!

[lnlovesorange]

Atbird THAT is awesome!!! I never thougth of that!!! LOL. Well, when they first started going up there I HAD to, if you catch my drift...dust an inch thick wasn't being fluttered away by wings...however, in the future, they are totally going to be my feather dusters!!! HAHA great idea, except now I have to get up there with the Poop Be gone solution cuz they poop all over the place!! hahaha