What can I do to prvent long claws in my aviary

[Leon]

Some of my budgies have longer than average claws. This is probably due to the fact I have no abresive surfaces for these to be naturally filed down.

Do you have any suggestions about useful objects that I can put in my aviary to help with this?

The only thing I will not use are those perch covers because they can cause bleeding to the feet.

Thanks

[Gaile]

my budgies like to run around the outside flight floor which is on paving!!!

[stace]

Find some natural branches in a range of shapes and diameters. The rough bark on the outside helps to keep their claws in shape.

[Leon]

I have thought about putting their feeder on to a stone. I would like to get some natural branches in to my aviary but I'm not sure which types are safe etc..

[stace]

Leon, I think there is a safe tree lists on the forum somewhere. I'll check and get back. I think Budgies Buddy had a long list.

From memory, the UK keepers mostly use willow or apple branches. There are probably others you could use. I'm in Australia so I have other species available.

[stace]

I can't find the safe wood thread, if there is one.

However, I found what NOT to use
...Natural Wood Perches: CAUTION.
DO NOT use apricot, cherry, peach, prune, plum or nectarine because they contain cyanogenic glycosides which release highly toxic cyanide if eaten by the bird.

[Leon]

Thanks for trying Stace, I'll probably try the stone under the feeder first as there's not many apple trees around where I live.

[Hezz]

If you don't have access to a tree for your perches, some of the on-line stores sell natural perches with a bolt-on piece to attach to the cage. Try them.

Also for other budgie-safe timbers, just google and have a look around. There are plenty of sites with comprehensive lists of safe and non-safe trees etc.

[samwiseg]

Apparently willow is always a good one as this also has the medicinal benefits too. Also make sure you wash clean before you give it to them

[Leon]

Thanks for all the tips...!

[Deleted]

Jul 9, 2012 23:18:38 GMT stace said:

Find some natural branches in a range of shapes and diameters. The rough bark on the outside helps to keep their claws in shape.

hi as stace has aready said natural branches are best for the job and good for the feet.... ..
heres a list i have found i hope it helps ...... ..


Bad wood
ALDER - red alder -see Alder Buckthorn paragraph
ANDROMEDA -Pieris, Lily of the Valley shrub
APRICOT
ARROWHEAD VINE
AUSTRALIAN FLAME TREE
AUSTRALIAN UMBRELLA TREE
AVACADO
AZALEA - Related to Rhododendron
BANEBERRY - Actaea
BEANS -castor, horse, fava, broad, glory, scarlet runner
BLACK LOCUST - Robinia
BOX ELDER
BOXWOOD - Buxus
BUCKTHORN - Cascara / Alder Buckthorn - see chapter
BRACKEN FERN
BURDOCK
CACAO
CAMEL BUSH - Trichodesma
CANARY BIRD BUSH - Crotalaria
CANNABIS
CASTOR BEAN
CEDAR - Thuja, Chamaecyparis, Cupressus
CHALICE - trumpet vine
CHERRY see comments below
CHINA BERRY TREE - Melia / Texas umbrella tree
CHINESE MAGNOLIA - uncertain for safety
CHINESE POPCORN / TALLOW
CHINESE SNAKE TREE - Laquer plant
COMMON SAGE
CORIANDER - Cilantro
DATURA
DAPHNE - it's the berries
DATURA STRAMONIUM - Brugmansia - angel's trumpet
DIEFFENBACHIA
ELDERBERRY
EUONYMUS - Includes burning bush and more
EUPHORBIA
FELT PLANT - Kalancho baharensis
FLAME TREE
FIRETHORN - Pyracantha
FLAME TREE - Brachychiton / Sterculia
FOXGLOVE - Digitalis (pharmaceutical source)
GOLDEN CHAIN TREE - Laburnum
GROUND CHERRY
CROWN OF THORNS
HEATHS
HEMLOCK - Tsuga
HOLLY - Ilex
HONEY LOCUST - Gleditsia
HORSE CHESTNUT - Aesculus
HUCKLEBERRY - leaves bad: evergreen & deciduous
HYDRANGEA
JASMINE
JUNIPER - Juniperus
KALMIA: also called Mountain Laurel
KENTUCKY COFFEE TREE
LANTANA - red sage
LAUREL - Prunus
LEUCOTHOE
LUPINE
MANGO - (fruit okay: not wood or leaves)
MEXICAN BREADFRUIT
MOCK ORANGE - Philadelphus
MONSTERA - big hunker of a house plant
MOUNTAIN LAUREL - Kalmia latifolia
MYRTLE - broadleaf evergreen, not crape myrtle
NECTARINE
NUTMEG
OAK - Quercus - all parts / tannins
MISTLETOE
OLEANDER
PEACH
PEAR - some sources lean toward safe
PENCILTREE
PITCH PINE
PLUM
PRARIE OAK - safety uncertain
PRIVET
RAIN TREE
RED MAPLE - see Maple paragraph
RED SAGE - Lantana
REDWOOD - Sequiadendron, Metasequoia, Sequoia
RHODODENDRON
RHUBARB
SAND BOX TREE - sap was used to poison fish
SOLANUM - Jerusalem cherry or pepino
SOPHORA - includes Japanese pagoda tree
SUMAC - not all sumacs are bad: see paragraphs
TOBACCO
TANSY
TOMATO
UMBRELLA TREE
WALNUT
WEEPING FIG - Ficus benjamina > Ficus elastica safe
WHITE CEDAR - China
WITCH HAZEL - Hamamelis
WISTERIA
YEW - Taxus





Safe wood
ACACIA - Silk Tree would be in this group
APPLE -
(Insecticide residue likely cause
for periodic issues)
AILANTHUS - Tree of Heaven
ALDER - white alder -
(See paragraph about
Alder / Buckthorn)
ALMOND
ARALIA - Fatsia japonica
ASH - Fraxinus
ASPEN - Populus
BAMBOO
BARBERRY- Berberis
BIRCH - see paragraph
BEECH - Fagus
BOIS D'ARC - horse apple tree
BOTTLE BRUSH
BUTTERFLY BUSH
CAMELLIA
CITRUS -
(lime, kumquat, grapefruit, orange, lemon)
CORK -
(not wood from cork oak, but cork)
CORN PLANTS
COTTONWOOD - Populus
CRABAPPLE - Malus
CRAPE MYRTLE -
(not the same as myrtle)
DATE
DOGWOOD - Cornus
DOUGLAS FIR - Pseudotsuga
DRACAENA
ELM - Ulmus
ESCALLONIA
EUCALYPTUS
FIG
FIR - genus Abies
GINKGO
GRAPE VINES
GRAPE PALM
GUAVA
HACKBERRY
HAWTHORN - Crataegus
HIBISCUS
HICKORY
IRONWOOD - apparently toxic leaves
JADE PLANT
KALANCHOE
LARCH - Larix
LILAC - Syringa
MADRONA / MADRONE - Arbutus
MAGNOLIA
MAPLE - Acer - see Maple Paragraph
MANZANITA - Arctostaphylos
MESQUITE - remove sharp parts
MIMOSA
MOUNTAIN ASH - Sorbus
MULBERRY - Morus
NANDINA -common name is heavenly bamboo
NORFOLK ISLAND PINE - Araucaria
NUT TREES - exclude chestnut
ORANGE - several sources lean toward safe
OREGON GRAPE - Mahonia
PALM
PAPAYA
PEAR
PECAN
PINE - Pinus: see Pine paragraph below
PHOTINIA see Photinia paragraph below
POPLAR - Populus
PUSSY WILLOW - Salix
RAPHIOLEPSIS - Indian Hawthorn
RIBBONWOOD
ROSE - Rosa
RUBBER PLANT - Ficus elastica - Weeping Fig in bad column
RUSSIAN OLIVE
SASSAFRAS
SILK TREE
SPIRAEA
SPRUCE - Picea
STAGHORN SUMAC - see Sumac paragraph
STRAWBERRY TREE - Arbutus like Madrone
SWEET GUM
SYCAMORE
THURLOW
TREE FERN
VIBURNUM
VINE MAPLE - Acer
WEEPING WILLOW - Salix - see Willow paragraph
WIEGELA
YUCCA

[Leon]

Thanks Mickmay....I didn't even know there would be that many to choose from..!