2 of my four birds use objects to help them preen. I'm sitting here typing this as my M2 has his tailfeathers smashed right up against my computer stand and part of it under one wing. He does this in his cage also and puts pieces of large toys under his wing. It's a little rough on his feathers and I see a lot of damage on his tail feathers and around his neck. It's not bad but it's obvious. He obviously enjoys it and wishes to continue so I provide an assortment of objects for him.

My GW is notorious for this also. In both of their cages I provide a piece of the large size supreme cotton rope for them with objects tied on to aide in preening. They both love them amd tuck them under wings or flopped across their back. As with any toy containing rope or chain, you have to be very careful with it's length so they don't get it wrapped around their neck.

I also will hang a large (approx 2 1/2") wooden ball in their cage. I drill holes through this ball and tie an assortment of lengths of sisal rope through the holes. They love this. The ball acts as a weight and the sisal rope is the preening aide.

Lots of birdies are molting right now, so I thought I'd start this thread to share ideas and get some new ideas. What preening aides do you provide your birds?

Ollie has a few toys meant as preening aids. One with a few wooden beads, then a large wooden bell shaped block with 5 inch long sisal strips coming out from it. She also has a toy similar to that with cotton rope.

She doesn't use either to preen. She destroyed the cotton rope one, and doesn't even touch the sisal one.

Kady is big into preening aides. His latest favorite is the Cotton Candy.



I thought this idea was pretty interesting. I'm going to see what he thinks of this one.

Power Preen™ features lengths of 100% cotton rope encased in a bird-tuff nylon powerhouse. Simply hang in the cage for a preening substitute that your bird will love!

My Citron Too likes to use a toothbrush. I get them at the dollar store and tie them to the outside of her cage near her perch and she will pick it up in her foot and use it to do the back of her neck. She never chews on them just brushes herself with it. I also took an old white t-shirt of mine and tied it into strips which I tied at the top and she likes to rub her head under it. But the best of all is after we have had a session of me "doing feathers for her" she then reciprocates by doing my eyelashes and strands of my hair. We are truly a bonded pair!!!

Both budgies rub their heads on wooden posts of their large play gym if they have pin feathers on their heads. Other than that they are preening for a good portion of their day so no problems with the rest of their body! Lulu doesn't use any preening aids - we preen her head (so I guess we're the aids ) and she does the rest.

Ro uses me

My fingers! LOL -I get so preoccupied with sitting with my fids and loosening their pin feathers on their head - and unless I hit a sensitive one, they seem to enjoy it as much as me!