Nibbling sandpaper.

[EleriDragonfly]

A few days ago, I noticed part of the sandpaper on the bottom of my budgies cage was missing. Then a couple of days ago I saw my budgies nibbling at the sandpaper, I stopped them but they kept going back down to nibble at it. What could be the reason? They've nibbled quite a bit of it now.

[Wolf]

They want some grit!

Or at least this is the first thing that comes to mind. I am not sure that the adhesive on the sand paper is bird safe, I know that there are sandpaper perches, but I don't know what either the adhesive is or what they use for the grit.

[EleriDragonfly]

I do have a pedicure perch and ladder for them, and I have seen them nibble that. I did put grit in a seperate bowl for them, but they seemed to ignore it. I'll try again and make sure they know what's in there. Thanks

[LadySaphine]

Maybe offer a cuttlebone, if they don't have one? I give my button quail a side dish of grit and even though it's almost covered in pine shavings now (they love to fling that stuff around) I'm pretty sure they eat some.

I've also heard millet acts like grit too, since the small seeds are like stones. Maybe offer a bit more millet (unless you're training them or something- then that might interfere)?

Another possibility is that your budgie's just curious. Peanut will rip up anything that's in her cage, lol.

[EleriDragonfly]

They do have a cuttlebone, and I also have a Lava Stone for their beaks which they enjoy mibbling on. And I've had Wheatley for 2 years now, and this is the first time he's started nibbling at the sandpaper. And of course Sugar just follows his example xD
I'll try a few different things, see what suits them.

[Wolf]

It is very possible that your budgies are just curious and exploring or playing. My birds shred almost everything that they can, and take great pride in doing so.
I would supply, in addition to grit, foraging toys and pieces on untreated, undyed wood, crumpled paper and any thing else that they can safely chew on and destroy, if not already doing so. They will thank you for it.

(EDIT )

You replied while I was typing, so let me add that you might consider changing these things out often, assuming that they last more than a day or so. They are much like us in that they get tired of the same old toys/ things.

[EleriDragonfly]

I do change their cage layout once a week, and change their toys as well. I make sure they have toys with a bell and one they can shred. And I have a few that have different textures.

I have been trying to change their diet to Harrisons. I took Wheatley to the vet a couple of weeks ago, as he'd been vomiting his seeds. He has done this before, but it would happen on a Thursday, which is when I would give them a treat stick. I stopped that and he hadn't vomitied since.
But he started again, and the vet said that he was a bit underweight as she could feel his breast bone. It wasn't prominent, but she could tell that he had lost some weight.
Also Wheatley's feathers never seem to grow through correctly. The shafts never break, and most of his feathers grow tattered. Some of his primary feathers have fallen out, as well as his tail. Though he can still fly, though this seems to cause him pain as, when he lands, he holds his right wing out akwardly.
I've been trying to slowly introduce them to Harrisons Super Fine, but I know they haven't started eating it. Could this be a cause for them eating the sand paper?

[Pajarita]

Parrots don't need grit (the only birds that do are the ones that swallow the seeds whole without peeling it and the grit in their crop and gizzard grinds them into pieces so they can then digest them) and it should never be offered to them (it can cause crop impaction). Budgies love dirt (especially during breeding season -don't ask me why because I have no idea!) and, most likely, they are chewing the paper because it feels gritty - like dirt. Offer them some organic dirt (or just a handful from your garden if you don't use any chemicals on it) without anything added to it (like fertilizers or stuff like perlite) on a paper plate at the bottom of the cage, instead (they like to take bites of it as well as take a dirt bath).

[EleriDragonfly]

Unfortunetly I don't have a garden, just a stone yard. I would take some from my parents, but the family cats still live there. And I don't trust any soil around there.
I have ordered some foraging toys for them, I'll pop them in tonight and hopefully, they'll stop.

[Pajarita]

Well, keep a plastic bag in your car and next time you go on a highway, stop on the side of the road and just put some dirt in it. I used to do this as well as cut branches of trees for the birdroom and pick up nice big rocks (they like to wipe their beaks on them as well as use them as perches). And, if you find a stand of pines, get some nice pinecones, too!