couple budgies concerns

[allirho]

1. My budgie's beak is looking overgrown lately. The hook of his upper mandible goes quite a bit over his lower mandible. He isn't a big chewer and I seldom see him play with his toys or chew on anything, though he is a really big preener. The only thing I ever really see him do with toys is preen the loose ends. He also never uses his cuddle bone.
What can I do about his overgrown beak? I would like to try to file it down myself but I'm afraid to do so. Any suggestions?

2. Chibi's feathers are looking more and more tattered every day. He doesn't show any symptoms of being ill and is still very energetic and curious so I've been assuming that the tattered feathers are just from cage climbing. He's a VERY avid cage climber. It was first only his tail feathers that looked a bit ragged but now the tips of his wings are starting to look a bit untidy as well. Like I said above, he's a huge preener and often preens himself, but his feathers are not looking any better. He also rarely bathes and flies off erratically whenever I try to give him a warm mist bath, whether inside or outside of his cage... Should I be concerned about the state of the feathers? or does this just sound like effects of constant cage climbing?

[allirho]

Well, as an update to my concerns, my budgie's feathers are looking much better!
As I mentioned earlier, I've been trying for weeks to introduce mist baths, but he just hates them. So I took him into the bathroom and gave him a steam bath by turning on the shower while letting him sit in the bathroom on a perch. He didn't like it at first and seemed distressed... but he desperately needed a bath so I made his stick it out.
I also took him into the shower and let the water sprinkle on him a bit. Maybe too much, cause he got so wet he couldn't fly after (oops)... i know now that I should shower him less next time.
But afterwards he preened 'til he was dry and now he's all shiny and bright and his feathers look good as new.

Still don't know what to do about that overgrown beak though...
if anyone has tips or suggestions on filing the beak myself or any other suggestions to fix the beak, please let me know. I'd appreciate it!

[GlassOnion]

Well, you might need to take him to a vet to have it filed down or do it yourself.

You need to buy specific wood called balsa, it's so soft almost like styrofoam and my budgie wears her beak down ENORMOUSLY gnawing on that wood. It's also lots of fun for her considering she does it for hours everyday. That and those bird kabobs you see at stores. Do you have a cuttle bone or mineral/pedicure perches? Mine also wears her beak down using her rough perches.

Back to balsa, it's actually the best wood for Budgies IMO.
http://www.thingsforwings.ca/Balsa-_c_29.html
She ships from the US every week so it's cheaper shipping if you live in the US.

Also,
http://www.mysafebirdstore.com/product. ... oduct=8626

[kokomokokoko19]

oh i have a budgie Koko, take him to Vet, that might help