Made With Love :)

Stacie giving Peaches his foraging box

Getting Crafty!

Parrots are natural foragers in the wild, so when they’re caged for a good majority of the day, it is wise to offer them an adequate supply of toys. Buying bird toys from a pet store can be very costly if your parrot shreds/destroys its toys within a few days.

Ruby playing peek-a-boo

So, why not save yourself some money and make your own? One of my biggest concerns about making homemade toys is whether or not certain items contain toxins or other harmful chemicals. When searching for potential items, make sure you’re positive they don’t have toxic coatings. If you have any doubt that it may contain anything harmful, don't buy it. It's always best not to risk your parrots health.

Lollipop enjoying his box

I'm discovering many great and simple toy ideas from the workers of Parrot Garden that I will take with me when I return back to Michigan (My babies will be so pleased!) Stacie, one of the amazing parrot caregivers (featured in the top picture), listed off multiple, everyday items that can be safely used for bird toys.

Houdini posing with his phonebook

 
Here are some examples:

-Natural wicker

-Pinecones

-Boxes (Remove tape/stickers. Check for glue)

-Plastic buttons/beads (NOT glass)

-Wine corks (Wine remnants okay. The intention is to chew, not eat)

-Phonebooks/Newspaper

-Strips of fleece/fabric or an old t-shirt

-Tissue boxes

-Toilet paper/paper towel rolls (Check for glue)
-Paper plates/cups/bags

-Wood blocks (Nontoxic paint)

-Baby toys
-Straws

     

When trying to assemble these pieces together, the safest material to use is natural twine. A lot of household ropes are coated with wax, glue, and/or other harmful toxins that can harm your parrot.

 

The picture on the left is of natural wicker rings that birds love to tear apart. Stacie told me that a lot of thrift stores have wicker items for very cheap. But, make sure there's nothing painted/coated on them.

A great way to encourage your parrot to forage:

Take a paper bag (big or small) and stuff it with crinkled phone book paper, add a new or favorite toy (wooden block, wicker, etc), and their favorite treats (nuts, etc). All you need to do is fold the end shut and put it anywhere in their cage.

Above are two examples of foraging bags where the materials needed are very inexpensive (free bags from grocery stores) and easy to assemble. Sure, they're not appealing to the eye, but parrots do not care. Their main mission is to tear it apart and find toys/treats. A great majority of the parrots at Best Friends go crazy over simple toys like this and spend hours playing in and chewing up boxes. Just ask King O what his favorite thing to do is! 

"HELLLLLOOOOOOO!!"

Pictured below is an example of fabric toys. This is simply strips of fleece with random knots throughout. This type of toy is very easy and basically free to make if you have some old t-shirts or blankets lying around. 

Playful Parrots:

In the picture below, shows a great example of how parrots can keep busy by tearing apart a phonebook! This means of entertainment comes at no cost since these books are FREE, and who doesn't LOVE free stuff? This is in the cage of the two male umbrella cockatoos, Clancy and Sugar. Notice how one of them weaseled his way into the picture? I can't help but laugh at his creeping eye!

Always make sure to stay creative, your parrot will appreciate it!