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TOYS


Connie

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Ok people, here are some of the materials I use to make toys for my SPOILED babies. There is a quarter in every picture, so you can get an idea of the sizes. Most of the items were purchased at the dollar stores in Canada and the U.S. Some from ebay, and a couple from parrot toy sites.

PLEASE keep your birds safety in mind when purchasing and making ANY toys! Can they catch a toe/wing/head anywhere in the toy? Is there anything toxic? If you are unsure DO NOT BUY IT, ask about product first. If there is a shine to wood/vine products, it probably has a varnish on it.

ALWAYS watch your bird with any new toys. Be sure he/she is not ingesting any part of the toy. Sisal rope is one that accidentally gets eaten by some birds, and fills the crop of slow/undigestable fibers, resulting in death!:(

SAFETY, SAFETY SAFETY!

 

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Party Favours, wood bead necklaces, spining wheels, plastic anchors, and cupcake papers... add seeds, nuts, toy, and twist closed. Makes a great foot toy, and allows your bird to feel as if it's foraging. Doing this, is great for feather pluckers.

 

Post edited by: Connie, at: 2007/07/31 11:04<br><br>Post edited by: Connie, at: 2007/07/31 11:33

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Rawhide shoes are Spanky's fav.

Food coloured wood beads, sticks, pegs.

Candle holders.

VEGGIE tanned leather, NEVER use dyed leather. Cut into strips and tie, cut shapes, make holes and thread cotton rope or wood sticks through.<br><br>Post edited by: Connie, at: 2007/07/31 11:21

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Nickel plated chain, why pay tens and hundreds of dollars for chain from a parrot toy site, when you can use dog collars and leashes from the DOLLAR STORE??? Cut off the nylon, and use proper hardware for hanging.

 

BE SURE THE TOY MADE WITH THIS, IS TOE SAFE!

Do not use large link chain with small birds.<br><br>Post edited by: Connie, at: 2007/07/31 11:18

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Loofah pieces, cookie cutters, wood beads, plastic shapes from kids candy. Make sure they are clean of candy. Great for different textures!

 

BABY toys are great, rattles, teething rings etc.<br><br>Post edited by: Connie, at: 2007/07/31 11:25

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Cotton rope dog toys from dollar store.

Hemp rope (strong, but dangerous to some birds, Spanky almost lost a toe in a loop I had made, thank GOD I was watching him play. First week mistake:blush: )

Wood blocks, drill and string.

Corn husk trivet, great for shredding.

 

Toothbrushes, a favorite among most CAG's. Picture at bottom of post. Dollar store item. Make sure the bristles are NOT stapled in.<br><br>Post edited by: Connie, at: 2007/07/31 11:32

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All dollar store items!

Cotton rope dog toy, usually comes with a tennis ball on it but I've already removed them and thrown away.

Party straws, great texture toy. Cut in half as foot toy, or cut into 1-2" pieces for stringing.

Wood letters, plastic curlers, wood wheels/knobs.

Golf balls. (The white one in the bottom left, is used... be careful that the gap from hole to hole doesn't create a safety hazzard.) Golf balls are 4+ dollars in pet stores... $2 at walmart etc. especially in off season.<br><br>Post edited by: Connie, at: 2007/07/31 11:42

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Popsicle sticks, tongue depressors, wood spoons. They can be coloured, drilled and strung.

Cotton rope dog chew with food colouring.

Willow wreaths are a great starting base for toys, perches or swings.

Grape vine wreath or rings... BE SURE there is NO wire holding it together! and no varnish finish on them!<br><br>Post edited by: Connie, at: 2007/07/31 12:01

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Some used toys.

Abacus, wood or plastic. Leave as is, or take apart and use beads etc. cheaper than buying parts in hardware stores.

Rolls of paper I bought today at thrift store.<br><br>Post edited by: Connie, at: 2007/07/31 11:46

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spankycupcake.JPG

 

Spanky getting a cashew from a cupcake paper. Sometimes I don't put anything in them, keeps him busy and guessing. These papers also come in differnet colors, for those picky birds who prefer one to another.<br><br>Post edited by: Connie, at: 2007/07/31 11:48

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Darla, my shy little girl, basically stole the toothbrushes from Spanky. She kept going to his cage to get them so I just moved them for her. Spanky is busy with other stuff now anyway.

 

Which reminds me, you should change toys every month, even just rearranging them makes a difference. My kids get a new one every week, or when one is retired.

 

When introducing a new toy, I usually play with it until the bird comes to investigate. I will even pull away slightly when they want it, makes the new toy irresistable. I also pretend to taste it, and make excited noises, it perks their interest. OK, now I sound CRAZY! lol :silly:

 

New toys should be introduced to the cage in the morning, this keeps your bird from night scares when the lights are out!<br><br>Post edited by: Connie, at: 2007/07/31 11:56

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Guest briansmum

what an excellent thread connie, some FANTASTIC ideas there! karma for you :)

 

i didn't know you could give them rawhide? as in the ones in the petstore on the dog treat isle? do they eat them?

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Connie Quote: "Sisal rope is one that accidentally gets eaten by some birds, and fills the crop of slow/undigestable fibers, resulting in death!"

 

This is the first I have read of this. :ohmy:

 

Most sites recommend Sisal Rope over cotton due to the frayed string danger of entanglement.

 

Are you certain of this?

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Unfortunately, yes it is true. There was a parrot in our club that died from this. Here is an article and link, where you read up on it.

 

http://www.parrotparrot.com/birdhealth/alerts.htm

 

Alert About Birds Ingesting String on Toys

 

On Saturday, 12/25, my Creamino Lovebird hen, Acorn, seemed "not right" and went into hospital cage. This is the second hen in two weeks (the first one died, was too ill for cytology and was not necropsied, Vet thought it was bacterial crop inflection.) My flight cages are spotless as are my birds' dishes, fresh food daily, fresh water twice daily. In the past ten years, I have not LOST ONE LOVEBIRD (not even hatchlings/handfeeding babies) to illness. It was Christmas, no emergency vet in my area knows anything about birds, and the Animal Medical Center is 150 miles from my home. My Avian Vet finally called me at 11PM but thought I was doing all the right things and informed me to come into the office on Monday 8:30AM. I administered Baytril orally twice daily (three times on 12/25 to jump start) and handfed with Emeraid every TWO HOURS all day and all night. Bird was dropping weight dramatically through weekend. Monday Vet did crop wash and dispensed anti-fungal meds. Tuesday 5AM, despite loving care, Acorn died. Cytology was NORMAL. Necropsy revealed: crop full, stomach full, intestins EMPTY, gizzard impacted with COLORED THREAD. All my pairs are in huge flight cages filled with toys. I inspect EVERY BIRD EVERY DAY, handle them, "hug" and kiss them, test for weight. This hen (and the one before her, I now realize) had INGESTESD THREAD from a multi-colored toy manufactured by Rolf Hagen, sold under the "Junglewood" line. I have NEVER had any hen ingest ANY PART of a toy in TEN YEARS. Something about this particular toy (perhaps color or "taste") prompted this tragedy. Rolf Hagen has "promised" to pay my Vet bills (extensive, well over $600) and the value of my Creamino. This does NOT in any way ease the loss of these much beloved birds, nor does it ease the consternation in the birds' bonded mates.

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Please don't get paranoid, and start removing all toys with sisal rope. I think this is a very very small number of birds that it happens to, but just be aware of it. Always watch your birds with new toys, and be sure they are not eating parts they shouldn't. I have sisal in both my birds cages, and will continue to do so. I do however prefer to buy, colour and make my own toys with sisal rope. It is one of the safer materials to use, as long as it is not eaten.

When colouring your rope with food dye, always be sure the rope has dried before giving it to your bird.

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I think I got more of them from Dollar Tree and Wal-Mart in the States, I'm from Canada, and the majority of stuff here is from Dollarama and Dollar Giant. If you are near a boarder, it's worth a travel!

 

judygram wrote:

Some great ideas, Connie, next pit stop, Dollar General.

Thanks for the information.:)

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