Best Foraging Toys Please!

[lovethatgrey]

I'm so happy with that Buffet Ball Kabob toy that I purchased for Emma last week. It's awesome and she is extremely skillful at emptying it too. Instead of trying to remove the whole shelled almond from the toy, she uses her beak to break the shell while inside the toy and then stealthily removes the almond. Can't believe how great she has become. She's completely captivated by this toy and I love being able to provide a toy that rewards her for her labour.

For those who don't know about it, here it is.

 

Paradise Toys Buffet Ball and Kabob

 

I'd like other GREAT foraging toys and ideas please!

[Malikah]

Thank you for posting about the buffet ball kabob, I ordered one right away. Kito's favorite non-food foraging type toy is a big whiffle type ball that I fill with pieces of the tangle jr toy (4 or 5 link pieces) in. That's probably her favorite toy. I love it because I just click it back together and she can destroy it again later. You could probably find tangle in an educational store or on eBay. Oh, and I have a large treat stick holder that I put mini corn cobs in instead. She loves to pick the corn kernels off and throw them on the floor.

[zandische]

My birds love - and i mean LOVE - their treasure chest foraging toy. I'm not sure who makes it, but it's pretty common in the acrylic or foraging toys section in the parrot stores. They chewed up all the blocks that came with it, so now I put in wine corks, shelled almonds or nutriberries. Just like Emma, they will spend a lot of time trying to get every last crumb! I really like the buffet ball though...I think I might give that one a try next!

 

 

I bought one of those "chubes" for hamsters that come with nesting material inside. Took out the nesting material, drilled holes through the cardboard, cut out a cardboard bottom from a box I had lying around and sealed the bottom with duct tape. Then I zip-tied it vertically to the side of their playstand and filled it with long shredders, vine shredders, the old torn-up leavings of pinatas and drinking straws (which are possibly the cheapest bird toy you can find.) It acts as a preening toy and as a foraging basket.

 

Creative Foraging Systems - the cardboard boxes are AWESOME! These don't last long in my house. They are basically a box with tons of little slots inside. I let the birds watch me fill up the little slots with all kinds of seeds, nutriberries, and almonds. Then I hang it up and watch them tear it apart to get to the inside. It's like unwrapping a never-ending present. A very cool foraging idea!

Edited June 25, 2010 by zandische
now with pictures...

[zandische]

Had to split up the thread to share the pics! Here's more:

 

Other foraging things I've done - hang a shallow basket (2-3 in deep) off a perch and pile in foot toys. Drop a couple almonds or nutriberries in the bottom and watch the fun as they throw everything on the floor to get down to the bottom. Along the way they will usually play with a few toys before remembering they were after a treat. I use various size baskets from fairly large to very small and hang them wherever they fit. I have a durable nylon basket for their foot toys that is mounted to their playstand and then I use other baskets made out of woven grass or untreated wood and hang them. They have fun shredding the basket as much as getting the treat. I try to give a variety of "easy-to-reach" baskets and some that they have to work to get to by climbing or hanging off of perches.

 

 

Pinatas (the grass woven kind, not the resemble-a-real-pinata kind) - hide seeds and treats in between the woven grass parts and let the birds shred away.

 

Again, in the hamster/gerbil section at the pet store they sell powder-coated treat balls. These are basically just a slotted wire ball that is powder coated. The slots are a little big, but work well for things like fresh strawberries, stalks of kale, apple slices, carrot sticks or brocolli.

 

I also have a forage barrel by Foragewise - this isn't much of a challenge for them now, but they love seeing it because they know exactly what I put in it - almonds, their favorite treat

 

 

I am looking forward to other people's ideas too...my birds love to forage and figure out puzzles, so I am always looking for new things for them to get into! Lovethatgrey - I'll see if I can get pictures of the foraging toys I have up now for examples!

[lovethatgrey]

Thanks Zandische!! Very creative toys and ideas!

[judygram]

Wow those are some great looking toys and Josey has one of them, the barrel of fun, too bad she doesn't much care for almonds, thanks for sharing those toys with us, great ideas.

[pearllyn]

I've had those cardboard box thingamys - and they're a good idea, but expensive for what they are. You can get the same effect with toilet rolls - put treat in them and stuff the ends with toilet paper or whatever, then string them up with thongs - voila! Home made creative foraging system!!!

One of Alfie's faves at the moment though is the Hol-eee Roller - it's a stretchy ball so you can put stuff in there that's bigger than the holes - that way, the treat doesn't just fall straight back out. She loves swinging off of it too. I think I paid £2.99 for it, so it's not expensive either!!

This was Alfie with her roller the first day she had it - she's more comfy with it now.