Trash can basketball!

[rbpittman]

I know there are a million different types of foraging toys for our fids, and I've invested in quite a few of them, but the best one I've found is a roll of adding machine tape and the floor.

 

I noticed this the other day and have been playing with the format since then when Beau climbed down his cage and was wandering around on the floor. Of course this is normal behavior for Beau has he doesn't fly at all. I was working on a paper for class and you know the routine, don't like what you wrote, wad up paper, attempt to hit waste paper basket, wadded up paper on floor. Beau thought this was great fun, he would run over to the waded up paper on the floor and proceed to shred it. Oh great, now another mess to clean up. WRONG!

 

Apparently he found one of my basketball attempts that included my paper towel with a piece of bread crust in it. I had to investigate what he was eating (mental block on not putting this into the trash can). Of course it was fine, he was in heaven, he had found food! Wait a minute, my Beau was foraging! Dixie was sitting on watching the entire thing, until Beau found food! She had to get into the act. Yoshi was not going to be outdone, so she climbs down her cage. Here I have three Greys, all trying to get this waded up paper, hoping to find something tasty.

 

Quick thinking parront that I am, grabbed some paper, tore it into smaller pieces and started wadding it up, then strategically stuffing pieces of dehydrated papaya, banana, walnut, pecan, whatever I had available, and tossing these tasty pieces of trash near the basket. I can tell you this, one parront is not enough to keep three greys happy when doing this! It's like preparing for a snowball fight, you must have all snowballs made before engaging in war, otherwise you'll get pummeled!

 

For the past couple of days now I've been prepared though. I take adding machine tape that is usually useless in my house, some type of goodie (that incudes their pellets too!) and wad up the paper, stuff and load into my special little bowl and then while they are napping, or playing and not paying attention to me, I seed the floor with the treats. It's like planting little gold mines for my babies. Beau is always the first to find something, and then the other two have to get into the mix. The hardest, getting them to put their paper in the wastebasket, they are no better at trash can basket ball than I am.

[judygram]

Robin that is so funny and clever at the same time, what a fun game you provide for them and not to be outdone Yoshi joins in, I would like to be a fly on the wall when this happens as it would be a hoot to watch 3 greys trying to get the ball with their favorite treat inside, thanks for sharing this story with us, another cheap way to entertain our fids.

[Ray P]

I love it. We do the same thing with my wifes old prescrition medicien bottles with the caps on and a treat inside them. they go nuts.

[danmcq]

Love this story and it is a great example of how to keep our parrots actively foraging. Thanks for sharing this Robin.

[Talon]

I love it! I do the same, but put them in small buckets in their cages. It keeps them busy for hours while I am out & about!

[Jingles]

thanks for sharing that super cute story!!!!