Why your pet parrot, needs bird toys

Why Your Parrot Needs Bird Toys

Just like children, your birds / parrots can benefit from having and playing with toys! A baby bird that is busy with its bird toys is not eating your wood furniture or ripping your leather jacket that you left out. Toys can help sooth your birds chewing need and calm them while you are away. From bird swings, boings, shreddable toys to puzzles, there is a toy for every parrot.

Bird toys give your bird safe items to explore - birds seem to be fascinated with dangerous household items. When your bird(s) are attracted to items they should not have - giving them one of their toys is the PERFECT distraction. Give them lots of attention when they are playing with their toys. When your parrot is playing with an item that you do not want them to play with — ignore them! If you need to take away a forbidden item — do not give your bird any attention, simply take the item away (negative attention is attention in your birds mind). If your bird tries to entice you into a game of look-at-what-I-have-you -better-get-it-me try getting one of their toys and start playing with it. When they come to get their toy, that is a great time to use your Clicker Training System because that is the behavior that you want! Soon they will choose their toys over the other items that do not get them attention.

Birds benefit from being challenged. A bored parrot is going to find a way to entertain itself, maybe by eating your couch or re-wiring your tv/ stereo system! When you are shopping for bird toys make sure you get a variety of sounds, textures, and challenges. Some sound toys make noise when you bite them them, others when you shake them, others you just have to nudge — Baby, our sound loving blue and gold macaw, will work with a bird toy until he has figured out how to destroy it in the most effective way, or how to create the most noise. Chino, who is a Umbrella Cockatoo mix loves foraging bird toys. Chino have to figure out how to get puzzle toys apart, Chino loves to take the apart over, and over again.

Some Parrots just love destroying their toys. Just like the children who you give a new bike to, only to have them take it apart! Baby and Chino rarely take apart their toys; however, when they do the pieces (we call it a carcass) become treasured toys. You should see Chino prance around the play gyms, play stands carrying and shaking whats left of her bird toy.

If you need help selecting the right bird toy for your parrot, let us know — we are just an eMail away!

Toy Tips

* Foot and Beak Toys are great to help challenge your bird into a variety of agility skills while having fun and being entertained in multiple ways .

* Foraging Bird Toys are perfect to entertain your pet. They bring out the foraging / hunter instinct and can get that couch potato moving.

* When buying toys for your pet look for a variety of shapes, colors, sounds and textures. This will keep your bird(s) challenged and entertained.

* Puzzle Toys are meant to relieve boredom and entertain your pet parrot. These toys tend to hold their attention for long periods of time.

* If your pet is anxious when you are away try recording your voice - hearing you can calm your pet when you are away.

* When you get a new toy for your parrot - make sure you supervise them with it to make sure that it is safe for them. Every bird will respond to various types of toys differently.

* Try rotating your bird toys - have a few out at a time. You can also hide toys because a “found” toy is just so much fun!

Reccomended Online Bird Toy Retailers: http://www.BirdToys.com

How to Introduce New Bird Toys or a Bird Harness

Have you ever wondered the best way to introduce a new toy to your parrot or how to get it used to wearing a bird harness? Many birds are afraid of new toys and other items in their environment, but this article offers some tips that should help.
Toy Introduction

Often if a bird is not initially enthusiastic about a new toy, I will play with it in front of him, or we will play with it together on the bed to spark interest in it.

When, on the other hand, I have birds that are afraid of new toys, I first hang them near the cage, then on the outside of the cage near the bottom. (Height is very important to birds and things are less threatening if they are “below” the bird.) Then it gradually gets moved up, and when I see them start to mess with it while it’s still hanging outside, I move it inside the cage. This avoids those “help it’s gonna KILL me!” panic reactions.

That reminds me of a funny story: One day at the clinic I casually tossed Buddy the Amazon a big chunk of broccoli out of my salad. He reacted by DIVING off of his perch and screeching at the big bad green broccoli monster from the opposite side of the cage, on the floor. Poor Buddy. I retrieved it, broke it into smaller pieces, and he ate it, but he will be teased about the killer broccoli forever more!
Introducing a Bird Harness to your Parrot

Harnesses: Disclaimer: This is just MY opinion and my experience, and I’m not responsible for anything if you try it!! I have a built-in dislike of anything that’s more expensive just because it’s labeled for birds. I buy rodent water bottles and dog rope toys because they are exactly the same thing and cheaper. Well, I noticed that the bird harnesses I saw bore an astonishing resemblance to the cat/iguana harnesses I had seen, so I bought the smallest figure-8 cat harness I could find and tried it.

It worked great for me, and here’s how I did it: Standing behind the bird, hold the harness in both hands by the “open” loop with the closed loop up and facing away from you. Slip the closed loop over the bird’s head, bringing the crossover point down to the back between the wings, then quickly bring both hands around below the wings. Then your hands (and the harness ends) come together under the bird’s belly, where you quickly slip the end into the buckle and fasten it. Then stand back and let the hissy fit ensue for a bit! I also let my birds play with the harness off and on for a few days, letting them see that it was a “harmless” object and become used to the sight and “feel” of it, before I ever tried to put it on them.

I have actually had them end up “hanging” in the harness, and seem quite comfortable except for wanting to grab something with their feet. BTW, because of the location of a bird’s windpipe, it’s almost impossible to “choke” them like you could a dog or cat - compression of the chest is the only thing that will interfere with their breathing.

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Always practice safe bird toy habits:

Always practice safe toy habits:

• Toys should always be checked daily.
• We always recommend supervision when birds are playing with their toys.
• Birds are inquisitive by nature and love to undo quick links. Please ensure quick links are fastened securely (For the Houdini of birds, please fasten quick links with a set of pliers.) Clip back any rope fraying.
• Always exercise caution when introducing any new products to your feathered companion.
• It is a good practice to sit with your pet bird when introducing a new toy. It’s quality time that is well spent!
• If they are fearful or unsure of new toys, introduce the new item in gradual stages. Please see our bird toy introduction article for helpful tips.
• Rotate your bird’s toys every other week. Keep a wide variety of toys on hand to interchange. This provides variety in your bird’s environment and aids in helping your bird to readily accept change. Monitor your bird with any new toy; ensure they are chewing and not ingesting the toy parts! A parrot’s job is to chew and destroy, it is instinctive for them. Destroyed toys should be removed immediately from the cage/play area. A safe bird is a happy bird! Remember, a demolished toy is a toy WELL DONE!
• Learn to recognize your bird’s preferences and purchase a toy suitable for your bird’s individual needs. We offer a wide assortment of toy sizes. Some birds may be intimidated by larger toys, so consider purchasing a toy smaller in size to accommodate your bird’s habits. There are some special birds that are extraordinarily destructive. For these birds, select larger toys that are sized appropriately. Our toys are made with the intention of being destroyed! We’ve provided toys for hundreds of happy ?destructo? beaks around the world! If you have an individual need, please feel free to contact us.

New Bird Toy Introduction 101

We all know how wondrously inquisitive our feathered friends are. It’s one of the characteristics of parrots we find so attractive. Some parrots adapt easily to new toys and products. But there are some who need a little more encouragement, and that encouragement needs to be handled in a delicate manner.

An important factor to remember is that your bird’s cage is their ?safe haven.? If a bird fears new toys, it is best to introduce the new toys outside of the cage. Part of the formula for success is knowing your bird’s body language?a key element in living happily with your avian companion.

There are several reasons why a bird may fear a new toy:

• Is the toy overwhelming in size? Downsize the toy so its size is less intimidating to your bird.
• Does the toy include features your bird normally would not enjoy? Some birds prefer cotton rope, others want the chewy quality of leather and there are some parrots who just love sucking on a stainless steel chain. The toy may have wood parts that are too thick. Your bird may not be able to easily chew these pieces, so they quickly become bored with the toy. You can always add a favorite toy part (i.e. a stainless steel spoon or pacifiers, etc) to attract your bird.

We have a responsibility as parrot owners to learn everything we can about these birds, including their likes and dislikes. Knowing what fascinates your bird is very important when choosing toys.

Fearful birds may need special attention when introducing a new item. If a toy is not accepted inside the bird’s cage, try introducing the toy on your bird’s play gym. You may need to encourage your bird to accept the toy by playing with it yourself, convincing the bird there is nothing to fear. Please be patient and give your bird lots of emotional support. After all, you are a member of his flock.

Even after this type of encouragement, some parrots still continue to show fear of new toys. When spending quality time with your parrot, keep the new toy on a table nearby. Your bird will see the toy at a safe distance while you are there to protect him from that ?terrible new thing.?

You can always place your bird’s favorite toy right next to the new toy. This is what I call ?bait,? combined with a little ?mind-over-matter!? On the day following the new toy’s first appearance, move the toy closer to where you and your bird will be sitting. On the third day, strategically place the toy on the couch next to where you will be sitting. When you are ready and relaxed, bring your bird in the room and sit next to the toy. After a few moments of just enjoying each other’s company, make your move by curiously touching the toy. Make pleasant and calm comments about the new item. Show him the parts and demonstrate how much he’ll enjoy undoing the knots or the fun he’ll have in moving the little pieces up and down.

Limit these sessions to a few minutes and always end them on a positive note. From a parrot’s perspective, it’s ?what’s mine is mine, what’s yours is mine and what’s theirs is mine!? With this in mind, your bird’s jealousy may overcome the fear, simply because you are having a good time with the toy and he is not!

You’ll know you are making progress when your bird is showing signs of being comfortable around the new item. He may not be playing with it just yet, but he’s not running away from it either!

Each parrot is an individual with his own wants and needs. Your parrot may take a little longer than others to accept something new. With patience and caring, the adjustment period can be continued for as long as it takes for your bird to enjoy playing with the new toy. Although it may take some time, you’ll be amply rewarded with the joy of watching him play with it!

Busy beaks are happy beaks!

Busy beaks are happy beaks!

A minimum of ten toys should hang in a well-furnished cage. Parrots should not be easily seen in their cage. This their home and they should feel camouflaged as in the wild. Parrots naturally live in trees allowing them to be heard, not seen. Nests are built inside trees surrounded by more trees. Here, young are raised in the safety of nature’s cover.

Good toys have different shapes and textures for the bird to explore and destroy. At least three toys should make a bird work for food Working toys are toys that make them work for their treats or favored foods. Parrots in the wild will spend the majority of their waking hours, hunting and foraging. Toys stimulate their mind and help replicate actions they would execute in the wild. Proper toys and placement enhance a Psittacines life in captivity.

Parrots think they’re working for food while avicultural outsider sees birds playing with toys as birds; playing with bird toys. Your companion parrot is always thinking, and since nothing has changed in their minds, playing with toys is their job. It’s what Mother Nature gave them to survive, this need to forage. If you provide no means of foraging, your bird will seek other avenues. It may be furniture or personal affects. Usually because they are easy and plentiful targets. It’s important to encourage your companion parrot to work for food because it’s a natural behavior.

Three or four toys should be made of soft wood. Soft wood allows you to push your fingernail in forming an indent.

The next toys depend on the bird. Large birds like macaws and Cockatoos may have a huge appetite. Introduce hardwood toys into cages and perhaps toys with hard plastics so they can spend more time on the various pieces. Toys may be strung together with rope, leather, chain or a combination of materials.

The balance of toys should be easily shredded. Toys may be store bought or home made. Parrot toy parts are available and helps keep toy making economical. Soft wood, paper, leather and other textures are important for the bird to explore and destroy

Introduce pieces of food like broccoli or corn, using one of many commercially available or home made toy holders. The food on the toy holder rewards them for playing.

The more textures, shapes, sizes and colors the better. Diversity is important because in the wild your birds eat a diverse diet. An eclectic selection of toys helps maintain your feathered companions interest.

Watch a bird in its natural habitat and you’ll see them chewing soft bark and hard tree trunks. Toys made from compressed palm leaf or treated Yucca introduces hours of ?pecking pleasure? Interactive toys made from Plexiglas are very effective at reducing birdie boredom.

The majority of toys should hang or be placed in the upper third of the cage. Introduce a few more to the middle third (without hampering access to food dishes) around a perch made from soft wood, comfortable to grasp depending on the size of the bird’s feet. The bottom third of the cage should remain relatively uncluttered to allow the bird to walk freely.

Spot-check toys and perches on a daily basis looking for frayed or sharp edges that may potentially harm your bird.

The more you change the toy and perch arrangement, the more you challenge your companion parrot. It helps them socialize and helps avoids ?toy-phobia?
Parrots can develop phobic reactions to new people, new furniture, and even new birds.

Bird Cages, Bird Toys & Perches

One of the first things I evaluate with a problem bird is their cage. Where it is located, size, shape, and how it is set up. Many behavior problems can be attributed to having your parrot in improper surroundings. Their cage should be a safe haven for them with plenty of things to keep them busy.

Type of Cage

A good cage should be easy to keep clean, and it should not be round. The bar spacing should be appropriate for the type of bird that is housed in it. Whether or not you have a play top or a dome top is up to you. One of the best gifts you can give yourself and your parrot is a top of the line cage. When you skimp on a cage you just end up replacing it again and again. Do your research and get a cage that will last the lifetime of your parrot.

Placement

The cage should be placed in an area where you are sure your parrot will be able to view his surroundings safely without feeling threatened. You do not want to place a parrot directly in front of a window or in the center of a room. Our first response is to assume that they would enjoy the outside view or being right in the middle of a room so they can see everything. The truth is that this type of placement may be fine while your parrot is young. But once your parrot becomes sexually mature and aware that it is a prey animal, this type of placement will cause extreme stress upon him. Knowing this, a parrot should be placed against a solid wall, if this is not possible then the back half of the cage should be covered at all times. This will give him the sense of security that is needed.

Parrots do not live out in the open in the wild. They build nests inside of trees or in dense forest areas. So they may live and raise young safely. Therefore we should try to mock this type of environment by placing the cage in a more indiscreet area or our homes. One where they can take pleasure in their surroundings and not feel threatened. You will need also to consider your parrots sleep requirements. Does the placement of the cage allow for the proper amounts of undisturbed quite darkness? If not do you have a sleeping cage in another room? Sleep deprivation is a problem with many parrots I see. So if your parrot is not receiving at least ten to twelve hours of rest each night you will need to re evaluate his cage placement.

Do’s and dont’s for cage placement

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Don’t place directly in front of a window
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Don’t place in center of a room
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Don’t place right on the edge of a doorway
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Don’t place next to the TV that is watched late into the niter.
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Don’t place in the kitchen because of toxic fumes
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Don’t place in an unfinished basement
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Don’t place in a utility room
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Don’t place in the garage
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Don’t place them in your bedroom

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Do place them in a corner of the family room with a sleeping cage in another room
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Do place them in a frequently used office or sitting room
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Do have a bird room if you have multiple birds
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Do place in an alcove or visible dining room
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Do place them against a wall
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Do place them so they have a view of the entire room without putting them as a focal point.
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You want your parrot to be able to observe his environment so he learns to trust his surroundings.

Perches

There should be three different size perches in the cage. These perches should also different textures with at least one of the perches being a rope or Booda perch. The rope perch should be the one that is placed at the highest point for sleeping. Place this perch in a U shape in an upper back corner of the cage. This is especially important if you have a feather picker. It gives a sense of safety to the parrot, plus if they turn to pick, the rope is right there and they will opt to shred that.

The other two perches should be wood or one wood one of a different texture of choice. I would also like to add that there does not have to be perches in front of every food dish. We tend to make life just a little too easy for these busy birds. Make them work a little.

Cage Set up

Three different perches with the main wood one going horizontally across the middle. The rope perch should be in a U shape in an upper back corner. The third should be place just inside of the door so that when the door is opened the perch is brought out of the cage. By doing this you do not have to reach into the cage for step up commands that may be refused. When you want your parrot to come out you have him come down to this perch first, open the door once he is on it and request the step up. This is a must if your bird has aggression issues.

Toys

Now it is time to add the toys. You should have at least three working toys in the cage at all times. Working toys are toys that make them work for their treats or favored foods. The other toys should be things that are easily shredded such as soft wood, paper, and leather, preferably all of the above. Good toys have many different shapes and textures for the bird to explore and destroy. Your parrot should have a minimum of ten toys in his cage at all time. You should not be able to see the parrot easily when he is in his cage. This is his home and he should feel camouflaged as he would if he was in the wild.

Place one of the working toys in front of the U shape perch, with the other working toy towards the front of the opposite corner. Place one of the other toys directly on the side of the U perch so that perch is surrounded by hanging toys. This allows your parrot a hiding place to feel secure. Now take paper towels, shredders, newspaper, leather, or brown paper bags and fold them up and weave into the cage bars making a little square section on the side and to the back of the U perch. Again this gives a sense of security to the parrot. Plus if you have a feather picker it gives them another option to chew instead of their feathers.

Parrot Perches

Parrots when roosting in the wild are heard but rarely seen. They hide in the treetops away from the eyes of predators. When people walk up to your bird’s cage, you want to hear ? ?where’s the bird?? A parrot in captivity does not know that their natural predators cannot get to them in your home, so we need to provide them with the ability to hide or camouflage themselves within their home.

Parrots on display with few items to hide behind will develop behavior problems such as feather destruction, biting, and screaming as a result of feeling insecure.

Weave paper products and shredding toys in the cage bars and around the upper back corner where the rope perch extends

Three perches of diverse size thickness and texture (at the minimum) are required to stimulate and exercise your bird’s feet. The main perch should be a hardwood dowel or Manzanita running horizontally, in the middle of the cage. Perch two, a rope or Booda ?U- shaped? perch for sleeping should be placed in the upper third of the cage near a privacy corner. Beyond offering a sense of security, the rope provides a shredding alternative to feather pickers.

Introduce a third texture for perch three. Sandy, concrete, Plexy-glass; diversity is important here. Unless birds are in flight, they are on their feet. Humans will shift posture while standing to seek comfort. Bird’s feet must consistently be challenged for foot health. Nature doesn’t make life easy for prey birds, you needn’t either. Making the birds work for food keeps them challenged. Perches don’t have to be placed by food dishes. More perches provide more ?challenging? opportunities

Often over looked but essential is the cage door perch. A bird ?coming to you? on a perched fastened to the inside of the cage door, encourages the bird to come to the door perch before opening the door. With the bird on the door perch, open the door ? say, ?Step ? Up? while extending a firm hand. This allows you to retrieve your feathered companion from their cage without entering their territory.

Bringing branches from the backyard may seem practical and economical, but harmful parasites and other menaces may unknowingly be brought in as well. Woods such as Apricot, Cherry, Peach, Prune, Plum or Nectarine belong to the Prunes species, and contain cyanogenia glycosides, which releases cyanide if ingested.

Apple, Arbutus, Ash, Aspen, Beech, Cottonwood, Crabapple, Dogwood, Elm, Fir, Hawthorn, Larch, Magnolia, Mulberry, Pear, Pine Poplar, Redwood Sequoia and Willow are safe but must be introduced with caution. Branches should be boiled to kill any parasites before installing in a cage

Suggested perches, for various birds (perch diameter sizing.)

Suggested perch diameter sizing. It’s OK to go a little smaller or larger. Basically don’t get perch a bird too large that a bird’s foot can’t grab comfortably and may cause a bird to fall. Conversely too small a diameter may allow a birds foot to wrap all the way around and cause pain or injury to it’s own foot.

• Smaller birds like Finches or Canaries: 3/8 to 1/2 inch
• Small birds like Budgies: 1/2 to 5/8 inch
• Small Conures and Cockatiels: 3/4 inch
• Larger Conures and smaller Amazons: 3/4 to 1 inch
• African Greys and most Amazons and some smaller Macaws: 1 inch
  to 1 1/2 inches
• Large birds like Cockatoo or medium Macaws: 2 to 2 1/2 inches
• Large Macaws like Hyacinths: 2 1/2 inches or more

Hardwoods - Most cages come with at least one hardwood dowel perch. An additional hardwood should be introduced such as Dragonwood or Manzanita Perches. These woods offer not only durability but usually have uneven surfaces with knurls and knots. The varying diameter of these branches cause the birds feet to constantly adjust, thus providing needed exercise.

Rope can be in the form of a perch you attach to you cage like booda perchs. It can also be just rope. You can attach rope with w simple knot (never tie knots in chain please) It’s soft on a birds feet and also gives them something to tear up with their beaks

Concrete, Sand, Terra-Cotta can help nails and beak trimmed you feathered friends nails and beak trimmed. Your bird will scrape it’s beak much like rubbing a knife blade against a sharpening stone. The feet should be able to not completely wrap around the perch so nails are dragged over the rough surface keep them from getting sharp. Some perches are actually made of concrete but we prefer Sandy perches for their abrasive surface and manzanita core. The natural wood core gives the perch a more nature feel. They won’t necessarily let you skip nail trimming but can keep points blunt

PVC is found in everything from the dash of your car to vinyl windows and no wonder. It’s resistant to scratches, temperature change and will take just about any abuse. a perfect material for parrots! It’s also pretty easy to clean because of the non-porous surface. The drawback to the smooth surface of PVC is that a bird may literally slip off. It’s not uncommon to get a new PVC accessory and see this occur which can be cured by simply rubbing emery or small grit sand paper along the length of the perch. If your looking for a PVC product to perch you bird on check our or line of Ortho Bird

A parrot with toys is a happy bird!

A parrot with toys is a happy bird! Birds need to be taught to entertain themselves. A good place to start is with toys. Toys can help in keeping their beak nice and trim but also aid in preventing behavioral issues such as screaming, biting, and plucking. Toy-making can be relaxing and also can be quality time spent with your flock while making their toys. Let them be your guide. Knowing your bird is a big part of it. Analyzing what their likes and dislikes are. My birds like excitement in their toys!! Makes toy making for me all the merrier

It is always good to rotate your toys periodically. Rotating toys every other week will help pattern your bird to readily accept new toys without fear, and helps them to retain interest in toys that were stored. Keep an eye on toys and check them daily to ensure they are in tact, safely attached to the cage and no loose parts. When giving your bird a new toy, watch to see if he/she is chewing or eating the toys. Remove the toy if your bird is eating the parts. Watch for the fraying of material or rope and cut it back immediately. Your bird could get entangled (leg, wing, or their toe). Close supervision is always highly recommended.

Playbox. Utilizing a spare Food Cup that affixes to the side of the cage (near a perch or on the bottom), fill the toy box with toy parts. Wood toy parts (rings, spools, shapes, blocks, etc), small strands of bird safe vegetable tanned leather and cotton rope, marbella beads and rings. Remember to use the right size toy part for your bird. Never give a Parakeet toy part to a Macaw or an African Grey and visa versa.

I can not express enough the enjoyment my flock has with their toy box. Oliver, my eldest Grey, had the attention span of about 10 seconds. He literally spends **hours** playing in his toy box. He takes two parts at a time and tries to fit one inside the other. This also aided in keeping his mind occupied pro-actively and made time spent in his cage more enjoyable.

Toy Parts (wood/acrylic). Who knows their birds best? You do! You are their moms and dads. You are closest to them and know their likes and dislikes.

Always be sure to purchase bird safe products. Never using painted or lacquered wood parts (certain paints/lacquers contain zinc and other harmful chemicals/additives). A helpful tip would be to order a few items if you are not sure your bird companion would enjoy it as much as we would like them to.

It is my opinion, dyed toy parts are more for humans than it is for birds. However, birds that are already accustomed to colored toy parts may need more “convincing’ but can be patterned to like the undyed toy parts easily. Dye free toys are a natural stimulus to birds and are readily accepted by birds. It is my experience, that phobic/inhibited birds shy away from colored toys. You can save yourself a lot of time and energy by not coloring wooden parts. Please take note when your bird is chewing dyed wood, some of it may be ingested. Warning: Never use flavorings to color your toys. This will encourage them to eat the wood parts.

Some safe woods are: Pine, Maple, Apple, Arbutus, Aspen, Beech, Birch, Cactus, Cottonwood, Crabapple, Dogwood, Elm, Hawthorn, Larch, Manzanita, Ash, Poplar, Willow, Ribbonwood, Grapevine wood. Warning: Never use pressure treated woods or Oak.

Helpful Tip: Popsicle Sticks can be purchased at Craft Stores. They are very handy easy toys and can be used to distract your bird. For small to medium sized birds only.

egetable Tanned Leather. Shop around and find a place that has the right type of leather. There are various widths and thickness of vegetable tanned leather strips. Be sure to purchase what is most suitable for your bird and the size of the hole that is drilled. Be sure it is bird safe leather and not treated with any chemicals or dyes.

100% Cotton Rope. There are several different types of rope. Two popular types are solid braided rope and twisted rope. Some are harder to find than others. Some birds enjoy unraveling the rope, then they can preen it. Be sure all the frayed ends are trimmed so that your bird does not get caught. Warning: Unraveled rope poses as a serious threat to birds. As the rope frays it becomes a trap for your bird. Ensure the rope is 100% cotton. Any alternatives are not considered bird safe.

Cotton Material. 100% Cotton Material can be cut into short strips and tied onto toys to encourage preening. Colored material can be purchased and using a Pinking Shear will discourage fraying but always be sure to trim the frayed ends back daily.

Toy Attachments. Quick links are the most common form of attaching toys. Parrots are naturally inquisitive, always be sure to check that Quick Links are always secured tightly to the cages. Some folks like to utilize leather strips and cotton rope to affix toys to cages and playstands. With my flock, I am in the habit of attaching toys half in and outside the cage. This way if they happen to be on top their cage playing they have toys inside and out (two toys in one). Remember: stainless steel is the best method and is zinc free. Brass and some quick links contain zinc. Be sure to ask for stainless steel to ensure they are bird-safe.

Not Recommended: Key Chain Rings, Clips. Birds can get their beaks and/or talon nails caught in them.

Chains. Chains come in various sizes and metals. Same as quick links. They come in various sizes. Always buy the right size for your bird. Too large or too small can be harmful. Be wary of chains made of brass or zinc. Zinc poses a serious threat to birds. Stainless steel is zinc free.

Sisal Rope/Jute. Similar to cotton rope, sisal rope comes in various widths. Be sure to know your source when purchasing it. Some places that sell Sisal/Jute may apply chemicals and/or harmful oils in the processing. Take note if the rope has a smell to it, it may be harmful to your avian companion.

Things to avoid: Colored Magazines and Colored Newspapers, Felt, Toothbrushes, Cardboard, Toilet Paper and, Paper Towel Cardboard Tubes, Plastic Bags, Cellophane and Plastic Coated Wires. For a more in depth look at toy safety.

Colored magazines contain harmful inks and chemicals, when ingested can cause harm. Cardboard and Cardboard Tubes contain harmful glues which contain Zinc. Toothbrushes contain nylon fibers and some contain lead metal parts to hold the bristles in place. Plastic Bags, Felt and Cellophane can be ingested and will not pass through bird’s digestive system. It may cause a blockage and much harm to your feathered loved one.

Now the fun begins? assembling them. Be creative, let your flock be your guide. If your bird loves toys with dangling parts ~ make an octopus toy. If your bird loves thin wood parts, be sure to try 3/16″ thick toy parts and measure what the proper width should be. I have found that for medium sized birds (Greys to small Cockatoos) the best width of rope is 3/16″, it is easily made into knots and threading through holes. If your bird happens to love the color pink, buy some pink marbella beads to encourage him to play with it. If your bird is a bit phobic, make simple toys that have only one long string with simple parts hanging on it with knots to separate in between. Dye is not needed to attract a bird, you can accent a toy with high impact plastics like marbella or other acrylic parts.

You can also make some fun talon toys. My birds LOVE to climb around the cage with a talon toy in their beak.

Toy Tips for birds with behavioral issues: Toys can be a great distraction for birds who are bored. Take a sheet of plain white paper and a small piece of cotton rope or jute. Tie the rope around the paper and let your bird shred it. Another tip would be to thread “Leafy Green Vegetables” through the bars. Nutrition and Toy in one! Sometimes simplicity in a toy can be fun for your bird. Take a piece of cotton rope, jute or Vegetable Tanned Leather ~ tie knots in it every 1.5 inches. This can be a toy for when you sit with your bird or in the cage. I have met some pretty great Houdini’s with undoing the knots! Food for Thought: A bird interested in toys will be less likely to pluck or pick at their feathers.

Let your bird sit with you while you are making the toys. They will get extremely curious of what you are doing. Allow them to wander through the pools of toy parts (of course making sure there isn’t anything dangerous nearby like scissors, needles, plastic wrappers, etc). This will encourage them to explore the toy once it is complete and placed in their cage. P.S. Be cautious of what your birds may get into when toy-making. They are always getting their little talons into something As you can see from the photo to the right.

More importantly, have fun with it. I find my flock helps me relax and release up some of those built up energies of day-to-day life.

How to Introduce New Bird Toys or a Bird Harness

How to Introduce New Bird Toys or a Bird Harness

Have you ever wondered the best way to introduce a new toy to your parrot or how to get it used to wearing a bird harness? Many birds are afraid of new toys and other items in their environment, but this article offers some tips that should help.
Toy Introduction

Often if a bird is not initially enthusiastic about a new toy, I will play with it in front of him, or we will play with it together on the bed to spark interest in it.

When, on the other hand, I have birds that are afraid of new toys, I first hang them near the cage, then on the outside of the cage near the bottom. (Height is very important to birds and things are less threatening if they are “below” the bird.) Then it gradually gets moved up, and when I see them start to mess with it while it’s still hanging outside, I move it inside the cage. This avoids those “help it’s gonna KILL me!” panic reactions.

That reminds me of a funny story: One day at the clinic I casually tossed Buddy the Amazon a big chunk of broccoli out of my salad. He reacted by DIVING off of his perch and screeching at the big bad green broccoli monster from the opposite side of the cage, on the floor. Poor Buddy. I retrieved it, broke it into smaller pieces, and he ate it, but he will be teased about the killer broccoli forever more!
Introducing a Bird Harness to your Parrot

Harnesses: Disclaimer: This is just MY opinion and my experience, and I’m not responsible for anything if you try it!! I have a built-in dislike of anything that’s more expensive just because it’s labeled for birds. I buy rodent water bottles and dog rope toys because they are exactly the same thing and cheaper. Well, I noticed that the bird harnesses I saw bore an astonishing resemblance to the cat/iguana harnesses I had seen, so I bought the smallest figure-8 cat harness I could find and tried it.

It worked great for me, and here’s how I did it: Standing behind the bird, hold the harness in both hands by the “open” loop with the closed loop up and facing away from you. Slip the closed loop over the bird’s head, bringing the crossover point down to the back between the wings, then quickly bring both hands around below the wings. Then your hands (and the harness ends) come together under the bird’s belly, where you quickly slip the end into the buckle and fasten it. Then stand back and let the hissy fit ensue for a bit! I also let my birds play with the harness off and on for a few days, letting them see that it was a “harmless” object and become used to the sight and “feel” of it, before I ever tried to put it on them.

I have actually had them end up “hanging” in the harness, and seem quite comfortable except for wanting to grab something with their feet. BTW, because of the location of a bird’s windpipe, it’s almost impossible to “choke” them like you could a dog or cat - compression of the chest is the only thing that will interfere with their breathing.

Why Your Parrot Needs Bird Toys

Why Your Parrot Needs Bird Toys

Just like children, your birds / parrots can benefit from having and playing with toys! A baby bird that is busy with its bird toys is not eating your wood furniture or ripping your leather jacket that you left out. Toys can help sooth your birds chewing need and calm them while you are away. From bird swings, boings, shreddable toys to puzzles, there is a toy for every parrot.

Bird toys give your bird safe items to explore - birds seem to be fascinated with dangerous household items. When your bird(s) are attracted to items they should not have - giving them one of their toys is the PERFECT distraction. Give them lots of attention when they are playing with their toys. When your parrot is playing with an item that you do not want them to play with — ignore them! If you need to take away a forbidden item — do not give your bird any attention, simply take the item away (negative attention is attention in your birds mind). If your bird tries to entice you into a game of look-at-what-I-have-you -better-get-it-me try getting one of their toys and start playing with it. When they come to get their toy, that is a great time to use your Clicker Training System because that is the behavior that you want! Soon they will choose their toys over the other items that do not get them attention.

Birds benefit from being challenged. A bored parrot is going to find a way to entertain itself, maybe by eating your couch or re-wiring your tv/ stereo system! When you are shopping for bird toys make sure you get a variety of sounds, textures, and challenges. Some sound toys make noise when you bite them them, others when you shake them, others you just have to nudge — Baby, our sound loving blue and gold macaw, will work with a bird toy until he has figured out how to destroy it in the most effective way, or how to create the most noise. Chino, who is a Umbrella Cockatoo mix loves foraging bird toys. Chino have to figure out how to get puzzle toys apart, Chino loves to take the apart over, and over again.

Some Parrots just love destroying their toys. Just like the children who you give a new bike to, only to have them take it apart! Baby and Chino rarely take apart their toys; however, when they do the pieces (we call it a carcass) become treasured toys. You should see Chino prance around the play gyms, play stands carrying and shaking whats left of her bird toy.

If you need help selecting the right bird toy for your parrot, let us know — we are just an eMail away!

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