Safe "household item toys"?

Abomination

New member
Jun 11, 2014
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So I'm curious of safe toys for birds that are commonly around the house you can trust your bird with, or even craft to make a cheap toy!

One, I'm curious as to the Soda Can ring, if there's no edges to it (carefully checked for sharp edges) can a Conure play with that?
He always seems interested when I pop open a soda, so it sparked my attention.
 

Phlox

New member
Jun 16, 2014
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I probably wouldn't use those. They do have pinching spots. I know people use milk jug rings and caps for smaller birds though.
 

Kiwibird

Well-known member
Jul 12, 2012
9,539
111
Parrots
1 BFA- Kiwi. Hatch circa 98', forever home with us Dec. 08'
Plastic- probably (inspect for sharp edges). Metal, NO.

Our amazon likes toothbrush handles. When we are ready to throw them out, instead we cut off the dangerous part (the part with bristles), wash well under hot water and he LOVES them. Same thing with empty pens. Take all the little springs and parts out, take out the ink, wash well and he's the happiest bird on earth. Chapstick tubes as well. Remove the part that he'd the chapstick, wash and he thinks he has what you have:D The major thing with birds and household items is using common sense;) Can it be swallowed, ingested, contain a toxin (any metal should be avoided) ext...?
 
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Abomination

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Jun 11, 2014
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Thank you guys that's great to know! I'll be testing out toilet paper rolls, and a few other things that are easily chewable without toxins or choking!
 

RavensGryf

Supporting Member
Jan 19, 2014
14,233
190
College Station, Texas
Parrots
Red Bellied Parrot /
Ruppell's Parrot /
Bronze Winged Pionus /
English Budgie
I cut the top off a Kleenex box and make a toy box out of it. I cut it down low enough so that Raven can get inside the box and play with the foot toys in it. The box could be bigger for him (Pionus), but for a smaller Conure it would be perfect! He also uses the box itself to chew on too. I find him playing in it a couple times a day. He loves it!
 

4dugnlee

New member
Apr 27, 2014
1,133
3
Ohio
Parrots
Sassy - 13 y.o. Blue Front Amazon, Cisco - 6 y.o. Sun Conure, Peanut - 8 y.o. U2
Fred - 2(?) y.o. Cockatiel, Ginger - 3 or 4(?) y.o. Cockatiel
I'm always looking for household items to use too. I'm currently saving the plastic coffee creamer lids to make toys out of...and they already have a hole in them to hang them:D

I am going to use a kleenex box too, Ravensgryf. I think I saw that in a pic that you had posted..very cool idea!

I have used cardboard egg cartons and toilet paper/paper towel rolls...straws, playing cards. I used dry rigatoni on some toys also. They just chew them but haven't eaten any. I also had a set of sippie cups from my grandaughter and took all the lids (different colors) and made a toy out of them.
 

MrsKay

New member
Jun 23, 2014
474
Media
3
1
Southern California
Parrots
Green Cheek Conure (Larry)
Canary (Norman)
ahhhh, you are all so very clever :) I love all of those ideas. I buy Larry a toy and he plays with a wrapper, a clothespin, whatever I didn't buy hehe
 

Betrisher

Well-known member
Jun 3, 2013
4,253
177
Newcastle, NSW, Australia
Parrots
Dominic: Galah(RIP: 1981-2018); The Lovies: Four Blue Masked Lovebirds; Barney and Madge (The Beaks): Alexandrines; Miss Rosetta Stone: Little Corella
I use chopsticks, popsicle sticks and the plastic spoons that come with McDonald's sundaes. I tie them together in bundles and hang them from the most inaccessible part of the cage roof so the Beakies have to clamber to get hold of them. I've also made an 'interesting' toy from a bundle of ten stainless steel teaspoons. I drilled a hole through the handles and threaded them onto a split ring. The Beakies like shaking the innards out of the spoons to make a noise, bless their little hearts. They learned to like spoons when I mistakenly shared my breakfast muesli with them off a spoon...
 

Allee

Well-known member
Oct 27, 2013
16,852
Media
2
213
Texas
Parrots
U2-Poppy(Poppy lives with her new mommy, Misty now) CAG-Jack, YNA, Bingo, Budgie-Piper, Cockatiel-Sweet Pea Quakers-Harry, Sammy, Wilson ***Zeke (quaker) Twinkle (budgie) forever in our hearts
One of my bird's favorite cheap, quick, toys is a lunch bag filled with shredded paper. I use paper punch to put holes all over the bag then fold down the top and use paper rope or leather strips to attach the bag to the cage. I hide birdie bagels, foot toys, or almonds inside and tie wooden beads to the leather strips. They think it's a brand new toy every time.
 

Colorguarder08

Banned
Banned
Mar 8, 2010
604
0
Washington State
Parrots
Riley-white faced grey cockatiel (hatch date 6-28-2014) RIP Halloween-pied cockatiel
I made Riley a dig box out of the case that the cup of soups come in (the actual 12 pack case) I put in a couple of her toys sprinkled seeds on the bottom and a couple nutriberries to get her interested in it as well as some shredding toys. She loves it she's even started chewing on the actual case it's self infact she's even started to prefer it to my sweatshirt. Tomorrow is toy rotation day so I will be taking out some of the her toys and tossing in a toilet paper roll. Also in the past (with Halloween) I have used unbleached coffee filters (the brown ones) and just put some seed or treats inside one and clip it to the cage roof, some people prefer to tie the filters with rope either way works. Halloween LOVED it. I haven't done that for Riley yet but I will in the next couple weeks.
 

Pinkbirdy

New member
Feb 26, 2013
2,203
1
Clifton Springs Newyork
Parrots
macaw,LS2,congo grey,2Blk Hd caiques,Hawkhead,yellowstrk lory,Blue frnt amazon,sun conure ,Yellow sided greencheek ,Goffin ,Rosebreasted Cockatoo,Greenwing Macaw,Blue and Gold Macaw,Nanday conure,Ecle
I use straws too :) I take colored straws 1$ ,take a zip tie around them . Pull really tight[ the straws fan out].I tie them to the side of the cage . Heres Owen checking his toy :)
 

Timothy

New member
Aug 16, 2014
475
0
Port Richey, Florida
Parrots
Blue & Gold Macaw [Maya] // Sun Conure Baby [Zippo] // 2 Lovebirds [Nibblet & Nellie]
Ooohhh im gonna try that with fanning the drinking straws. And someone posted here about how to take a straw through a manual pencil sharpener to make them slinkies. I cant remember who it was i'm so so sorry. ill try to dig up the post
 

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