What are some good foraging toys?

Mechanical8dragon

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I see so many of them but I have no idea what ones are good or not. I've read so many reviews of "cheaply made" or "bird managed to unscrew it" and other such things.

It would be for a Jardine's Parrot, so it'll have to stand up to her beak. The plastic ones I've found, people have said that even though the plastic is think, their bird easily chipped it away or broke it.

Don't want my bird eating plastic with her nuts... lol

I'm not a very good creator, so i don't know how well I could MAKE a toy. I tried toilet paper tubes a few times and Jardy acted like they were going to eat her. She'd aggressively... and i mean AGGRESSIVELY launch herself at them in an attempt to completely murder the thing. It wasn't a pleasant sight... I've tried toilet paper tubes in a variety of situations, and every time, same reaction lol I don't know what freaks her out about them so much but yeah...
 

chris-md

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A stupid simple diy foraging toy is simply a toilet paper roll sealed on both ends (either folded over for example). Have a look at this video, it could give you a good idea of how to approach it.

[ame="https://youtu.be/KztWdrv4KsY"]Parker the eclectus' first foraging success - YouTube[/ame]

Other than that, you really can't go wrong. Parker has Stacksd covered cups, he has a blue boot shaped foraging toy, a few others. All bought online. Find some that look appropriate for your birds skill set, and see how she reacts.
 
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Mechanical8dragon

Mechanical8dragon

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Jardy hates toilet paper rolls though. Like i said she angrily launches herself at them with the intent to murder it if it was alive. It is no way playful, and actually concerning. I dont want her to hurt herself in the process of her angry fit of fury. She even furiously tries to attack me in the process. I have no idea what goes thru her mind during that but yeah... lol toilet paper rolls are out.

She actually almost took a chunk out of my finger when i first introduced her to the toy and i tried to remove it because i was concerned and she almost took a dime sized chunk out of my finger. It was hanging on by a flap lol not fun
 

wrench13

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Salty's first foraging toy was this rubber thing looks like a football with lots of holes in it. He gets his morning peanut in that, takes him at least 30 min to finish it. Find it at Petsmart ,and they will have it in both the bird and dog section. Identical, but $2-3 cheaper in the dog section.
 
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Mechanical8dragon

Mechanical8dragon

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Oh i think ive seen those things a few times. Ill have to look for that :D. Cheaper as a dog toy. Go figure hah
 

plumsmum2005

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Have you tried just scrunching up some treats in a scrap of paper? If you show her by unwrapping one and go from there?

If if is taken to then they can be incorporated into other forager toys. If she really doesnt get it, maybe a very slight smear of nut butter on the outside will give the incentive.
 
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Mechanical8dragon

Mechanical8dragon

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haven't personally done it, but I've gotten her toys that are balls of paper with some weave going around it and I've had her sit on her door while I shoved various nuts into the weave in front of her. They were little foot toy things, but she did eventually tear em up to enjoy her teats (calmly).

I don't know why a toilet paper roll is that different to her LOL. I introduced it to her the same way, shook it so the nuts rattled in it, acted excited about it and set it atop her cage. She instantly climbed up there but instead of tearing it up like the foot toy, she was like... full on rage of hate and almost fell off her cage top @_@ sometimes I don't understand my bird.... such a weirdo...
 

chris-md

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Did you let her see the food first or just the roll containing the food?
 
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Mechanical8dragon

Mechanical8dragon

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nope i showed her. I even gave her a couple almond pieces in between the ones I was putting in the tube. It's so weird though. She doesn't do it with other toys I've shoved treats in (even new toys she's never seen before), but with toilet paper tubes... it's like... I don't even know what flips the switch with her on them lol. Maybe she had a bad experience with them? I have no clue.

I wish i could use toilet paper tubes... we go thru toilet paper in this house like crazy (3 ppl living here. and my BF and I of course share the same bathroom)
 

SilleIN

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If you want her to calm down with the toilet paper rolls, you could try to cut some strips of a toilet paper roll and stick them in willy nilly in her food bowl. Just taking the strips out of her food is actually foraging :)

I use a variety of foraging toys. My macaws are at very different levels of foraging. Some of the more simple toys is a empty clear water bottle, where I have cut a hole about 1/3 from the bottom on the side. I then put in food.

Also I use cardboard and push sunflower seeds in between the waves.

I also take some treats, wrap them in clean printer paper and stuff them into a wooden hamster tunnel.

I also make some small foot toys out of jumbo straws, where I cut them into smaller pieces, heat one end up with a lighter, push some treats into the straw and them seal the other end by heating it up.
sillein-albums-other-stuff-picture17455-jumbo-straw-foraging-toy.jpg


You just have to try. Foraging toys can be really cheap by using stuff you already have in your house :)
 

itchyfeet

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I sprinkle sunflower seeds into sheets of newspaper, roll up the sheets into long thin strips and then plat them. For my 'tiel, I'll get a small plastic tray with a variety of toys and food treats, and then cover them with shredded newspaper. That's can keep her going for hours. What kind of toys does your bird tend to enjoy?
 
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Mechanical8dragon

Mechanical8dragon

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she loves the easy to shred toys, and very soft wood. Popsicle sticks, and the uh, bird kabob things are her top choices.

I'm getting her a bag of the wood on the kabobs that I hope to use as foraging items. I'm gettin' her one of these too:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...ct_title_14?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A2L77EE7U53NWQ
I'll put some of the chips in there with paper and then hide various nuts around in it. Should be able to stand up to her beak haha.
 

LoveMyConlan

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I purchased a baffle cage for my Conures and they love it! I can fit it with newspaper wrapped treats and food, and even her toys. They love shredding things. Plus it's easy to clean! A large plastic jug with holes works to :)

For smaller birds, a weekly pill box dispenser works.
 

MosaicMadness

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simple foraging: pvc with chain and those colorful disks that they'd pull the disk and chain through one side to get into the middle to get stuff, wood block with holes drilled and you can put seeds/nuts in the holes they have to get them out (you could use pine or balsam wood), fill straws, stacking cups strung together and fill with paper/treats, I saw somewhere take cupcake papers and put some treats/nutriberry then wrap and twist closed, skewers hanging or hang something with old fashioned wood clothespin.
 

GaleriaGila

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LOVE some of these ideas... Rb is just not the sharpest knife in the drawer: can't figure out foraging toys at all. But these SIMPLE ideas... I'm sure he can do!!!!!!!!!! Can't wait... I'm off to try some!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why didn't I think of this already? Maybe *I'M* not the sharpest knife either...

Love you guys.
 

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