Advise on this toy

Hello Everyone

I was going through the chewy and walmart site to find a toy for my parrotlets. Found this one - https://www.chewy.com/sungrow-bird-toy/dp/206234

Can I buy this once it comes in stock?

I wonder if it might be a bit big for a parrotlet - I can’t tell the dimensions, but identifies it as suitable for African greys and macaws. I know my little birds won’t chew on wood that is too large for them to get their beaks around.

Yes, I think that toy's probably too big for a parrotlet. The wood is too large for him to chew and the cotton rope fibres are a bit of an entanglement danger. They can be deadly, once a bird has 'operated' on them for a short time. Natural wood is probably more fun for a parrotlet. See if there are any eucalyptus or apple trees in your area and snaffle some twigs (less than 1/2" in diameter). Tie them together in bundles with jute string or some veg. tanned leather and hang them near your perches.

My birds don't pay any attention to the kinds of toy in your pic. (They're larger parrots, though: Alexes and a Corella) Instead, they like to chew on big, hard hunks of timber, which I provide them. Also, cardboard boxes (with all sticky labels or tape removed). Madge can reduce a family sized pizza box to confetti in just twenty minutes! I guess what I'm saying is that home-made toys are often better, cheaper and more stimulating than the junk-on-a-string-type toys, which only offer the chance to preen and a do bit of nibbling.

Consider checking out bird toy parts on ebay. You can get thin wooden slats, either natural or coloured, which you can string together on paulie rope or clip to the cage with a carabiner. Egg cartons are great for chewing. A dry corn cob with a few kernels left on. Bits of broccoli. Even folded paper shapes. I imagine a parrotlet might have fun with, say, a toothpaste box or other similar small boxes (DO NOT give ones big enough to nest in, or you'll have Problems). We collect our ice-block (popsicle) sticks for the birds, who chomp 'em up happily.

I've never kept parrotlets, but our lovebirds are *amazing* when it comes to paper. They tear it up into long strips, then tuck it into their tail feathers and fly to a perch, where they will continue to shred each strip until it's only fibres on the floor. That suggests to me that paper is a great toy! I wrap a single seed into a small paper packet (times twenty or so) and then pop the little packets inside an egg carton. The Lovies have to burrow into the carton and then open the little packets in order to get their sweeties. It keeps 'em busy.

It's funny. Those of us with larger parrots often complain that all the toys out there seem to be for smaller ones, while those with small parrots think the opposite. You just have to be creative and watch your bird so you can find out what he likes to do best. Then, make/buy accordingly.

Try looking for toys with Popsicle sticks as the wood component. They are thin and small enough for your parrotlet to go to town chewing on them. Once they get the idea that they can chew thru wood stuff , you can try (try mind you) ones with thicker more substantial pieces of wood. Even if they dont, getting Popsicle stick in bulk form ( 1000 pcs at once) punching a hole thru them and putting them on a bird safe chain, is going to save you hundreds of dollars in store bought bird toys over the years.

There are some decent small- bird toys on Amazon--- Just avoid flimsy bells and anything hut-like/tent like (lots of these on the market and they are no good for hormones). I also tend to avoid anything with cotton rope because if it is ingested it can cause blockages (but this is really going to depend on your bird). Other than that, avoid anything that they could get seriously tangled in (again, frayed cotton rope makes me nervous for that reason as well).

The bells can get stuck on their beaks or the pendulum can be ingested, so best to avoid them unless they are super-solid stainless and sized appropriately. You can often remove parts of a toy if you are concerned about safety but keep in mine you may need to find a new way to hold the parts together if you remove a bell at the bottom of certain types---just depends on the construction.

If you buy any other wood toys not for birds, you will want to make sure that they are colored with food-safe vegetable dye...I know Walmart sells Popsicle sticks that meet this criteria (I called and asked) but I cannot recall the brand-name.
In terms of metals, you don't want anything that isn't stainless steel. Zinc, lead, etc all are dangerous, so make sure that your bird isn't playing with things like jewelry, money, or other random household items.