Create a Talking Toy to keep home alone fids company

[dreamin_sqaw]

Hi all. I have not been able to read the forum lately , which I was doing every night, in a couple weeks. I have been extra busy with work ( home nurse) with a patient doing daily chemo that last any where from 3-5 hours. I come in at night and spend time with Sammy then crash. Being gone long hours, and me being the only one he will have anything to do with, wont allow anyone else to hold him. I am thinking that the long hours with him in the cage and alone most of that time that I want to do something to keep him company. Now don't think I am to nuts.....lol

You know how there are so many devises that are sound activated? well, I would love to create something for his cage that can be activated by him touching it that will have my voice on it. Maybe a hanging toy that If he swings it the sound would start. we talk with each other all the time. He will stare at me and chat away. sounds like a whole paragraph when he starts I just cant make it out. when he finishes I talk back to him, he waits for me to finish then starts right back up like we are having a conversation . I don't know what he says but it sounds like the same thing every time. Since he loves that , I thought of this lil idea.lol..... maybe it will even make him wont to play with the toys, right now he has nothing at all to do with em.
I am thinking this will be better than a recording because he can learn to control it Vs having a tape playing and going non-stop. he may need some quiet time to.

plus, this may help him to learn new words....

Anyways, this is my "I wanna create something" idea. Now to figure out how.........lol......

What yall think? any idea's? or am I plain ole nuts?! lol
They say "if there is a will there is a way" I'm about to test this saying lol

Chirp in my forum friends! give me your thoughts, opinions, and ideas

thanks so much

 

[Kalidasa]

I know you can make your own recordings on the talking hallmark cards. It would be pretty easy for him to open it himself. Or just position a monitor or tablet near him and talk with him remotely that way via your phone.

 

[dreamin_sqaw]

great ideas Kalidasa.

But I cant use a card, he would shred it in 5 seconds flat. He has started tearing up the paper in bottom of his cage. I don't have the means to do the phone chat with him. But I thank you for the suggestions. I will for sure keep them in my head to try.

 

[Gizmomania]

I actually just saw an advertisement today for a unit that you can record phrases you'd like for your fids to learn. Then, while you're away from home, it periodically and repeatedly plays these phrases for your fids for them to learn.

 

[JerseyWendy]

I have a thing called "Wordy Birdy", and I love it. Have had it for almost 15 years, and they still make it. You can find it here:

Bird Training Products

I wouldn't necessarily put it inside my birds' cages though, as I'm sure it would get destroyed. :54:

 

[dreamin_sqaw]

I have a thing called "Wordy Birdy", and I love it. Have had it for almost 15 years, and they still make it. You can find it here:

Bird Training Products

I wouldn't necessarily put it inside my birds' cages though, as I'm sure it would get destroyed. :54:

Thanks. I will be getting one of these. But I think I didn't make clear one of my goals........
I can not get Sammy to play with any toys. My thought on a " talking toy" was to try to get him to want to play. His reward, or bait , which ever way you look at it lol, would be to have attention in the form of my voice. Hoping he would play to get the sound. We talk back and forth every night before " nite nite " time so I know he would like it. I'm trying to keep him from being lonely plus get him to play for exercise.

 

[JerseyWendy]

Check these out. They can be hung in the cage and play sounds/music, depending on which one you'd choose.

Jungle Talk - Interactive Toys

I had the "Talk n Play" for my Amazons for a while, and it was a HUGE hit (while it lasted). I'm not a big fan of mirrors, but perhaps that will entice your bird to play with it??? Just thinking out loud here.

 

[Betrisher]

My Beaks have a series of pram toys that play Sesame Street noises when you push a button. Madge has recently learned to play the sounds, but Barney hasn't yet. I suppose the next step would be to get a device that will play an mp3 at the push of a button. I have a doorbell that plays mp3s and I've got a series of classical snippets recorded on it. I could record my voice if I wanted. The only problem is that you'd need to find a button or switch that was parrot proof. You'd also need a wireless device or protect the speaker wires so the parrot couldn't bite them. If you really want to do it, I'm sure there's a way - you just need to find the appropriate hardware.

I'm wondering whether my pram toys can be dismantled and have my own voice recorded instead of Bert'n'Ernie's. Each toy is made from heavy plastic (can't be bitten by the Beaks) and has a series of softer plastic/rubber buttons, each of which plays a different sound (mp3?). The beauty of these is that they're self-contained and don't need an external speaker or switch. Think about it, anyway. There's lots of kiddie toys that work like this. Oh, and let us know if you fix on an idea! I'd be interested to hear it!

 

[dreamin_sqaw]

Thanks to you all for all of the feedback.

I sure will let ya know Betrisher.