How many here know about cardboard playgrounds?

nightfly

New member
Apr 19, 2015
26
3
NJ
Parrots
African gray, 'Toby'.
RIP Max and Bugsie (white capped pionus).
While reading the reddit bird sections, came across this:

So I put together a collection of boxes into one larger one; Toby goes nuts over it, pretty much every day. With frequent mail order stuff coming in from amazon and others every week, I have a never ending supply of 'new' colors and designs on his 'toys'. Plus, I don't have to deal with throwing away sheets of cardboard anymore; just the shredded stuff, and the shorter lengths, usually less than 6" wide or 12" long, that have fallen on the floor once no longer attached to anything in the box.

Dirt cheap, he never seems to tire of ripping stuff apart.
 

texsize

Supporting Member
Parrot of the Month 🏆
Oct 23, 2015
3,900
Media
5
4,796
so-cal
Parrots
1 YNA (Bingo)
1 OWA (Plumas R.I.P.)
1 RLA (Pacho R.I.P.)
2 GCA(Luna,Merlin) The Twins
1 Congo AG (Bella)
5 Cockatiels
I give some of my birds boxes.
for the most part only male birds.
There is one thing that bothers me personally.
The chance there might be residue of insecticide on the outside.
Maybe the bug guy just sprayed the outside of your house before that Amazon package Was delivered.
I had that service for a while (outside only).
During Covid there could be some kind of disinfectant sprayed on the outside.
 

LeeC

Well-known member
Jun 5, 2019
343
Media
3
397
Harrisburg, PA
Parrots
Timneh: Grady;
Senegal: Charlie;
Sun Conure: Peaches (deceased)
Senegal: Georgia
Peach-fronted Conure: Milton (foster)
Brown-throated Conure: Pumpkin (foster)
Senegal: Fletcher
Senegal: Ivy
I give some of my birds boxes.
for the most part only male birds.
There is one thing that bothers me personally.
The chance there might be residue of insecticide on the outside.
Maybe the bug guy just sprayed the outside of your house before that Amazon package Was delivered.
I had that service for a while (outside only).
During Covid there could be some kind of disinfectant sprayed on the outside.
The owner of my local rescue told me very early on that she only gives "virgin cardboard boxes" to the parrots. She orders them directly from ULINE. Virgin means they have never been through the shipping system as a shipping carton. Brilliant.


You have to love the irony of ordering a box of boxes, right? :]
 

SailBoat

Supporting Member
Jul 10, 2015
17,646
10,008
Western, Michigan
Parrots
DYH Amazon
The discussion regarding the safety of cardboard boxes and their use for Parrot entertainment have long been a subject, as they should.. The vast majority of general shipping boxes today are safe as there is very little transfer occurring as a result of the full transport system being dry. The other is the time line as most things shipped today are pulled from inventory, boxed and shipped quickly to your home, again in a dry environment.

International shipping, especially container shipping cardboard boxes are exposed to a lengthy list of contaminates, long transport times and should be avoided one-hundred percent as the majority of the boxes have been sprayed with bug sprays to reduce international transfer of bugs, etc. Also, most are sprayed to reduce mold build-up on or in the boxes. Such boxes should be emptied quickly and disposed of.

What should be avoided is printed boxes, especially bright /glossy print as that ink is not safe. Understanding that reducing shipping cost are being considered by everyone from original manufacturer to carriers are working at pulling any and all costs from the shipping process. Over the last two years, you have likely noted that most boxes arrive taped together with little more than the shipping label.

As always,
 
Last edited:

Most Reactions

Latest posts

Top