Eclectus Parrot Life : Making Your Own Parrot Toys

Making your own parrot toys is very cost effective and often they enjoy the toys you make much more than store bought toys. To gain parrot interest toys need to be colourful, full of textures and easily destroyed. It is not uncommon for a toy which took two hours to make, to last 15 minutes in a parrot cage. Some store bought toys are dangerous for example some have cotton fibres that can be consumed, some have dangerous metals that can cause heavy metal poisoning and some even have parts from which the bird can hang itself.

Some safe materials include-

Safe woods (pine, balsa, maple, elm- http://eclectusparrots.net/safeplants.html this site can give a comprehensive list)

100% Natural Fibre Ropes such as Cotton, Hemp, Sisal

Stainless chain with welded links

Acrylic- 3/16" thick minimum (wood is better for birds that enjoy chewing)

Leather- vegetable tanned leather replaced when excessively wet or soiled

Some bells come in strong plastic cases which prevent the bird from getting stuck whilst still allowing the bird to make sound.

Seagrass mats- after being soaked in vinegar overnight and rinsed make great toys

Cardboard

Newspaper

Peat pots

All toys have to be checked daily for any signs of chewing, loose ends or severe damage and if so removed.

Top 5 DIY toys for parrots-

These are made of cardboard zip ties and newpaper great for shredding

1. Cardboard and newspaper shredders (perfect for chewers who love to shred)

They take only a short time to make, requires:

- 1x Cardboard box (perhaps check bunnings? make sure the box isn't used for chemicals, baits or toxins)

- 1x Newspaper (dye in newspaper is safe now for chewing and shredding often newspapers that are old are tossed away),

- 1x Packet of various sized zip ties- allows for easy hanging and can easily be cut off when discarded.

Method-

- Cut small square boxes in cardboard and small square newspaper pieces

- Use a skewer to carefully poke a hole through the middle or top of the newspaper and cardboard strip.

- Pull through zip tie and secure with another zip tie at the top, then cut off excess (this becomes the bottom) turn over and pull another zip tie through the bottom now top (top of the zip tie) to make a loop.

- Connect device to hang it in the cage

Before Dyeing

2. Colour Dyed Pine (**requires wood saw**)

Equipment required-

- Safe wood pieces cut into small blocks with drill holes through them

- Various water soluble food colouring colours

- Rubbing alcohol

- Large size zip tie or stainless chain

Happy customers

Method-

- Mix 1 part food colouring to 10 part rubbing alcohol and water mixture

- Add a touch of hot water

- Place the wood pieces into a zip lock bag or container with the solution above

- Leave for one minute or so depending on the colour depth wanted

- Place on a surface to air dry

- When dry and coloured pull through stainless chain or zip tie (same as above method)

3. Cardboard box foraging toy-

This has to be the simplest toy, it is easily given everyday to provide foraging for food throughout the cage. Each afternoon the left overs can simply be tossed. An small empty box e.g. from food packaging can be filled with cut paper strips. Inside favourite food pieces can be placed and the lid sealed shut either just squashed down or with paper sticky tape. Thread any cage item holder through the side or top of the box and careful stab 5 or 6 holes in the side. If just starting you can put the favourite food smooshed all over the surface as to hint what is inside.

4. Kitty Litter Foraging Tray

A very simple activity.

Equipment-

- Small plastic rectangle tub

- Paper based or rice based Kitty Litter (new)

Method-

- Place kitty litter in the tub, throw a handful of sunflower seeds or your parrots favourite treats inside. It will take them a long time to find all the seeds.

**Some hens may take this as a nest be mindful of this (remove each day)**

5. Seagrass Mats-

You can do a wide variety of activities with these mats. These include:

- Placing foraging activities within the mat such as threading leaves

- Making huts

- Creating ladders and ledges for them to stand on

- Making tiny tunnels for them to squeeze threw.