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Post by heatherg on May 24, 2023 23:49:20 GMT -5
I was going through my extra stuff today and found that I had a tiny old wicker canary nest. Was going to throw it out and noticed it’s basically what I wanted to do with coconut shells. There’s a wire loop through the side that lets you hang it on the side of the cage.
Anyhow I packed it with little toys, lids, balls, and baited it with a millet spray. Willow was staring at the ‘toybox’ and I dare say he’s eaten the millet. He doesn’t want me to touch it, either.
Willow is now ok with the multicolored milk and juice caps I saved. I think i accustomed him to the bright plastic jingle balls and maybe that’s why he’s ok. I found a yellow cap and offered it to him as he stood on his sleeping perch. He beaked it out of my hand and held it in his foot, chewing on it, for a while.
I found some bright colored straws, too. I’ve been putting some new things in his treat dish so I’ll try the straws. He’s been trying to weave hanging toys so maybe he will weave.
Willow has been LOUD recently! and I think he’s practicing his words in the morning when I’m waking up. His voice is different from Jaspers whistle-voice.
It’s exciting!
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Post by cnyguy on May 25, 2023 19:25:47 GMT -5
It's nice that Willow has some new things to play with. It wouldn't be surprising if he started weaving. Ralph likes to weave and it keeps him busy.
Your post reminded me that Ralph used to have some bottle caps and large buttons to play with. He lost interest in them and I put them away. Maybe I should get some out and see if he would want to play with them now.
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Post by heatherg on May 28, 2023 15:10:46 GMT -5
Lucy weaved until she got very old. She used to make a palisade of sticks around the outside of her cage. And it kept her busy, too.
I often wonder what to DO with a parrot who isn’t so busy with projects.
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Post by cnyguy on May 28, 2023 19:23:56 GMT -5
I had that concern with both Scooter and George, neither of whom were big on parrot toys. I experimented with some things that aren't parrot toys, as well as a few different kinds of toys, and found a few things that they liked to do. George and Scooter could have made an interesting team since Scooter liked to tie knots in strings and George liked to untie knots. George liked to fight with his big stainless steel bell and he had an acrylic dog bone that he liked to toss around. Sometimes he would chew up pieces of wood. I used to get thick wooden dowels and cut them into pieces, drill holes in the pieces and string a few together. George had fun with those. One of the few toys that Scooter ever bothered with was a certain type of preening toy that somewhat resembled a small broom. She liked to pull them apart. Once in a while she would tear up pieces of clean cardboard but she tired of that quickly. It can be hard to come up with ways to keep our parrots from being bored and keep them occupied.
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Post by heatherg on May 29, 2023 9:16:19 GMT -5
Well, willow has four straws in a friendly peach color as well as some new things in his toybox. I guess I should put a bribe in with the straws. I’m thinking I’ll string some of the colored lids on a heavy cord and maybe he’ll enjoy beating it up or carrying it around? Lucy spent lots of time on her cage floor playing but not Willow.
Jasper got a big toy with lots of chewable wood pieces. As the wood pieces get chewed off, I put them in her treat dish and she enjoys reducing them to splinters. I’d also bought a bunch of cardboard bird bagels which she shreds to bits.
I’m hoping today continues nice weather so maybe willow can get a bit of sun. Jasper continues to be very flighty so that won’t work.
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Post by cnyguy on May 29, 2023 19:48:51 GMT -5
I'm sure that I've mentioned before that Ralph has one actual parrot toy that he likes. It's a plastic chain with links roughly shaped like flowers called Forest Flowers. The links are slotted and Ralph likes to slip them onto the cage bars. He mostly ignores the other parrot toys that he has.
Three things that he plays with sometimes are not parrot toys. One is a plastic shower curtain ring that's at the corner of his cage. He likes to slide it up and down along the thicker corner of the cage. The other is a plastic key made for human babies. He has all the keys that came as a set but only plays with one that's on a string tied near the cage bottom. He likes to take the key off the string or push it between the cage bars. The third thing is a large, thick stainless steel nut and bolt on a stainless steel chain. He likes to take it apart and push that between the bars too. Especially with parrots who aren't fond of parrot toys, you have to be creative.
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Post by heatherg on May 29, 2023 23:05:07 GMT -5
I do have the baby Links and I could look for forest flowers. Willow likes his rainbow links and a few toys that are very old and ragged. He’s still suspicious of most plastic things.
I saw on the internet today a parrot plating with a felted ball. I’d like to get one of those for him because maybe it would be less scary. I am also going to try cardboard bird bagels and wicker balls. He seems more ok with neutral things.
I held him in my hand for about an hour today because that’s what he wanted. Poor guy. He seems a bit insecure.
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Post by biteybird on Jun 13, 2023 5:02:23 GMT -5
I saw on the internet today a parrot plating with a felted ball. Hi! Just be sure to supervise the felted ball - as he might chew the felt. I realised way too late that Bonnie was actually chewing her happy hut to pieces - but she was really stealthy the way she did it and made sure she chewed a huge hunk out of the back where she knew I couldn't see it from the front of the cage.... |
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Post by heatherg on Jun 17, 2023 23:18:22 GMT -5
I was hoping that a felt ball would be less terrifying than a plastic whiffle ball or Kitty ball.
I do have some wicker balls which he might enjoy. Honestly I’m more worried about the profane uses to which Willow might put a fluffy ball.
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Post by heatherg on Sept 7, 2023 16:28:06 GMT -5
I’ve not been able to find the Forest Flowers for willow but I did order some small plastic flowers that I can thread onto rainbow links for him.
We also got a wiffle ball toy with chains and beads or toys threaded through. I think he’ll like that once he’s over being scared of it
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Post by cnyguy on Sept 7, 2023 19:24:03 GMT -5
I bought the Forest Flowers some years ago from a private seller on Amazon, as I recall. It might still be available, or something similar to it. In the meantime, your scratch built version could be a big success too. If I see the Forest Flowers anywhere, or anything closely resembling it, I'll post the information in this thread.
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Post by heatherg on Sept 7, 2023 19:50:14 GMT -5
I just got an idea.
Are the forest flowers those plastic links that come shaped like a flower? Kind of like baby toy links that people use in their birds cage?
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Post by cnyguy on Sept 8, 2023 19:21:22 GMT -5
That's an accurate description of the Forest Flowers, though the links used for human baby toys are typically thicker.
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Post by heatherg on Sept 9, 2023 0:42:23 GMT -5
Ok. I know what they are then. I’ve got a few that came connected to another bird toy.
Willow likes to move and slide his rainbow links.
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Post by cnyguy on Sept 10, 2023 19:14:43 GMT -5
Moving things around and sliding them along the cage bars are fun for parrots. Ralph has a plastic shower curtain ring that he likes to slide up and down along one corner of his cage. The Forest Flowers toy is hanging from the top of his cage by a cable tie that allows it to slide and sometimes Ralph moves it back and forth. But his main thing to do with the Forest Flowers is to slip one of two of the links onto another cage bar. Then, of course, he expects me to take it off so he can do it again.
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