holly
Hatchling
Posts: 25 
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Post by holly on Aug 22, 2015 5:00:28 GMT -5
Hey!
I was wondering what rope you guys used for the rope toys that look like a tic-tac-toe game.. bandit loves to climb so I thought this would be great! plus she could chew on it plenty.
And what you use to string their toys?
Also some of your birds favorite toys!?
Would love some more ideas for her toys, I only have a few toys that she always has in her cage... Would like some good wooden ideas!  They can be meant for inside the cage and outside..
One last thing, does anyone know how to make a medium play gym out of say, limbs from pine and oak trees? We really want to give her more perchs around the house, along with a gym to play and hop around to her hearts content,
Thanks! ~~~Holly~~~ |
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Post by easttex on Aug 22, 2015 6:49:41 GMT -5
www.drsfostersmith.com/bird-supplies/bird-toys/build-your-own-bird-toys/ps/c/5059/5648/8596?s=tsThere are a lot of bird safe products there to help you make your own. If you're going to make your own play gym, my preference would be to use PVC pipe. There is a variety of sizes and different connectors. You can use vet wrap or something similar to make easy to clamber around on. I don't use any of the branches at our place because I don't know the history of pesticides that may have been used in the past. They can persist in wood for many years.
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Post by msdani1981 on Aug 22, 2015 14:52:52 GMT -5
I use hemp. And I completely agree with using PVC pipe for building a playgym (post pics of your progress!). |
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holly
Hatchling
Posts: 25
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Post by holly on Aug 23, 2015 2:33:03 GMT -5
I was thinking of our woods because we've owned this plot of land for 60ish years, and we know the owner before us had it at least 50 years, and they used it the same as us, to raise a family.
I'm saying this because there are trees on the property that we planted, and they grew(or died) the natural way.
The PVC pipe is a great idea!! And I have a ton of vet wrap on hand for patching up the animals.
Bandit loves pine, so I was wondering if I could incorporate some limbs from the trees that I helped plant?
If those truly aren't safe then they'll stay outside, but I'd at least like to ask because she REALLY likes anything made of pine I get her.
I'm at a loss where to begin with my play gym though, can anyone send in pictures of their play gyms?
Are they best to be free standing, on a table, on the cage? Do you make it one solid piece and connect everything, or do you make it easy to disassemble? Is plumbers tape safe to be used on pieces that shouldn't come apart?
Also what happens if she falls off of it? I am worried about her harming herself, she is still building basic muscles most birds never lose. And I've heard terrible things happen with some of the bedding used for a softer landing?? (Sorry I am still learning bird terms, I've had rodents, so I usually just call it what is reminds me of from the rodents)
Also about the rope, I meant what sizes also! Sorry just noticed I skipped over that detail. I don't know what size rope is best for her to play and climb on, I'm used to working with wire for crafts- not rope.
Also two of the main ropes I've heard works good with birds are: Hemp, which seems to have smaller sizes & Sisal, which looks to come in larger sizes.
Sorry for the multitude of questions, my mind flies through a check list of what I need to cover.
~~~Holly~~~ |
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Post by easttex on Aug 23, 2015 12:53:09 GMT -5
"You can google "parrot play gym pvc" and you'll see lots of examples. How you make it really depends on what you want.
On rope, I would just make sure not to buy any that is treated. Some ropes are coated in some kind of oil, and the best way to avoid that is to buy something specifically meant for birds.
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Post by Sharyn and Mr P on Aug 24, 2015 18:07:29 GMT -5
I use 2 kinds of rope around my birds bought at mysafebirdstore.com, Jute and Sisal.
They market only toy pieces, ropes, etc that are parrot friendly, nothing coated or treated.
I agree with everyone concerning pvc but you can jazz up pvc a bit by buying a small branch type playstand and incorporate it into the pvc as a sort of modular design.
I also have one playstand that is made out of very small printer cart and pvc, with the printer cart as the base so it was portable, but could also be placed on the ground, rather than a tabletop.
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holly
Hatchling
Posts: 25
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Post by holly on Aug 28, 2015 23:19:50 GMT -5
Hello! My playstand is on a short budget, and the branch stands out here are quite pricy.. So she'll survive with PVC wrapped with vetwrap. I'll post my progress as I go, once I get going. Might take till after I kick this bug out of my system.. Thanks! ~~~Holly~~~ |
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Post by julianna on Aug 29, 2015 13:46:25 GMT -5
If you can try to give her branches from a fruit tree... I know my bird preferred this however, he did chew it a lot so make sure the pieces a thick. I would make the gym close to her cage and perhaps on a lower level. I know birds prefer to be up high but sometimes that gives them the feeling that they are the boss and although they are... lol... I have seen them on the ground which reach up to 4-5 feet tall and the bird loves it. Also there was a built in eating station for them with food and water.
Always remember... the more toys, cages etc that they have the more mess for you too.
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Post by siobhan on Sept 4, 2015 19:17:57 GMT -5
I tried giving mine branches from our trees (which have never been sprayed -- we live on the home place that my family has owned since 1970) and they were not impressed. Wouldn't go near the stuff. For rope, you can use cotton clothesline but sisal seems to provide a better grip. I give Jade clothesline and shoelaces just to play with and she ties all her toys and swings together. Leave stuff lying around where they can see it before you put it where they have no choice but to encounter it. They like to look things over and make sure new things are not parrot eating monsters for a few days first.
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Post by cnyguy on Sept 4, 2015 20:13:35 GMT -5
Ralph's playstand is made from a magnolia branch that broke off a tree at the apartment complex during an ice storm. None of the trees here have ever been sprayed, so I know that it was free of pesticides. It's secured in an old Christmas tree stand. Ralph likes it, but has other places he'd rather play (the towel bars in the bathroom, the silverware drawer in the kitchen, etc.  ). Ralph likes to untie knots in strings (unlike clever Jade, he hasn't mastered the art of tying them), and I use shoelaces and vegetable-tanned rawhide laces for that purpose. |
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). Ralph likes to untie knots in strings (unlike clever Jade, he hasn't mastered the art of tying them), and I use shoelaces and vegetable-tanned rawhide laces for that purpose.