The Importance of Toys By Joan Cirino - All Bird Toys Generally we don't consider toys when we purchase our birds or the importance of providing stimulating toys that challenge our birds thoughout their day. We know our birds are highly intelligent but forget to look for those challenging toys which fit the intellect or size of our feathered friends. We often don't take into consideration the importance of what a toy should accomplish for our bird, teaching our birds to amuse themselves along with stimulating their active minds. Mainly we consider only the cost or the longetivity of a particular toy. Emphasis should be on the mental stimulus any given toy provides your parrot. Imagine yourself sitting in a cage for several hours with toys that don't interest you. Your energy level diminishes and you might even become depressed enough to featherpick. Imagine again, how frustrating it would be to work for several hours to see you haven't accomplished your goals. The simple fact is birds enjoy seeing the spoils of their chewing time. They relish in it. Making appropriate choices isn't a simple process. You purchase a bird but do you really know your bird? Does he have toys that allow him to think or plan how to get that nut from inside the toy or maze or get those nuts and bolts (stainless steel, of course) off that block of wood? Are you stimulating his beak and tongue with various textures? Are you providing foot toys that are interesting and fun? Are you providing safe wood toys that are destroyed over hours rather than days and weeks? Nothing is more frustrating to a bird than to work at a toy made for a larger bird because it will last longer. He becomes frustrated from defeat. One of the largest expenses, next to food, is the cost of providing a constant supply of mind stimulating activity toys of many types, as well as using common sense and safety in our choices. One personal example comes to mind. I own a Moluccan Cockatoo, Miss Belle (the Queen to you) and she has a hanging cage basket in her cage. I fill it up to the brim with soft wood blocks which she loves turning into kindling wood. Her pile of splinters below her is her proudest moment of the day. I've tried filling her cage basket with hard wood blocks for variety, they just sit there and she sits there. No interest at all. Her pleasure is in seeing her destruction. Fill her basket with soft wood and she's back destroying again. Now it's certainly not that she can't handle the hard wood. We all know the strenghth in those big M2 bird beaks but rather the enjoyment to her with this particular toy, is to have soft wood, she can easily destroy. Knowing your birds likes and dislikes are very important to providing stimulating entertainment. Another favorite of hers is untying anything tied, leather knots, beads on rope or leather, cotton rope, sisal ropes. She will spend hours untying what took me hours to put together for her. Whatever your bird's choices are, a happy bird is a bird that is interested and excited with his assortment of toys and is happy to amuse himself playing, thinking and dismantling. Looks forward to what his next chore of destruction will be. You, as his loving caregiver, must provide these toys regularly. Every toy has the potential for being a danger. Doesn't matter what it is or how its made. Some birds are more curious of a toy than another, going into every nook and crannie. You need to make informed decisions on whats best suited for your bird. Take the time to sit and watch how your bird plays with ropes, chains, leather, beads. Most birds do just play, chew and then drop whatever it is and then there's always that small percentage that will ingest just about anything. You have to know each of your birds as the "individual" that they are. What is appropriate for one, may not be appropriate for another, even within species. Your choices for toys are limitless but you do need to follow guidelines in those choices. Pure cotton ropes, natural sisal, absolutely only vegetable tanned leather, stainless steel hardware and chains if your bird tongues and beaks everything. Never anything made with glue, non-toxic or not. Beads, plastics and baubles of appropriate strength and size for the bird. Most importantly, products made in the USA or Canada where there are regulations maintaining quality standards of products. Never be afraid to ask questions when you buy if your unsure. It could save your birds life. Know what you are providing. Be creative and imaginative and try making several toys yourself. Toys do not have to be elegant to be enjoyed but appropriate and interesting for each individual bird. Try to choose 3-6 core toys per bird. Use three in the cage and stockpile three for replacements. Rotate as often as necessary. Rebuild those core toys in rotation with your stock pile of safe toy parts so you are always ready to replace and rebuild the worn toys or ropes. There are many maze or puzzle toys for mind work available. Invest in a couple of those, they do last but fill them with different surprises to keep your birds interest. Make or purchase one or two appropriate wood toys on leather or rope with your birds favorite things. Lastly, a cage basket that could be refilled with blocks, shredders or interesting shapes. Our birds spend considerable time in their cages, consequently they should be content in their castle. They need stimulating entertainment which is geared to them and for them. Birds can become very frustrated working on their projects when they find they have accomplished little to no destruction. Some will give up playing altogether, taking up screaming, featherpicking, become emotionally depressed or extemely needy. Their fun is in seeing their accomplishments. The empty core hanging there, the maze empty and holding their prize, or that cage basket empty needing refilling. Keep those minds active by providing interesting challenges that they can overcome in reasonable lengths of time. Stimulating and interesting projects will make a well rounded social, intelligent and happy feathered friend. As their caregiver, you can provide no less. Joan Cirino, ALL BIRD TOYS Additive Free Foods Avian Naturals "Just Say No" foods, Toys, Toy Parts, Birdie Beds, Herbal Supreme, Treats and Breeders Blend Editors Note: Although this page is about the health of parrots related to toys I would like you all to know that this the same company where I get the special Veggie, Unsulfured Fruit, Nut Seed & Grain Mix for Mr. Tuxedo. He was a very sick Senegal parrot who failed to thrive until I met Joan and got him onto a diet that contains absolutely no chemicals or additives. You should check out this page as well. Believe me you have never seen any other mix as fresh looking nor as free from chemicals for your parrot. |
TOYS and THEIR IMPORTANCE for the HEALTH of your PARROT |
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The Importance of Toys By Joan Cirino - All Bird Toys Generally we don't consider toys when we purchase our birds or the importance of providing stimulating toys that challenge our birds thoughout their day. We know our birds are highly intelligent but forget to look for those challenging toys which fit the intellect or size of our feathered friends. We often don't take into consideration the importance of what a toy should accomplish for our bird, teaching our birds to amuse themselves along with stimulating their active minds. Mainly we consider only the cost or the longetivity of a particular toy. Emphasis should be on the mental stimulus any given toy provides your parrot. Imagine yourself sitting in a cage for several hours with toys that don't interest you. Your energy level diminishes and you might even become depressed enough to featherpick. Imagine again, how frustrating it would be to work for several hours to see you haven't accomplished your goals. The simple fact is birds enjoy seeing the spoils of their chewing time. They relish in it. Making appropriate choices isn't a simple process. You purchase a bird but do you really know your bird? Does he have toys that allow him to think or plan how to get that nut from inside the toy or maze or get those nuts and bolts (stainless steel, of course) off that block of wood? Are you stimulating his beak and tongue with various textures? Are you providing foot toys that are interesting and fun? Are you providing safe wood toys that are destroyed over hours rather than days and weeks? Nothing is more frustrating to a bird than to work at a toy made for a larger bird because it will last longer. He becomes frustrated from defeat. One of the largest expenses, next to food, is the cost of providing a constant supply of mind stimulating activity toys of many types, as well as using common sense and safety in our choices. One personal example comes to mind. I own a Moluccan Cockatoo, Miss Belle (the Queen to you) and she has a hanging cage basket in her cage. I fill it up to the brim with soft wood blocks which she loves turning into kindling wood. Her pile of splinters below her is her proudest moment of the day. I've tried filling her cage basket with hard wood blocks for variety, they just sit there and she sits there. No interest at all. Her pleasure is in seeing her destruction. Fill her basket with soft wood and she's back destroying again. Now it's certainly not that she can't handle the hard wood. We all know the strenghth in those big M2 bird beaks but rather the enjoyment to her with this particular toy, is to have soft wood, she can easily destroy. Knowing your birds likes and dislikes are very important to providing stimulating entertainment. Another favorite of hers is untying anything tied, leather knots, beads on rope or leather, cotton rope, sisal ropes. She will spend hours untying what took me hours to put together for her. Whatever your bird's choices are, a happy bird is a bird that is interested and excited with his assortment of toys and is happy to amuse himself playing, thinking and dismantling. Looks forward to what his next chore of destruction will be. You, as his loving caregiver, must provide these toys regularly. Every toy has the potential for being a danger. Doesn't matter what it is or how its made. Some birds are more curious of a toy than another, going into every nook and crannie. You need to make informed decisions on whats best suited for your bird. Take the time to sit and watch how your bird plays with ropes, chains, leather, beads. Most birds do just play, chew and then drop whatever it is and then there's always that small percentage that will ingest just about anything. You have to know each of your birds as the "individual" that they are. What is appropriate for one, may not be appropriate for another, even within species. Your choices for toys are limitless but you do need to follow guidelines in those choices. Pure cotton ropes, natural sisal, absolutely only vegetable tanned leather, stainless steel hardware and chains if your bird tongues and beaks everything. Never anything made with glue, non-toxic or not. Beads, plastics and baubles of appropriate strength and size for the bird. Most importantly, products made in the USA or Canada where there are regulations maintaining quality standards of products. Never be afraid to ask questions when you buy if your unsure. It could save your birds life. Know what you are providing. Be creative and imaginative and try making several toys yourself. Toys do not have to be elegant to be enjoyed but appropriate and interesting for each individual bird. Try to choose 3-6 core toys per bird. Use three in the cage and stockpile three for replacements. Rotate as often as necessary. Rebuild those core toys in rotation with your stock pile of safe toy parts so you are always ready to replace and rebuild the worn toys or ropes. There are many maze or puzzle toys for mind work available. Invest in a couple of those, they do last but fill them with different surprises to keep your birds interest. Make or purchase one or two appropriate wood toys on leather or rope with your birds favorite things. Lastly, a cage basket that could be refilled with blocks, shredders or interesting shapes. Our birds spend considerable time in their cages, consequently they should be content in their castle. They need stimulating entertainment which is geared to them and for them. Birds can become very frustrated working on their projects when they find they have accomplished little to no destruction. Some will give up playing altogether, taking up screaming, featherpicking, become emotionally depressed or extemely needy. Their fun is in seeing their accomplishments. The empty core hanging there, the maze empty and holding their prize, or that cage basket empty needing refilling. Keep those minds active by providing interesting challenges that they can overcome in reasonable lengths of time. Stimulating and interesting projects will make a well rounded social, intelligent and happy feathered friend. As their caregiver, you can provide no less. Joan Cirino, ALL BIRD TOYS Additive Free Foods Avian Naturals "Just Say No" foods, Toys, Toy Parts, Birdie Beds, Herbal Supreme, Treats and Breeders Blend Editors Note: Although this page is about the health of parrots related to toys I would like you all to know that this the same company where I get the special Veggie, Unsulfured Fruit, Nut Seed & Grain Mix for Mr. Tuxedo. He was a very sick Senegal parrot who failed to thrive until I met Joan and got him onto a diet that contains absolutely no chemicals or additives. You should check out this page as well. Believe me you have never seen any other mix as fresh looking nor as free from chemicals for your parrot. |
Miss Belle |
