Getting Companion Parrots to Forage

[Tiki]

When you have three of the world's top bird behaviour experts telling you that foraging is important to your bird's health and happiness, you have to take notice. Following on from the Parrots 2006 Conference (see link), I'm opening this topic for discussion. How have YOU introduced foraging to YOUR birds?

http://birdboard.com/forum/showthrea...d=1#post229474

[Miro The Macaw]

Mine are all encouraged to forage with various foraging toys. The Macaw, Miro, Needs to have challenges like that or he finds them on his own- He either gets foraging toys or takes apart his cage. He is an incredibly smart animal, though, and usually figures out the toy pretty fast. He has a few commercially availible toys (Barrel o fun), plus bottles, snap on lid containers, etc.

The Eclectus shows interest in foraging toys too, but takes a TOTALLY different approach. Miro will grab the toy and attack head on- Either figuring out how to open it or destroying it. Miss 'Clectus, on the other hand, will stare at it from various angles, and study it for a while- sometimes hours- before attempting to open it. She also watches you CLOSELY when you give it to her- watches how you open it, fill it, etc. She is a very smart bird too, and is always thinking....

The grey is too young- still scared of a lot of toys!

-Andrew

[Freedomoflight]

Lots of different ways...
I do foraging toys, such as the rubber kongs or hollee rollers. I will make my own foraging contraptions- oragami water balloons and put a piece of papaya in the balloon. Put paper or cardboard over the food dish so they have to work to get the food. Fill a tray with playsand and rocks and sprinkle seed in it and place it in the cage for them to scrounge around in. Some of my birds have their own 'toyboxes' and I will hide treats in there...
stuff an old, clean sock full of peanuts and other favorite treats and let them chew away.
Those are the things I do most often.

[bgmacaw]

We use a variety of foraging toys, socks, paper bags, etc. We also take the containers that cherries/grapes, etc come in at Costco and weave the tops through the slots in the cage. We then fill with toys, nuts and the stuff from shredder toys.

[The Outlaw]

You know I have to have foraging an shredding opportunities for my hellians. I usually crumple up single sheets of newspaper and stick them in the cage rungs. I will occasionally take a lasagna bake pan and load cleaned stones (like smaller river rock) and hide toys and food treats amongst the rocks.

Any small box like jewelry boxes can be strung and hung in the cages or on playstands with small holes for the birds to see the goodies inside.

Brown paper lunch bags simply twisted can be tucked into food dishes. I usually use popped corn and peanuts as the surprise inside.

Using wooden skewers, you can make veggie kabobs and tuck them between the cage bars. Or, you can use butcher's twine and string the same stuff. Just clothesline it.

The old boxes in boxes is fun. And, of course the famous popcorn party has been a treat here for years. Purchase a hard plastic children's wading pool, cover the bottom with popped corn, add some peanuts, little toys, wooden blocks whatever you have handy and add birds.

Simply hanging baskets inside the cage and filling them with foot toys is always fun.

Never throw out a container unless you can't figure out anything fun to do with it. Rinse your water and soda bottles and add some corn kernels, litte beads, see, pasta or whatever else is handy and make them rattles. Just remember to use a little craft glue on the lid and let is cure overnight. Larger birds like macaws will carry them all over the cage and shake them.

[MiniMama]

yep, mine forage. Some faves: I wrap palm nuts in pieces of paper towel and then stuff the wrapped balls about their cage. This is big time fun. I also buy quilting squares, sew buttons on it, then wrap the square about wooden balls, pasta, nuts and other good stuff. Takes them 3 days to chew all the buttons off and get to the goodies.

[CALVINS MOM]

Originally Posted by MiniMama

yep, mine forage. Some faves: I wrap palm nuts in pieces of paper towel and then stuff the wrapped balls about their cage.

Where do you find palm nuts? Thanks!

[Lisa B]

I have someone who has them...I'll look up the info and send it to you. She does not do internet sales...just plain old snail mail...but I do get toys from her that my greys like..she has plain pine toys with drilled holes for the pine nuts.

Parrot Treasure Toys..her name is Susan. I'll pm you her phone #.

ooooops never mind........I see you said PALM nuts......

[CALVINS MOM]

Originally Posted by Lisa B

I have someone who has them...I'll look up the info and send it to you. She does not do internet sales...just plain old snail mail...but I do get toys from her that my greys like..she has plain pine toys with drilled holes for the pine nuts.

Parrot Treasure Toys..her name is Susan. I'll pm you her phone #.

ooooops never mind........I see you said PALM nuts......

[Lisa B]

Originally Posted by CALVINS MOM