Making toys for cockatiels

[lollipopsmamma]

I am making toys for my cockatiel, lollipop. He is 4 years old and chewing happily. I wonder is jute okay for making toys: stringing beads. I thought I read it was okay. Now, I have looked in all my resouces and have found nothing. I have taking some leather from one of his toys, not something I would like to try again

[Samm]

I use natural jute to tie across the inside of the cage for my tiels to climb on, and they also love to chew it. Its been in there several months with no ill effects....they really enjoy running back and forth on it.

[Suz Stickville]

As long as it does not smell like oil/petrolium... or is not dyed...

Machine oil is usually not bird safe and I would worry about if the dye was safe or not....

But then again.. I am REAL parinoid when it comes to the safetey of my tiels....

I figure better safe than sorry...

I would also knot ends so that not more than and inch or two could fray and possibly tangle fids/tiels.... JIMO

Suz

[Samm]

Suz:

Thats absolutely correct, thats why I use natural jute, its not dyed or treated. Also when I put it through the cage I knot either end on the outside of the bars, that way it can't pull through the bars or fray on the ends.
I have 3 strands going through a large cage, set at different heights, they just love climbing around them.

[Monica]

I've moved the thread to the cockatiel section so you may get more replies... natural jute is fine, but you must look at the package before you buy to make sure it doesn't have anything added to it....

[Suz Stickville]

I have seen packages that say natural... for both jute and sisal... that I would NOT use with my FIDs..

I get really strange looks... cause I sniff them before buying... .. several times I have passed on purchasing ... because the rope/jute smelled of petroleum products....

The product itself maybe natural ... .. but the machines and process that make it sometimes use the petroleum oil... that would make the produce not bird safe....

So now I am a rope sniffer ... to add to my other strange habits...

[tielmama]

I use jute and sisal and hemp rope. They do seem to love the rope perches I make them and I tie different things up for them in their cages. Some of them preen the ends on the outside of the knots.

[christie99]

I found that I could buy great toy making products from Drs. Foster and Smith and Grey Feather Toys <-- the names are links.

I found that if I sit down and make LOTS of toys all at once, then I am not left in a lurch when my four chewers have demolished all their chew toys in a day!