my birdie hates toys??

[kessi]

hi - i have had jojo for about a month now. she is a year and a half old green cheek conure.

she won't play with her toys! i have wood ones, bells, shredding toys, and i just got her a new foraging one. i also bought her kitty balls with the bells in it for foot toys, etc. people have told me to "show" her how to play with them. i have tried this, pushing them around with my fingers, face, etc. but whenever i put her near a toy, she just leans away from it. she's not scared of the ones in her cage, but she won't interact with them at all.

advice?

[maggy]

It may be that Jojo is just slow to get used to new stuff..Dusty act like its all going to kill her, just leave it within sight and eventually she'll understand its safe and take a bit more interest.

[Greycloud]

I have an African grey that has been with me for 4 yrs. She has had several different toys at all times in her cage. Just in the past yr. she has started playing with them. Poor baby never had a toy in her old home. Now she wrestles with them. Also a great foraging toy for you to make is-take a coffe filter and put a little bit of seed or a peanut or other favorite treat in the center. Fold in half them roll down and twist the ends. It is a smell good soft toy and birds tend to like ripping it apart.

[Nuesha]

I've tried some of these techniques and they've worked for me:

Play with the toy in front of your bird and act excited, like it's the best thing in the world.

try stuffing treats inside some of the toys (if you can) the shreddable toys you should be good to stuff some things in there, just use a knife and make some slits then adding the treats!

[LovelySydney]

I would highly recommend foraging toys, or like someone else said, puttng something if interest near or inside the toy. I have found that *unnamed* LOVEd foraging so I have a few of those types of toys. As for the other toys, he has nudged them a bit but hasn't really played with them yet. I figure he will come around, he's only been here 2 days!

[redwing13]

My B&G macaw is 8 1/2 months old now, and is pretty much scared of anything new. (new meaning less than 4 months old) He's even afraid of some toys that he used to love. Leaving them next to his cage-I put them on the table so they're close and eye level- helps him get used to them, but that usually takes about a week before he will try to get close. He has a stuffed chick he will attack and throw behind the couch so he can't see it but adores the dogs stuffed pig! (they look exactly the same except for color) Birds are funny....

[tielfan]

Hanging treats (like millet spray) on the toys will encourage him to get over there and at least touch them.

Some people have used clicker training to teach a bird to play with toys.

[Falsk]

I haven't started clicker training yet, but to get my conure interested in the toys I got her, I would give her a treat each time she beaked a toy. Then I would make her beak it twice before a treat. Then a few more times. She's not quite there yet, but I think it helped.

[kessi]

Originally Posted by Falsk

I haven't started clicker training yet, but to get my conure interested in the toys I got her, I would give her a treat each time she beaked a toy. Then I would make her beak it twice before a treat. Then a few more times. She's not quite there yet, but I think it helped.

hmm thats a good idea. something i havent tried yet. thanks ill give it a go!

[tielfan]

I haven't started clicker training yet, but to get my conure interested in the toys I got her, I would give her a treat each time she beaked a toy. Then I would make her beak it twice before a treat.

This is also positive reinforcement training - like clicker training without the clicker.