Toys

Whether for fun, exercise, or socialization, toys are an important aspect of your domestic birds life. Like Humans, birds are individuals with different personalities and keeping a supply of your birds favorite toys on hand will make for a happy, well socialized bird.

There is nothing more amusing than watching a bird play. Birds play for entertainment and emotional well being. Providing your pet bird with plenty of ways to occupy their free time will lead to a happy, well adjusted bird. In addition to entertainment, wood toys are a great way to help keep beaks in good condition. Offering plenty of destructible toys will give your bird needed opportunities to wear its beak down.

Set up regular training sessions to help socialize your bird. Foot held toys such as dumbbells, natural rawhide bones and plastic rings are not only fun but will increase dexterity, flexibility, and strength in your birds feet and legs. Sharing play time with your bird reinforces the bond between the two of you.

Be sure to purchase the appropriate size toys for you bird then consider how your bird plays with toys. Many people purchase toys that are too small for their birds. The smaller sized toy may be a few dollars less in price but may also not last long enough for you to get any real value for your dollars. Toys which are too small may also pose safety concerns.

3 to 4 toys at any one time is sufficient since you want to leave enough room in the cage for your bird to extend his wings and be able to move freely. Make sure you purchase extra toys for rotation. Rotating the toys regularly will help prevent your bird from becoming bored with them. Wash, disinfect and inspect your bird's toys regularly for possible safety concerns.

A well equipped bird cage requires variety. One acrylic or plastic toy per cage for durability also provides a source for climbing and swinging across the cage. Hang wood toys for chewing, and leather or sisal rope toy to satisfy preening needs. A swing is a must for any bird. Refillable toy hangers are a constant source of entertainment for those extra large beaks.

Toys do not always need to be expensive and store bought to be fun and entertaining. Some safe household items that make good toys are plastic bottle caps, paper towels, plain white paper, plastic milk jugs, cardboard rolls from paper towels and wrapping paper, newspaper, a new mop head etc. Making toys can be fun and save money for those who have time. There are great books with more information on making your own toys. You can also purchase toys marketed for human children and give them to your birds, such as rattles, plastic keys and building blocks.

Many toy manufacturers sell refill kits that can be used to refill toys or repair existing toys. Foot held toys such as dumb bells, natural rawhide bones, and plastic rings are great exercise for your birds feet.

Safety

Safety should be the first priority when choosing a toy for your bird. Remember, EVERY toy has the potential to cause an injury. Luckily there are proven safer materials for toy construction.

• Look for toys with C-links (sometimes called Quick links) as the hanging mechanism. Chain should solid and smooth.
• All metal hardware should be lead and zinc free, including bells. Round rings should be too large or too small for your birds beak, head, and toes to catch.
• Leather pieces and strips should be vegetable tanned instead of died and rawhide should be un-bleached.
• Make sure the wood used is safe for birds. Some safe woods include: Apple, Arbutus, Ash, Aspen, Beech, Birch, Cactus, Cottonwood, Crabapple, Dogwood, Elm, Fir, Hawthorn, Larch, Manzanita, Pine, Poplar, and Willow. Oak, however, is unsafe for birds.
• Acrylic and Marbella plastic are also used in toy construction. These products are considered safe as long as not ingested.
• Sisal rope is a safer alternative to cotton rope.