Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Fun And Stimulating African Grey Toys

By Eugenia Dickerson


African Grey's need mental stimulation and physical activity. Bored and lonely parrots will express their frustration to the whole neighborhood with ear splitting shrieking and screaming. Very bored parrots often mutilate their beautiful plumage by feather plucking. Keep your feathered friend healthy and happy with stimulating and entertaining African Grey toys.

To keep parrots entertained, rotate play objects and move swings and climbing apparatus to new positions. Have different trinkets and toys for cage time and playgym time. Introduce a new play object by imitating play activities. Like a toddler, your bird will want to join in the fun.

Parrots love to chew, shred, tear, and throw. They manipulate dangling objects and untie knots. Simulate foraging activities by hiding treats. Let your parrot puzzle out how to get to the food. Hide treats inside wadded up newspaper. Fruits and veggies served on a skewer-type rod simulates foraging behavior. Fill a wiffle ball with treats, fruits, veggies, and hang from the the cage using rawhide or rope.

Caged birds need exercise to stay healthy. Ladders, ropes, and swings encourage activity. Parrots love ropes and chains they can hang and swing from. All birds should have out of cage play time, preferably on a playgym with climbing structures and trinkets to play with. Many birds also appreciate a hammock to retire to at the end of the day.

Many parrot owners report that their parrots love moving objects from a full container to an empty container. This is a great use for broken toy parts. Restring broken trinkets and baubles to make a new toy.

Mix and match store bought and homemade toys. Just be sure homemade novelties are made with non toxic materials that won't splinter, shatter, or break. There shouldn't be any small spaces to trap beaks or talons. Never use toilet paper, felt, or plastic bags. Cardboard isn't recommended because it often contains glues. Dyes in colored newsprint can be toxic.

Talk to your vet before using wood from your yard for bird structures. Redwood, box elder wood, and hemlock are toxic to parrots. Some safe wood types are dogwood, cottonwood, apple, manzanita, ash, elm, poplar, birch, beech, and maple. Never use processed wood products that often contain very toxic chemicals.

Remove broken, splintered, and cracked objects, and frayed ropes. Parrots can catch their talons or beaks in a frayed rope. Use only stainless steel chains. Don't use key chains which often contain zine or brass. Hanging structures should be securely attached so swinging, playing birds won't suddenly go plunging to the ground.

Buy play objects sized appropriately for your African Grey parrot. Chains must be large enough birds can't get their beaks or talons caught in the links. Trinkets made for smaller parrots will break easily, and small pieces might be swallowed.

It's your responsibility to make sure your bird is entertained and stimulated. Provide a variety of play objects, swinging or dangling objects, and climbing objects. Rotate regularly to prevent boredom. Toys should encourage exercise and foraging. Provide materials for chewing, destroying, climbing, swinging. African grey toys can be bought at local stores, online, or home made.




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