Favorite Toy, Foraging and Play Stand Forum Topic Please
Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2014 8:16 am
Hi all,
I am new here and as I looked for toy ideas for my boys (two lutino IRNs - Rise and Shine - Shine got his ring a week ago and it is still being defined and Rise (I think I can see) has glimpses of red/pink so the verdict is still out but his previous owner who could handle him (I am still earning the right) says he saw a ring forming under his neck feathers so I am hoping I have twin boys - they are from the say clutch and a little over 2 years old as their hatch date was in June 2012).
Anyway, I looked down the various forum topics and didn't find a section just on toys and possibly foraging and wondered why not? Could this be set up so that we could share toy/foraging ideas?
In the meantime, I am posting this under Diet and Housing thinking their toys could be found in their Cage but Play Stand ideas would be great as well as we created PVC stands and now I see someone on-line has said PVC can cause cancer so with our limited space I am looking possible play stand ideas that can fit on top of their cages (bookcase) (please share this as well with pictures and/or links to the play stands - thanks).
Anyway, if someone could set up a topic group heading where we can share favorite toys (or not so favorite toys - it would be nice not to buy something they won't touch - been there done that) and foraging toys and/or ideas - that would be great. Until then, please tell me (us) your IRN(s)' favorite toy and what you do for foraging.
I'll start by adding what I posted about foot toys as someone found a cat toy they could use for foraging and I was trying to figure out what this was (but still don't have a clue - oh, if you post, please try to find a link to the toy so we can see it - thanks):
I know the typically cat toys with bells like this - http://www.pearls.org.uk/4-x-classic-ca ... t-61-p.asp or http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Cats-lov ... 80267.html (scroll pictures underneath to see some more cat bell toys) or http://www.personalised-pet-products.co ... rixie-4099 (this later version I took the drum like toys and flexible drinking straws and cut of about an 1" towards the flex end of the straw and then flexing it like a shepherd's crook I inserted two straws (separately) on each spoke wrapping the straw around the spoke and tying once the straw to the spoke and this can be a foot toy or hung on a play stand (I wouldn't put it in their cage as they string could be used to hang the bird) and mine IRNs sit above the toy and pull it up to themselves and chew on the straws.
I found this ball http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Small-Pink-Gr ... 0803055247 at Dollar Tree and I got 2 for a dollar (I think) even if it was one for a dollar it was worth it - it's a great toy once I put straws and popsicle sticks in it for them to play with.- if you click on the picture it will become bigger and hopefully you can see how I can take half cut drinking straws and I put 2 through the top side to side one way and then 2 the other way and then I take (I think) 11 half straws and put them diagonally around from top to bottom holes. Then I take 6 popsicles sticks and put them in behind the straws (3 on the top and 3 on the bottom) around the top and bottom stagger top and bottom and then I run a string in it (maybe I do the string first) and hang it or you can just use it as a foot toy. They love it!
Another great toy is what I call an octopus - I use a small wiffle ball and string hemp string in it - makes like 30 legs depending on your wiffle ball. I then string cut drinking straws and pony beads on each leg and knot the end of each string and my birds love sitting on top of their play stands pulling it up (or if it's in the cage) and chewing on it. It takes awhile to create it but with as many legs, they can chew for a long time on it and they do - I, also, put a piece of hemp through the call to hand it and I do it in such a way that I can turn the ball upside down (so that the inside legs are exposed) as the other legs get pretty nasty and I have further life to this toy - I hope all this helps. Oh, someone at another website suggested taking a ring (I am assuming like a plastic curtain rod ring that doesn't open - just a ring and larkhead knot (folding the string in half) to the ring and then do as I have done with the wiffle ball. This shows what I am talking about: The octopus is like this http://www.cheepparrottoysntips.com/leather.html see Greengard's Mr. Leather toy and if the stings were longer and then all you do is slip on pieces of drinking straws inter mixed with pony beads and knot the ends or someone used a curtain ring and larkhead knot the center of the strings and put the straws and pony beads on like you see here http://www.cheepparrottoysntips.com/quik1.html see Delta's straw toy.
Lastly, I just give them drinking straws cut in half and they love these as foot toys - they will fold them and chew on them for awhile. I hope this helps someone. Jan
I am new here and as I looked for toy ideas for my boys (two lutino IRNs - Rise and Shine - Shine got his ring a week ago and it is still being defined and Rise (I think I can see) has glimpses of red/pink so the verdict is still out but his previous owner who could handle him (I am still earning the right) says he saw a ring forming under his neck feathers so I am hoping I have twin boys - they are from the say clutch and a little over 2 years old as their hatch date was in June 2012).
Anyway, I looked down the various forum topics and didn't find a section just on toys and possibly foraging and wondered why not? Could this be set up so that we could share toy/foraging ideas?
In the meantime, I am posting this under Diet and Housing thinking their toys could be found in their Cage but Play Stand ideas would be great as well as we created PVC stands and now I see someone on-line has said PVC can cause cancer so with our limited space I am looking possible play stand ideas that can fit on top of their cages (bookcase) (please share this as well with pictures and/or links to the play stands - thanks).
Anyway, if someone could set up a topic group heading where we can share favorite toys (or not so favorite toys - it would be nice not to buy something they won't touch - been there done that) and foraging toys and/or ideas - that would be great. Until then, please tell me (us) your IRN(s)' favorite toy and what you do for foraging.
I'll start by adding what I posted about foot toys as someone found a cat toy they could use for foraging and I was trying to figure out what this was (but still don't have a clue - oh, if you post, please try to find a link to the toy so we can see it - thanks):
I know the typically cat toys with bells like this - http://www.pearls.org.uk/4-x-classic-ca ... t-61-p.asp or http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Cats-lov ... 80267.html (scroll pictures underneath to see some more cat bell toys) or http://www.personalised-pet-products.co ... rixie-4099 (this later version I took the drum like toys and flexible drinking straws and cut of about an 1" towards the flex end of the straw and then flexing it like a shepherd's crook I inserted two straws (separately) on each spoke wrapping the straw around the spoke and tying once the straw to the spoke and this can be a foot toy or hung on a play stand (I wouldn't put it in their cage as they string could be used to hang the bird) and mine IRNs sit above the toy and pull it up to themselves and chew on the straws.
I found this ball http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Small-Pink-Gr ... 0803055247 at Dollar Tree and I got 2 for a dollar (I think) even if it was one for a dollar it was worth it - it's a great toy once I put straws and popsicle sticks in it for them to play with.- if you click on the picture it will become bigger and hopefully you can see how I can take half cut drinking straws and I put 2 through the top side to side one way and then 2 the other way and then I take (I think) 11 half straws and put them diagonally around from top to bottom holes. Then I take 6 popsicles sticks and put them in behind the straws (3 on the top and 3 on the bottom) around the top and bottom stagger top and bottom and then I run a string in it (maybe I do the string first) and hang it or you can just use it as a foot toy. They love it!
Another great toy is what I call an octopus - I use a small wiffle ball and string hemp string in it - makes like 30 legs depending on your wiffle ball. I then string cut drinking straws and pony beads on each leg and knot the end of each string and my birds love sitting on top of their play stands pulling it up (or if it's in the cage) and chewing on it. It takes awhile to create it but with as many legs, they can chew for a long time on it and they do - I, also, put a piece of hemp through the call to hand it and I do it in such a way that I can turn the ball upside down (so that the inside legs are exposed) as the other legs get pretty nasty and I have further life to this toy - I hope all this helps. Oh, someone at another website suggested taking a ring (I am assuming like a plastic curtain rod ring that doesn't open - just a ring and larkhead knot (folding the string in half) to the ring and then do as I have done with the wiffle ball. This shows what I am talking about: The octopus is like this http://www.cheepparrottoysntips.com/leather.html see Greengard's Mr. Leather toy and if the stings were longer and then all you do is slip on pieces of drinking straws inter mixed with pony beads and knot the ends or someone used a curtain ring and larkhead knot the center of the strings and put the straws and pony beads on like you see here http://www.cheepparrottoysntips.com/quik1.html see Delta's straw toy.
Lastly, I just give them drinking straws cut in half and they love these as foot toys - they will fold them and chew on them for awhile. I hope this helps someone. Jan