In my opinion a good sturdy Foraging toy is essential must in every parrot's cage. We also hide peanuts in many places in our outdoor aviary. Good idea is to switch these toys every so often so the birds have new challenge.
What is a Foraging Toy?
A Foraging Toy is a toy for parrots in this case in which you hide the birds food and he has to work and try to figure out how to get its food out. These toys can be made from wood, plastic or metal.
Why should I use a Foraging Toy?
Parrots are highly intelligent animals and one of the major reason why they are so smart is to be able to look for food and learn how to open sometimes very complex and hard nuts. Parrots in the wild spend most of their day looking for and working on their food, this includes flying sometimes for many miles a day.
Why does my parrot have to "work" for his food if I can serve him?
Because a pet parrot usually is very bored and sometimes this can lead to problems like screaming, destroying or plucking their feathers. Besides their interaction with their humans and some of them training, they dont have much to do besides be bored. Even tho we think they love watching TV, they really are not as crazy about it as trying to find and crack that juicy nut.
I wish my birds could eat only from such toys, I think it teaches them to value their food and keep their brains stimulated. As I have explained in "Feeding a Parrot" and "Treats" articles, it is very important for training of your bird, just as much as it is healthy for him mentally and in case of plucking even physically. Unfortunately there is still far more overpriced useless toys on the market then well made and thought out Foraging Toys so keep your eyes open or use your imagination. I also always like to hear about great toys for Macaws, so pls feel free to let me know if you have one that works, lasts and it takes more then a minute for the bird to figure it out.
What is a Foraging Toy?
A Foraging Toy is a toy for parrots in this case in which you hide the birds food and he has to work and try to figure out how to get its food out. These toys can be made from wood, plastic or metal.
Why should I use a Foraging Toy?
Parrots are highly intelligent animals and one of the major reason why they are so smart is to be able to look for food and learn how to open sometimes very complex and hard nuts. Parrots in the wild spend most of their day looking for and working on their food, this includes flying sometimes for many miles a day.
Why does my parrot have to "work" for his food if I can serve him?
Because a pet parrot usually is very bored and sometimes this can lead to problems like screaming, destroying or plucking their feathers. Besides their interaction with their humans and some of them training, they dont have much to do besides be bored. Even tho we think they love watching TV, they really are not as crazy about it as trying to find and crack that juicy nut.
I wish my birds could eat only from such toys, I think it teaches them to value their food and keep their brains stimulated. As I have explained in "Feeding a Parrot" and "Treats" articles, it is very important for training of your bird, just as much as it is healthy for him mentally and in case of plucking even physically. Unfortunately there is still far more overpriced useless toys on the market then well made and thought out Foraging Toys so keep your eyes open or use your imagination. I also always like to hear about great toys for Macaws, so pls feel free to let me know if you have one that works, lasts and it takes more then a minute for the bird to figure it out.
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| Molly with her Stuffed Kong |
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