Pictures Anyone use foraging trays?

[Chris1234]

Hi all!

Anyone else use foraging trays for their birds? This is baby, our Meyers, and I couldn't get this stinker to forage at all. She also doesn't like most new toys I put in her cage, but for some reason she was open to a small dish (it's stainless steel, small, and I think it was meant for cats). I put a bunch of different things in it (shreddables like cork and balsa, as well as pine cones, and plastic toy parts). Then every day I scatter a few favorite treats over the bowl (safflower is her favorite).

Anyone else do something like this?

 

[Lady Jane]

You know what else is good for foraging is the cat and dog feeding dish that is a maze inside of the bowl to slow down eating.

 

[JoJo&Loki]

Kudos to you for finding what works for your baby! This is a really great idea, thanks for sharing
I have 2 young budgies and I’m struggling to find foraging ideas that are “ acceptable” to them lol I may try this with a small ss bowl

 

[Fuzzy]

Great idea Chris! Mine all have an empty food bowl full of foot toys in their cages, but I do like the idea of a flatter dish and sprinkling treats in there too!

 

[JLcribber]

Yup. Made this video way back. I was trying some movie software on the phone. Excuse the corny canned music.

 

[Rain Bow]

Foraging

Here's a great website for foraging. I simply many of her idea's. Buddy has a toybox.

Sorry they're shaky



It's a craftsman part dish. The magnet works great to keep it on the cage & be stable for him. I did have to teach him to try to put his toys away. Some days he does well & others Mom helps out.



Inside his cage, I do the same as you, I believe. A coop cup.



Rain

 

[Shezbug]

I do a similar thing, I use bits of broken toys that can’t be restrung but still have some more chewing spots available, wooden balls, any smaller plastic foot toys etc and I put dry treats underneath it all. Burt knows this game though and just goes through emptying the bowl from the toy parts till there’s only food items left..... if he isn’t impressed with what he finds at the bottom of the bowl then the whole bowl gets tipped. Lol.

 

[Teckechick]

I do a similar thing, I use bits of broken toys that can’t be restrung but still have some more chewing spots available, wooden balls, any smaller plastic foot toys etc and I put dry treats underneath it all. Burt knows this game though and just goes through emptying the bowl from the toy parts till there’s only food items left..... if he isn’t impressed with what he finds at the bottom of the bowl then the whole bowl gets tipped. Lol.

This is too funny. We do the same thing for Jenks and he does the exact same thing as Burt, minus the bowl dump part. Jenks just tosses the parts all on the floor, little stinker.

 

[Rain Bow]

I do something w/ Buddy's Papaya. I take a shell of any empty nut, squish the papaya in it, add another shell on top (usually a pistachio). Foraging food!

I also leave shells, misc. Paper spirals that I just throw in for fun & I also do what @Shezbug does. Sometimes Buddy will go bk to that broken wooden piece or footie & play & chew it again.

 

[Chris1234]

I do a similar thing, I use bits of broken toys that can’t be restrung but still have some more chewing spots available, wooden balls, any smaller plastic foot toys etc and I put dry treats underneath it all. Burt knows this game though and just goes through emptying the bowl from the toy parts till there’s only food items left..... if he isn’t impressed with what he finds at the bottom of the bowl then the whole bowl gets tipped. Lol.

HAHA! That's awesome! Yep, those undesirables get tossed around here too!
I use the old toy parts too! I love using them up (I just can't throw any of the pieces away!)

 

[Chris1234]

I do something w/ Buddy's Papaya. I take a shell of any empty nut, squish the papaya in it, add another shell on top (usually a pistachio). Foraging food!

I also leave shells, misc. Paper spirals that I just throw in for fun & I also do what @Shezbug does. Sometimes Buddy will go bk to that broken wooden piece or footie & play & chew it again.

Good idea! My Rose Breasted Too really likes Papaya too. I usually wrap dried fruit or a piece of nut in thicker tissue paper and hide it around his cage.

 

[Chris1234]

Foraging

Here's a great website for foraging. I simply many of her idea's. Buddy has a toybox.

Sorry they're shaky

View attachment 307654

It's a craftsman part dish. The magnet works great to keep it on the cage & be stable for him. I did have to teach him to try to put his toys away. Some days he does well & others Mom helps out.

View attachment 307655

Inside his cage, I do the same as you, I believe. A coop cup.



Rain

We actually have one of those Craftsman dishes in our toolbox! Great idea! Never thought of it for the birbs!

 

[Mizzely]

Yep! My Quakers loved foraging baskets!

 

[Chris1234]

Kudos to you for finding what works for your baby! This is a really great idea, thanks for sharing
I have 2 young budgies and I’m struggling to find foraging ideas that are “ acceptable” to them lol I may try this with a small ss bowl

I hear ya on that one! We had a budgie in the past and man, was it hard to get that little dude to play with anything! What's their favorite food/treat?

Maybe try the SS bowl with some small plastic pony beads in it, and mix some individual millet seeds throughout it. They may start picking through it.

The only way I got our budgie to forage was with bribery...using little bits of millet (his favorite) each day. I bought the giant sprays, so that those little chunks could be easily broken off. Then I bought a few different toys with vine balls (or vine sticks) on them and I'd stuff the small chunks from the millet spray into the openings in the toy. I also had one of those plastic toys with the balls on it (see pic) and I'd stuff one of the millet chunks into the ball and he'd work to get each seed out. It kept him busy for quite awhile.

I know it's a process. It's taken me years to get our Meyers to forage and play. I have a website where I post different foraging and other enrichment ideas. I'd love for you to check it out. And let me know when you find something that works. There's no better feeling than finally cracking the code to getting them playing.

 

[Chris1234]

Yep! My Quakers loved foraging baskets!

View attachment 307766

That is a super cute basket! Love it!

On a different note...how did you get the image in your signature? I've been trying and trying and nothing works copy/paste, there's nowhere to upload). I've emailed the site but never heard back.

 

[Mizzely]

That is a super cute basket! Love it!

On a different note...how did you get the image in your signature? I've been trying and trying and nothing works copy/paste, there's nowhere to upload). I've emailed the site but never heard back.

Usually messaging a mod or admin is better, I'm not sure if the email box is well monitored.

This may help HOW TO: SIGNATURES | Avian Avenue Parrot Forum

 

[javi]

I use ss buckets in the cage. Used to use plastic baskets but the birds would chew the plastic and everything would fall out. I through with chewables and then toss a little seed mix, millet, nuts or nutriberries. Birds love it

 

[Chris1234]

Usually messaging a mod or admin is better, I'm not sure if the email box is well monitored.

This may help HOW TO: SIGNATURES | Avian Avenue Parrot Forum

Thank you thank you thank you!! I got the pic inserted! I'm bummed I can't do any links, but it's SO much better. Thank you!

 

[Rain Bow]

We actually have one of those Craftsman dishes in our toolbox! Great idea! Never thought of it for the birbs!

Make sure you clean it really well or better yet, get a new one. Some chemical residue doesn't wash off & your birdy could get sick.

Mine was brand new sitting in some of the hubbys stuff, still in the box. I asked if Buddy could have it for awhile. Oooops, been awhile 2 1/2 yrs! May be it's permanent home now.

 

[Rain Bow]

Yep! My Quakers loved foraging baskets!

View attachment 307766

Love this idea! I assume you just make it heavy enough not to flip w/ them on it? Or do you screw it down onto the cage?