Beaking and Foraging Dish

[SquawksNibbles]

The Budgie boys have been loving their foraging toys. So I was thinking I want to do a dish filled with beaking and foraging toys. I know I want to fill it up with balled up paper with treats inside (and some without treats), maybe some chopped up raffia string (as they love to munch on this), and maybe some wooden beads. My first question, does anyone know if I can find bird-safe wooden beads at some place like WalMart? That way getting them will be easier. If not, I have no problem with ordering from a bird toy part store. And also, do y’all have any other ideas on what I can put in the foraging dish? Maybe I could do some chopped bits of drinking straws and stuff them with treats, as well? Or do the same with pasta noodles?

 

[Mizzely]

My walmart doesn't have a big craft section, so I've never been able to find unfinished wood beads there. Hobby Lobby and Michael's both do but they are more expensive per bead than, say, CA bird nerds.

For my basket I just sprinkle seed in the bottom and cover with shred paper and foot toys/ toy parts. Then they have fun rummaging through to find the goodies

 

[BirdManDan]

I like to use a oxo dishwasher box with colored confetti strip paper from the Dollar tree with various nuts colred tooth picks and colored popsicle sticks as a great Foraging toy.

 

[Begone]

And also, do y’all have any other ideas on what I can put in the foraging dish?

I put in some smaller pieces of apple branches, pine cones, pieces of egg carton, nuts, dried veggies (mostly carrots) and fruit.

I made these, and filled them with different things.

 

[jenseits]

I just attended a lecture with Jason Crean and he makes foraging boxes with artificial, non-fiber, grass at the bottom. Basically astroturf. He lays a piece inside an appropriately sized box (for his large birds it's usually a giant Rubbermaid bin, but it could be a much smaller plastic box for the littles) and then sprinkles seed into the "grass" that the birds love to pick through. It mimics natural behavior a bit. You can obviously throw different toys on top of that too. I think for budgies I'd like light plastic doohickeys, raffia and grapevine pieces -- things that are easy for them to move.

I just wrote a blog post about how paper egg cartons are a big hit with my (medium-sized) guys right now. They don't naturally spend a lot of time on the ground, so their foraging stuff gets hung up higher on their cage.

 

[AzaleaMist]

Things I use - Cut paper straws, paper condiment cups, straw like stir sticks, paper cake pop sticks, bread bag clips, plastic rings, beads, bracelets, pieces of twine, paper rope, rexlace, buttons,plastic game pieces, raffia, muffin cup paper, shredded paper, tissue paper, vegetable tanned leather, bits of hay, pvc Pipe pieces, playing cards, Mini dominoes, cut straws smoothie size and regular

 

[faislaq]

does anyone know if I can find bird-safe wooden beads at some place like WalMart?

Do they have to be wooden? If they're just for foraging around plastic beads should work. Luv Bug adores her assorted colored mixed shape plastic beads.

 

[TikiMyn]

Do they have to be wooden? If they're just for foraging around plastic beads should work. Luv Bug adores her assorted colored mixed shape plastic beads.

O thank you for that! I was looking to get Some extra beads for the fids as I quite a few have disappeared and I never even though about bigger plastic beads! That Will be so much easier to clean

 

[faislaq]

O thank you for that! I was looking to get Some extra beads for the fids as I quite a few have disappeared and I never even though about bigger plastic beads! That Will be so much easier to clean

I buy a 1lb bulk bag of assorted beads at a local craft store that has mobile coupons. So the $5.99 bag is only $3.59!

 

[SquawksNibbles]

Thanks, y’all for the suggestions! The foraging tray is still a WIP, but so far I have raffia, small blocks of wood, some small wooden sticks, pony beads, bits of string, and cut up zip tie (I know this is weird, but the zip ties have a bumpy texture and may make a nice beaking toy). Now paper and straws are still on my list!

@BirdManDan - That foraging toy idea was very creative! I can see how that part can make a great forager.

@Eloy, that forager you made looks fun, too! Your Pi seems to be enjoying it, and I love the picture.

 

[jenseits]

Inspired by your question, I just posted some photos on my blog of foraging stuff my guys are liking these days. Not specifically "foraging trays" but on the same topic. The one thing that is tray-like is the egg carton. It's just filled with leftover toy pieces, various bits and bobs that came apart from other toys during the normal course of toy-destruction.
https://bestinflock.com/2018/05/20/favorite-foraging-toys-2018-edition/

I would be interested in maybe posting examples of budgie foraging ideas on my blog, since most of my posts tend to be geared toward entertaining slightly bigger birds, and I bet there'll be interest. The littles tend to be so neglected when it comes to foraging toys.

 

[Nancy B]

Look up my foraging dish! I put rocks, he's starting to approach it. There's a string in this section.