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Please, How to get budgie to play with toys?

vanyasmom

Walking the driveway
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11/7/17
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160
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Florida
I have put toys in, they have been there for a while. After I read on here that they need to chew, the importance of it, I bought a couple chew toys - one has thin colored wood, rattan balls, a couple bells and a thin strip of leather.

I bought him a small foraging toy with crumpled paper and plastic toys which dangle from it. He has now gotten to the point where he touches it from time to time with his beak.

He also has a toy which is string with colorful beads on it. There is also a Planet Pleasures Octopus Pinata. He is now touching a bead or two.

He does have a cuttle bone and a mineral block which is banana flavored. Also, there is a concrete ladder which he sometimes climbs on. I am hoping that that will help his beak and nails some. I do plan to get a concrete perch for the door that swings open. He won't get that until closer to time to get to leave the cage though.

I do have balls with bells in them. Those and his skateboard will have to wait for him to come out to play with them. I did buy stacking cups so that he can find his ball under them. When the time comes.

I also put a bamboo perch in there which has lots of colorful paper for him to tear apart and throw on the ground. Perhaps, I should be happy that he doesn't want to shred paper. And thus not encourage it? None of the budgies he sees are playing with toys like his, or shredding paper. They have balls to play with, or a cart to ride, or a skateboard. There was one that knocked little paint tins off that were set up for him, then the little bird would laugh when they fell.

His favorite video:


He has only been here a couple weeks, so perhaps he just needs time to check all these new things out. They have only been in there about a week, 10 days. For the health of his beak though, I do think he needs to chew on something. Is that correct?

He is busy and active. He just doesn't chew on his toys. I understand that he doesn't know what they are. I truly want him to have an enriched a life as I can possibly give him.
 

Mizzely

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Some birds do just need more time with toys. I had a Hahns that needed to see the toy outside her cage for a month, then on the side of her cage for 2 weeks, and then another 2 weeks inside her cage before she would even touch it. She did progress past that after awhile but it was still not instant love.

I also have a Quaker right now that only chews toys that are in a very specific spot, next to his favorite perch. So placement can be a factor too.

My other Quaker is only motivated by food, so I tuck his favorite treats into the toys so that he can chew and get them.

My budgie customers really like cork, leather lacing, charm beads, seagrass, and balsa. So sometimes its also an issue of materials.
 

Hana Baig

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Knowhere
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My bird isn't much of the playing type either, all you need to do is give your bird time. Let him get used to the toys he already has. Find what your bird like to play with, maybe he likes to chew on broken earbuds, or chew on wood like Dante. Birds also really like colorful and shiny things, all birds are like different things, all you have to do is find out what your bird likes.
 

Jas

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Have you got any wooden perches in the cage? Or toys that are wooden with the bark still on? My guys don't really play with all their toys but they do love to pick bark of their branches and toys. They also like preening toys as well as toys that they climb through. As for the cuttle fish i use as a perch and they can sit on it while they much on it as well.

You could put treats half sticking out of his toys in certain areas so he has to work for them (make sure he can see the treat). This really helped getting my guys more confident in toys and making them work for treats.

like you said though he still might be settling in and adjusting to his new life.
 

vanyasmom

Walking the driveway
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11/7/17
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Florida
Yes, there are 2 wooden perches that came with that cage. Also, I bought a natural wood one. I could put that one back in. The only time he gets a "treat" right now is when we are training/taming. He only gets millet from me. He is at the point where he will take bites off a very small millet cluster and be closer than 1/2" to my hand.

The rope perch is getting frayed from where he spends a lot of time, I am glad I have another one. I will be keeping an eye on it. And replace it if it looks like it is getting unsafe. Most of the fraying is below where he walks - so perhaps he is chewing on that. As it looks to be in the right spot for him to have reached by reaching down (hope that makes sense)

Also, today I saw him beak the concrete perch a few times. Not to climb up, as he sometimes does, but just simply to chew on it for a few seconds.

The swing that he gets on - mostly at night - has a wooden perch.

He likes the rope one because he can get it to swing. It hangs down from the center of the top and he gets it rocking by running back and forth and kind of riding it. It is one of those for a larger bird.

I will add that from what I have read on here to understand your bird's body language, he appears to be very happy. When he stops running around and swinging on the rope swing, and rests, he does so on one foot. Vanya just looks like a happy little guy. He also eats well. He eats his fruit and veggie mix. I have one dish of his regular seed and pellet mix, and I add a tiny bit of white quinoa and a pinch of sesame seeds. His fruit and veggie mix - a pack from the pet shop, I put in a separate dish, so I know he eats it. I do plan to give him fresh veggies as soon as he trusts me more. Like some celery to chew on for a little bit, or let him lettuce surf.
 

Jas

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If your referring to dowels don't use them as they can cause bumble foot due to the smooth, flat surface of the perch. But natural wooden perches (like the Y perches are perfectly fine as long as it's safe wood and hardware).

Yeah the rope perch makes sense (I'm lucky none of my guys chomp their rope perches or sisal ones) but yeah switching them out is still good as he may get his toe caught up.

Him swinging on his swing sounds adorable!

As for fresh fruit and veggies I just push them through the cage bars (my guys are real fussy). Won't eat them out of a bowl.
 

vanyasmom

Walking the driveway
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11/7/17
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When I got him, he was in one of the enclosures that had wood shavings on the bottom. It was more an enclosure for a ferret or guinea pig, or any one of those guys than a place for parakeets. There was a hamster wheel, and a toilet tissue tube. But no real place to fly up to or to climb even. In the new play area, I put in 2 natural wood branches, with the bark on them. They have different widths. I did put one dowel perch in - I mostly wanted to use that for training. So, he could stay on the perch he was on and move a farther distance to come to me or to follow the stick to beak it. As he gains trust in me, or if I can use a branch from outside.

I am hoping that his chewing on the rope is just a temporary phase. That once he gets to get out more and play with other things, that the rope will lose its appeal. He does really like that boing thing. I do have a second one. I think he tries to get the colors in it.

I think I could get branches from the trees outside. We don't use chemicals on them. I have a mulberry tree and citrus trees. That would be easier on my pocketbook than keeping on buying things.

Today he DID go over and try one of the balls that is hanging on the wall. I got him a sting of 4. In one of his videos, there are budgies playing basketball. And another one who plays with his ball on the floor. I did put a ball on the floor of his new play area - but today was just his first day of getting to try it out. He got to be in there about 4 hours. His play area attaches to his regular cage so that he can be out of his regular cage, but not totally free to go where he pleases in the room.
 

Mizzely

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I am hoping that his chewing on the rope is just a temporary phase. That once he gets to get out more and play with other things, that the rope will lose its appeal. He does really like that boing thing. I do have a second one. I think he tries to get the colors in it.


Don't count on him losing interest in rope perches. All of my birds have been rope shredders and I have to replace them often unfortunately.
 
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