Post your DIY foraging ideas (pics)

[cosmolove]

Shawna you have some awesome ideas!!

 

[Lovebirdlover]

Wow these are all great!!

Bump,
anybody go any new ones?

 

[Katster]

I love this thread. I will need to post some pix and join the fun

 

[Mizzely]

Yes, the more the merrier!!

 

[tozie12]

so many great ideas!!! i cant wait to try some out!

pool noodle forrager: take a bit of pool noodle, cut holes and squish almonds, dried fruit, popsicle sticks, whatever you can imagine. i also stuff the center hole so i put a bit of wood on top and bottom and string it all on a skewer or sisal rope

in use:

paper bathroom cups and paper plates: cut a small x hole stuff with paper shreds, treats, toys whatever, put a paper plate on top also with a x cut in it. stack 'em up and slide 'em on a skewer or rope or even a leather strap.

in use:

coconut forrager: cut a coconut in half, clean it out really well, drill hole in top and bottom and slide on a skewer or rope or leather strap. fill with paper shreds, nuts, treats, whatever.

 

[militarybrat2012]

so glad I found this forum! I have absolutely enjoyed watching and scrolling through everyones fids playing with their parronts homeade creations! I decided to put my big girl panties on today and attempt to make Harry some foraging toys myself! Harry is a 4yr old military, I dont even have him yet.. lol I will be picking him up sunday! But im so excited to add him to my family! I sure hope he enjoys what ive created for him..im sure he has never had anything like it before..lol.. I dont have pics yet but i will post some tomorrow. I also picked up several pounds of mixed nuts since they are seasonal and are readily available i plan to stock up on some of his favorites! keep posting your ideas! they are so fun to watch and try to re-create i do have 1 picture of my love though so thought id share with you all...

 

[bratdoll]

My Bubs cracked those little plastic mugs all up in a matter of minutes ....... and completely trashed a toy I spent an hour making! LOL

I have a kleenex box i plan to fill with shreddy paper and a few nuts, then hang from the side of his cage. He also enjoys ripping up cardboard I weaved in and out of his cage bars. My Quincy doesn't seem too interested in any of his toys.... moreso in just sitting in his happy hut!

 

[Wasabisaurus]

In an attempt to distract Snuggles, our male tiel, from feather picking, our AV told us to use this very basic idea for forage-challenged birds: make tiny tiny balls of waded up paper and put them in the food bowl, slowing increasing the number of the little balls to whatever number you like, so that the birds have to work around them to get to the food.

The other day I found that the other tiel has chewed on the little balls enough to unravel them!

Thank you so much for the ideas, guys. I just had a quick idea that might work....take an egg carton and fasten to the bars so it is sitting up and put treats under waded balls of paper that you put in the cups. I guess that toy would be best placed near a perch. Birds can get the treat and also chew the carton apart.

 

[Kris Porter]

This one is kind of hard to explain.. but, cut the newspaper into thick strips, put treats in the middle, and then twist the newspaper like this. It is a very, very simple one, and while doesn't look the most interesting, my birds have fun with it, especially the Cockatiels who are master shredders when it comes to newspaper.

Oh Renae - thank you for sharing this one. I have a gazillion of those mini plastic links, I made them into jangle foot toys, but this is a great way to use them. I have the mini bagels and some finger traps, I'm going to get to work. Great idea, thank you so much for sharing this one.

 

[Kris Porter]

Renae inspired me to make a foraging toy using the mini shape links and bagels. I had lots of finger traps and paper shred and I got to work.



It is an easy to put together toy, but I often have request from readers to show all the how to steps to make toys, so I made a blog post with links to how to video, DIY Toy Jam-Packed With Shredding Fun | Parrot Enrichment Blog.

 

[Mizzely]

Love it, Kris!

 

[Myztik]

I don't have much to work with atm so just thought I'd try a basic bit of millet twisted in newspaper and so far the girls are loving it! I'll definitely have to get some more supplies to make better ones



I also string cupcake wrappers together and hide food between them.

 

[Noob]

I will have to get pictures, but one of my easy favorites... Coin wrappers! You can get them at the dollar store. You can put anything in the middle, twist the ends, and voila! Instant foot toy forager!

I so almost bought those coin wrappers but didn't know if they were cool for them to chew on, as long as everyone thinks they are safe i will go back at get them, large bag for a dollar at the dollar tree

 

[Kris Porter]

These box toys are a favorite of my parrots. I buy the kraft boxes from Uline by the case. These are the 3 x 3 x 3 boxes on the toys in the photo 3 x 3 x 3" Kraft Gift Boxes S-10626 - Uline . I put a few cut outs in the sides before I assemble. Then put them together and fill with foot toys and paper shred.

I will usually string on an acrylic washer or plastic disk or piece of wood to start to support the bottom box and keep it on the string or rope. Used the medium hemp rope that I find at WalMart in the craft section by the beads. Added some plastic gears that I get from MakeYourOwnBirdToys.comGears. I like these gears because you can put almonds or pieces of walnut between the spokes. In the center toy you can see where we put a coffee sleeve over the gear to add a bit of challenge to the foraging experience.

The finger traps are added for shredding apeal and here is a good tip. You can easily put a few of these together ahead of time and hang them in a closet or on a clothes hanging rack. Then have some carrot or other vegetable sticks (celery, bell pepper strips, etc.) cut and in a baggie in the refrigerator. Right before you head out the door to go to work in the morning you can put the veggie strips or sticks in the finger traps and you've added fresh whole foods to your foraging toys. MakeYourOwnBirdToys.com also sells the finger traps or you can sometimes find good deals on them at Amazon.com or Dollar Stores.

 

[Diamond's_Birdie]

There is some nice ideas in this thread! Thanks every one for sharing! Do you put foraging in their cage everyday?

 

[Mizzely]

Yes, my birds always have a foraging opportunity available to them while in their cages

 

[RDH1]

I would be very cautious using any paper that has colored ink in it.

 

[Ditty]

lots of cool ideas here! Loving them!!!!!

 

[Buckbeak]

Wow!! So many great ideas! I wish the dollar store would let my bird come in to check out all the supplies!

I don't have a picture, but my birdy LOVES STRAWS. I get the plastic chain and weave the straws in and out of the links, then stick bits of food in the straw openings and hang it on his play gym! He doesn't always like to play with it because it gets in his way but when he's into it, he is really into it!

 

[colla-voce]

I was gonna try weaving a couple of layers of thin fabric between cage bars, with crinkly paper and some treats tucked in and sticking out the sides.