Affordable Bird Toys?

[❤ Rosette ❤]

I was recently browsing my local Petco, my hands clutching a mirror and bell toy, swing, fresh millet, and dried fruit, as I looked around at their bird toys. Gingerly touching some of the destroyable goods, I glanced at the prices and sighed with absolute frustration. Not very affordable, not at all.

For example, seven dollars for a small shredding kabob at Petco. Just one of my parakeets will turn it into a pile of wood shavings in, oh, several days? (We've tested it out before, actually.) Possibly fewer if she is particularly bored.

My family is on a budget right now, so we can't afford to spend 50+ dollars on chewing toys a week. I want my birds to be entertained and kept busy, but the sheer amount of money I'd have to spend at the local store to keep them busy ties my stomach into a worried, worried knot.

Does anybody know of any suppliers that provides safe bird toys, particularly shredding and foraging ones, for a reasonable price? I'm dying to find one. ~​

 

[Mizzely]

Check out a lot of the vendors here, they have a great selection of many price points! Or, try making your own using skewers and parts!

 

[Peppo]

I have holes in every one of my socks, solely because I spend most of my "extra" money on bird toys and just keep my shoes on at work so no one knows my holey secret. But you know what Paco loves best? Pizza boxes! Go down to your local pizza place and they will either give you a few or charge you 50 cents... Can't beat it for shredding and ripping fun on the cheap!

 

[JosienBB]

Drs. Foster and Smith have the same kabob for $3.99. And free shipping over $19.

Bird Toys: Wesco Pet Bird Kabob® Toys at Drs. Foster and Smith

 

[Jaguar]

My toy budget is pretty slim. I buy things from AA vendors, usually during the SWS. I tried budget toys with dollar store parts, buying parts from vendors and making my own, getting cheap toys from Petsmart etc. it just wasn't worth it. The toys sucked and/or took way too long to make. I leave it to the pros now.

 

[rocky'smom]

I make a lot of my birds toys.

 

[Mizzely]

Drs. Foster and Smith have the same kabob for $3.99. And free shipping over $19.

Bird Toys: Wesco Pet Bird Kabob® Toys at Drs. Foster and Smith

I love Drs. Foster and Smith

 

[SunUp]

Byrdbell! They have great toys at amazing prices! I've purchased from them many times. Byrdbell Company Bird Toys

 

[Calpurnia]

I second making your own! Petco/Petsmart can charge a fortune for toys because they represent convenience. Though making your own toys can seem daunting it doesn't have to be! It can be as simple as stringing a single block of balsa on a string.

A big 2inx2inx6in balsa block costs as little as $3. And one will take my parrotlet ~ 1 week to shred through. $12 a month for wood is pretty manageable, then I supplement this with cardboard tubes or rolled up newspaper, all stuff I would normally be throwing away anyway. An easy shreddable foraging activity can be stuffing tissue paper in an egg carton, or taping paper strips over a food bowl filled with food/toy parts. You can also make a foraging bin out of a tissue box with the top cut away.

 

[Tiel Feathers]

I have purchased balsa, cork, pine, beads and paper rope from vendors here on AA and made simple toys for my birds that they just love. They might look a little funky, but my birds don't care, as long as they contain balsa!

 

[janicedyh]

You can find lots of things on the vendor sites here to make your own toys...lots of beads, blocks, string. It seems my birds love the simplest things. Even the paper wrapping the order comes in and the box don't go to waste. You can cut the cardboard into squares and string them with blocks and beads. Also, get a roll of this. it lasts forever and you can incorporate it in so many ways with the toys.

 

[Animallover03]

Also look into making your own- and buying just toy parts. I don't have a huge toy budget either so sometimes I get creative with the stuff I have or toy remains. Here are a few examples:

I just put random toy parts on a skewer ring
A toy remainer wrapped around this toy base
A fun Halloween themed spider looking toy, which grumbles loves, literally a five minute toy also.
Cupcake wrappers make awesome shred toys, you could tie a bunch together, I did but dont have pictures. Here is one inspired by @WeasleyLover hers looked a lot better though lol.
I will see if I can get more tomorrow maybe, it is late and I need to finish homework still haha.

 

[Animallover03]

Another idea: consider ordering from our vendors in Canada, because us in the US get an awesome currency change discount! The shipping isn't bad either, I have ordered from @Parrot Hotel & Shop many times and recommend them.

 

[❤ Rosette ❤]

Thank you guys so, so much for the ideas! I'll check out all of your linked websites and consider all of your DIY tips, aa!
(Eager to look at all other suggestions you guys might want to share.) ;v;

 

[janicedyh]

I yeah! I forgot about the cupcake liners! They are terrific. Both Kiwi and Nelson love them..especially Kiwi. I put a treat inside and crunch it up and she plays with it for an hour trying to open it..then she pushes it off her cage top and I repeat. Theres a ton you can do with little expense. In fact....I invested in some "good toys" early on and ended up taking them out because the birds didn't really play with them...they just "looked" good as cage decor. I got this to make some things the birds love..I saw it on a vendor site here but can't find it (maybe someone can tell us who had it) Amazon.com: Pepperell Wacky Whirly Straw Kit

 

[SueA555]

Joey has lots of toys, but would rather play with a cardboard box. He chews it up. He also loves books -- when I'm done with one and know that I won't reread it, I give it to him.

 

[WeasleyLover]

I make almost all of my bird toys, and my guys don't care. They love them just as much as the store bought toys! I buy the basics, and then I use a lot of things that I can get for cheap or free. Cardboard boxes, cupcake papers, cup holders, paper sauce cups, paper bags, finger traps, toilet paper/paper towel rolls, and so much more. If you decide to make your own, I would look into getting a couple of SS skewers, because those are awesome toy bases!

The toys I make for my littles are usually a lot prettier than the ones I make for my bigger boys. My grey's favorite toy is cut up cardboard on the SS skewer. My cockatoo's favorite is just random boxes thrown in the bottom, stuffed with tissue paper, homemade foot toys, and treats.

Here are some of my toys to give you some ideas.

 

[Begone]

And here are some of mine DIY nature/wood toys.

 

[greys4u]

Valentine likes anything she can shred or her manzinita branch which she sleeps on (I dont know how long, she's making a good toothpick) I have also given her coffee filters with a treat inside, I guess what I am saying is they will decide what they like!!

 

[mstomcat65]

I have holes in every one of my socks, solely because I spend most of my "extra" money on bird toys and just keep my shoes on at work so no one knows my holey secret. But you know what Paco loves best? Pizza boxes! Go down to your local pizza place and they will either give you a few or charge you 50 cents... Can't beat it for shredding and ripping fun on the cheap!

I give gizmo boxes from pasta, cereal or sandwich bags and hide chunks of wood or straws is them.