Bird toys

[Hedwigtheo]

Hi everyone I need help with making bird toys and I need to know if the materials are safe.im using rope, mixed plastic and wood craft beads, drinking straws, pom poms, and a plastic shoe decoration I found. I need to know if these are safe to make the toy since birds are do fragile and can literally be allergic to EVERYTHING because my cockatiel has no toys since my parents won't even to bother to buy me bird toys or stuff to make bird toys so are these materials safe?I was a little weary about the pom poms since they have tinsel on them because I don't want her to accidentally swallow them but I could cut them off if they are dangerous. Please answer!!


Also sorry about the paint on my table I was on painting wood for a project I'm doing right now.

 

[Pistachio]

I’m not sure about those, but I know rope isn’t recommended as your bird can get caught in it and if swallowed it can create crop impactions (I think that’s the right term for it, correct me if I’m wrong)

Can @Staff possibly move this to diy drive?

 

[Mizzely]

What kind of rope is it?

The pom poms, tinsel or not, are not safe.

 

[Hedwigtheo]

I’m not sure about those, but I know rope isn’t recommended as your bird can get caught in it and if swallowed it can create crop impactions (I think that’s the right term for it, correct me if I’m wrong)

Can @Staff possibly move this to diy drive?

I also have yarn if that's okay but I wouldn't want her nails to get stuck In it on accudent

 

[Hedwigtheo]

What kind of rope is it?

The pom poms, tinsel or not, are not safe.

Okay

 

[taxidermynerd]

The only things I would consider safe are the small plastic beads and the plastic straws. Yarn is not safe either.

Have you taken a look at some of our vendors? California Bird Nerds sells toy making supplies.

My preferred stringing material is hemp twine. I find it easy to work worth, but poses little impaction risk as there aren't any long fibers.

I’m not sure about those, but I know rope isn’t recommended as your bird can get caught in it and if swallowed it can create crop impactions (I think that’s the right term for it, correct me if I’m wrong)

The issue is less impaction (although it certainly can happen), and more the fact that there is no telling what that rope has been treated with. Only buy rope (cotton or otherwise) from known sources.

 

[Mizzely]

Yarn is not safe either I'm afraid

 

[Hedwigtheo]

Yarn is not safe either I'm afraid

Yeah I thought so but im not sure what kind of rope it is since it was a random piece of rope I found but I think it might be jute rope?

 

[taxidermynerd]

Yeah I thought so but im not sure what kind of rope it is since it was a random piece of rope I found but I think it might be jute rope?

If you aren't 100% sure that it is safe, toss it. Better safe than sorry.

 

[Hedwigtheo]

The only things I would consider safe are the small plastic beads and the plastic straws. Yarn is not safe either.

Have you taken a look at some of our vendors? California Bird Nerds sells toy making supplies.

My preferred stringing material is hemp twine. I find it easy to work worth, but poses little impaction risk as there aren't any long fibers.


The issue is less impaction (although it certainly can happen), and more the fact that there is no telling what that rope has been treated with. Only buy rope (cotton or otherwise) from known sources.

Do you think there's any household items I might have I can use?

 

[Mizzely]

Some people use zip ties. Otherwise you can find hemp even at Walmart.

 

[Hedwigtheo]

Some people use zip ties. Otherwise you can find hemp even at Walmart.

I have zipties I can use

 

[Shezbug]

I wouldn’t use the rope as you don’t know for sure what it is.

Can you check if your parents have things like paper cup cake liners, normal writing paper, plastic bottle tops (no liner in the lid), paper cups, paper plates, empty cereal boxes?? Things like that can be used to entertain your bird.

 

[finchly]

jute, sisal, and paper rope are the kinds I like to use.

The cardboard thing from the paper towel roll is a favorite around here.

plastic beads for toddlers - actually lots of toddler toys are workable. And you can get some safe items at Dollar Tree for toymaking if you're in the US.

 

[HarleyQ]

Never underestimate paper towel rolls or toilet paper rolls either. Stuff those rolls with some paper and you could even put some treats in there to encourage foraging.

 

[Shezbug]

Toilet rolls are great ONLY if they haven’t been emptied by being used as toilet paper.
I only give the inner tubes of the toilet paper rolls that I use outside of the toilet- paper for picking up bird poop. The rolls used in the toilet room get binned as they are too revolting to let my bird put his beak on.
The terrible gross things that end up in the inner tube of toilet paper rolls that have been used in the toilet room is frankly quite scary and if you wouldn’t feed your bird off the toilet seat or floor then I’d rethink using the inner tube of the toilet paper used as toilet paper.

 

[Aves]

You can make homemade paper rope. You just need a brown paper bag and some scissors. Cut the bag up so it's a continuous piece and then twist it.

 

[Birdie Mama]

There is also ideas in the diy section here on the site. Was one recently posted of how to make foraging toys with construction paper...I have to find it again as I want to make some . Lots of cool ideas as well on Amazon, I look at the pictures and see what they are made of then try to see if I can copy them. Little drinking cups strung together makes for a fabulous toy to destroy or hide nuts in! The purple thing is something you use to put on top of a gift. Popsicle sticks are also good. Drill a little hole and string up on leather strings with beads in between etc. The balls are from cat section toys, and you already have beads, so throw in some seeds and pellets and let him have fun... mine keeps busy for hours.

Birdie had hours of fun as yourself with trying to come up with interesting combinations...

 

[DesertBird]

My budgies' favorite toy is a piece of paper with strips cut into it. Then the paper is folded and tied with a string. My budgies pull on that for ages every day. This is the best picture I could find of it right now. I'll take a better picture tomorrow. (Also, don't mind Sprite's appearance in that photo. She just took a bath).

 

[HarleyQ]

Toilet rolls are great ONLY if they haven’t been emptied by being used as toilet paper.
I only give the inner tubes of the toilet paper rolls that I use outside of the toilet- paper for picking up bird poop. The rolls used in the toilet room get binned as they are too revolting to let my bird put his beak on.
The terrible gross things that end up in the inner tube of toilet paper rolls that have been used in the toilet room is frankly quite scary and if you wouldn’t feed your bird off the toilet seat or floor then I’d rethink using the inner tube of the toilet paper used as toilet paper.

You could always keep the toilet paper roll away from the toilet like store it under the sink and only take what you need. Also, I would always keep the lid down when you flush if you can’t do that. If you’re really worried you can always bake the toilet paper rolls on the lowest setting for about 20 mins (monitored of course).