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New Foraging Idea

sunnysmom

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Cute! You can also put a bowl in his cage and fill it with crinkle paper and other things for him to forage when he's in his cage. I'm about to do that with my foster tiel.
 

EkkieLu

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He is so cute! He's certainly enjoying himself!!!
 

LovieLuvr

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This is great! I used to use crinkle paper until my female lovebird decided that it made better nesting material than foraging for food :giggle: So now instead of crinkle paper, I have a smart crock bowl filled with pony beads for her to forage through. She LOVES it! As well as throwing some of the beads out for me to clean up or I've watched her carry beads and gently place them in other dishes in her cage. I now have a few rotating sets of beads that I keep clean and switch out.

Might go back to the crinkle paper for my tiel to introduce foraging! :D
 

Gribouille

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Someone mentioned foraging with rocks, like a gravel alley I guess, but beads are a good idea, as long as your bird can move them itself. Maybe wood shavings could be an idea? Hey! I got inspired by your thread, I'm gonna try the shavings tomorrow :p

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PacificPaulie

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@Gribouille this is "decorative shred" I got at the dollar store for $1. :D I got the "Kraft paper" kind cuz I didn't trust the dyes of the other papers. The bowl is one of those Earth-friendly ones that came with one of my dine-out orders. The lid was untouched by the food so I just tore it off. I never thought to use gravel...I assume you mean little river rocks that he couldn't swallow right?

@LovieLuvr I love the idea of using pony beads! I've got a whole bag sitting untouched cuz I've got nothing to use it for. :roflmao: I will definitely give it a try.
 

Mockinbirdiva

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I had to giggle when I watched the video... he doesn't know where to begin! Fun stuff for little birds for sure! That's what a large birdy bagel looks like when Henry gets done with it!
 

Gazimon

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Haha he looks like he's nervous about starting a large pile of 'paperwork'.

I used pony beads. I had bought a translucent plastic and glinty metallic plastic kind; until I noticed the metallic plastic one was actually paint on plastic that was wearing off! Immediately stopped using it. Just gotta be careful.
 

LovieLuvr

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@PacificPaulie That’s what happened to me too! Had a bunch sitting around and my friend made the suggestion because her small birds love digging through pony beads. I learned the easiest way to sift out the treats during a bead change is with a strainer! Here’s our setup after she spent the day digging 5342340D-6672-4522-8837-1832AD0715AF.jpeg : C29503BA-BDDF-4EBA-91F5-8630761417BC.jpeg
 

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fashionfobie

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@LovieLuvr I like the bead idea. Do you ever wash them or just replace them?
 

LovieLuvr

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@fashionfobie I have multiple sets of beads that I wash and switch out to keep a clean foraging station. Dirty beads go in a dish to be washed and I keep clean ones in a dish marked "clean." I treat the beads like syringes we use to feed baby birds at the wildlife clinic. To disinfect and clean I dilute Oxyfresh in water, soak the beads, swish them around, rinse the beads, and let air dry. By having multiple sets, I always have clean beads ready to go. Sounds like a lot of work, but it really isnt. Especially if it's for the health of our fids!
 

Fergus Mom

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Fergus and Fiona are still asleep... but believe me they will get a foraging treat soon if I can only find those pony beads! :bounce7:
 

fashionfobie

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@fashionfobie I have multiple sets of beads that I wash and switch out to keep a clean foraging station. Dirty beads go in a dish to be washed and I keep clean ones in a dish marked "clean." I treat the beads like syringes we use to feed baby birds at the wildlife clinic. To disinfect and clean I dilute Oxyfresh in water, soak the beads, swish them around, rinse the beads, and let air dry. By having multiple sets, I always have clean beads ready to go. Sounds like a lot of work, but it really isnt. Especially if it's for the health of our fids!
Very nice idea! Thanks :)
 

Shezbug

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I used to do this for Burt. He takes a short cut now and either throws the beads on the floor instead of foraging through them, or even better, he just tips the whole bowl over then he doesn’t have to forage. Lol.
I have used wooden beads, shredded paper, plastic beads, foot toys or any smaller toy and also the broken chunky bits of wooden toys that no longer can be hung but are still big enough to chew some more.
It was fun before he figured out its easier to remove all the items that are not edible than it is to forage. Lol.
 
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