Suggestions for Large Macaw Toys

[Laurie]

I have dabbling in making toys for macaws and I've gotten some good feedback on some of them but I would love to hear what they like and how sturdy the toys need to be.

Is there anything that they enjoy other than demolishing wood.

What is your birds favorite thing to do and how do they play?

I would love any comments you are willing to share

 

[Queen]

I make my bird toys with inspiration from others I'll show you some pictures of some i got offline

 

[Shezbug]

Burt enjoys anything that is.... noisy, he can hang or swing from, he can turn into a billion new bits, he can carry around or throw, has a mixture of textures and he also loves things he can take apart. Foraging toys are always a winner too.

 

[faislaq]

Is there anything that they enjoy other than demolishing wood.

One of Buzzard's favorite non-wood toys is the plastic chain you buy at the hardware store. He snips it into little bits. When I hang a foot of chain from his cage with a quick link, about half ends up on the floor of his cage.

His other favorites are his stainless bell and @Jan's Rings-N-Things. It's meant for smaller birds (up to medium) but he's pretty gentle with it. But then again @Macawnutz says he likes "baby wood" so maybe he's just a softie & not the best example of a macaw.

He also likes to beak the collars of my shirts but never damages the fabric, so maybe some fleece?

Foraging toys are always a winner too.

Buzzard's not great at foraging toys. He just bashes them against his cage till the food falls out.

 

[Shezbug]

I’m actually considering hiring Burt out for demolition! If it was put together out of more than one piece then he can strip it back to original parts.... not always in the full piece the part started as though. Nothing is safe from him! If he can touch it he needs to see if he can break it!

 

[Birdie Mama]

Buzzard's not great at foraging toys. He just bashes them against his cage till the food falls out.

i kind of thought all birds did that!

 

[Laurie]

One of Buzzard's favorite non-wood toys is the plastic chain you buy at the hardware store. He snips it into little bits. When I hang a foot of chain from his cage with a quick link, about half ends up on the floor of his cage.
View attachment 347847
His other favorites are his stainless bell and @Jan's Rings-N-Things. It's meant for smaller birds (up to medium) but he's pretty gentle with it. But then again @Macawnutz says he likes "baby wood" so maybe he's just a softie & not the best example of a macaw.

He also likes to beak the collars of my shirts but never damages the fabric, so maybe some fleece?

Buzzard's not great at foraging toys. He just bashes them against his cage till the food falls out.

Someone else mentioned plastic chain to me and I have found that it is loved by everyone who has tried it since. I am debating on the best bells for use for my toys too. It's good to know they like bells and noisy stuff. Foraging toys! There is always some birdie who loves to manhandle them. The fabric is an interesting idea too.

I feel like most of my customers come looking for big wood but I would like to provide some other options too.

Thanks for the info. Buzzard is adorbs

 

[Laurie]

I’m actually considering hiring Burt out for demolition! If it was put together out of more than one piece then he can strip it back to original parts.... not always in the full piece the part started as though. Nothing is safe from him! If he can touch it he needs to see if he can break it!

Ah the demolition expert. I have one who is much smaller. When he gets a new toy he shakes it and bites it and does whatever he can to break it, if after a few minutes something doesn't break off he is done with it. No interest.

When I first brought him home I wasn't really sure what was good for caiques and I had this toy with little ducks on it, the ducks were a solid plastic, there were five or six of them. It took him less than a minute to find the weak spot. There was a little thin loop attaching it to the toy and one little nip and it was on the floor. Then immediately, snip, snip, snip, snip. All the ducks are done for. Of course they made decent foot toys that could be chewed up after that.

So funny how there is always one.

 

[Laurie]

i kind of thought all birds did that!

It's a thing, right?

 

[Laurie]

I make my bird toys with inspiration from others I'll show you some pictures of some i got offline

Thank you. I think all birds like those baskets of parts or foraging things.

 

[expressmailtome]

Unless it can be hung by a skewer, or this: Toy hanger large ball expandable habitats - mybirdstore.com , I can not use it as Michael's first task will be to take it down.

 

[Laurie]

Unless it can be hung by a skewer, or this: Toy hanger large ball expandable habitats - mybirdstore.com , I can not use it as Michael's first task will be to take it down.

Good point. I have wondered about that.

 

[macawpower58]

Chaos will work on dismantling vine balls for hours! He will not stop until every ball is demolished.
He also loves a set of stainless measuring cups (like a mobile) he has hanging. He'll relax under them, mouth them and make them jingle jangle.
Same with a set of stainless ladles he has. He must like the feel and noise they make.
He is not into thick wood like many macaws are. He's a wimp, I've had to saw thick wood in half before he'd chip it.
He's lately decided he loves things made out of natural stuff that he can pull and shred.
There's a hanging pineapple looking toy from Planet Pleasures that will keep him busy for several days.

 

[Laurie]

Chaos will work on dismantling vine balls for hours! He will not stop until every ball is demolished.
He also loves a set of stainless measuring cups (like a mobile) he has hanging. He'll relax under them, mouth them and make them jingle jangle.
Same with a set of stainless ladles he has. He must like the feel and noise they make.
He is not into thick wood like many macaws are. He's a wimp, I've had to saw thick wood in half before he'd chip it.
He's lately decided he loves things made out of natural stuff that he can pull and shred.
There's a hanging pineapple looking toy from Planet Pleasures that will keep him busy for several days.

Very interesting. I am getting so many ideas from all of you. Thank you.

I love the name Chaos too

 

[Jan]

It's hard to keep large birds supplied in destructible type toys. The problem with my B&G with strung toys is most always she bites the stringing material of whatever type it might be up high on the strand then the strand drops with all the goodies on it. Kuka is more of a light wood chewer, typically, she does not go through destructive toys real quick, so that's good, I guess!

Kuka loves her stainless toys and none of them destroyed at all. I do believe birds need various type of things to be able to destroy as well as a few things not destructible.

Oh as far as bells, well none that would be liberty bell type because any of those that you can buy out there, large birds can instantly remove the clapper.

 

[macawpower58]

Jan mentions that clapper, and I agree. I take all bells off. The metal that holds the clapper, they bend and break, and it ends in sharp pieces.
As for breaking the strips that hold the toys, leather is the worse, as even my smaller birds go for it before ever looking at the wood strung on it.

 

[faislaq]

The Caitec bells are too narrow for birds to reach the clapper (though hubby probably wishes I'd remove it). And I like to put toy parts onto skewers or chain instead if their strings get snipped.

 

[BirdLady13]

My B&G loves bells. He removes the clapper and then crushes the bell like a penny press machine. For some reason he hates colored acrylic/plastic foot toys - like wiffle balls, and the letters/numbers you can string up. On the other hand my Hahns loves the hard plastic foot toys. She throws them around on the bottom of her cage.

 

[macawpower58]

I've sliced open my finger on a crushed/split bell. No more for Chaos, I shudder just thinking of his tongue being cut like that.
I'll have to check out the Caitec bells though!

 

[Jan]

The pipe bells or also known as tube bells are okay for large birds.