A playground for a parrot is a place of entertainment and development. Toys for parrots Homemade toys for parrots 1
Various toys for budgies can diversify their lives and help them develop physically and mentally. With the help of such accessories you can care for your bird, establishing communication with it and teaching it something new. Toys can be purchased at a specialized store or made with your own hands. In this article you will learn what toys budgerigars need and why.
Why do we need toys?
Caring for a budgie includes not only, for example, but also training and games. You spend a lot of time with your pet, exercising and playing with him. But you need to entertain the bird even when you are not around. It's times like these that toys come in handy.
Some toys contribute to the physical development of the parrot, for example, ladders or swings, while others can be used to play with the bird, developing its intelligence: a ball, a mosaic, and so on. But wooden accessories can both amuse your pet and help you care for it. The bird will touch the tree on its own, and this will save you time.
Remember - only you can establish a thin thread of mutual understanding between you and your pet, because the budgerigar needs your attention. If you periodically play with your parrot, you can learn a lot of new things about it: character traits, habits, needs. This knowledge will help you establish close communication and teach you to understand the bird. And the elements included in the game will make your pet obedient.
Types of toys
Of course, you will not be able to constantly care for your budgie. To entertain your pet, you don’t have to play with him all day long. To prevent the bird from becoming depressed and sick in your absence, you should buy it or make play items with your own hands. There are the following types of toys for budgies:
- for legs and beak: pendants made of wood, acrylic, metal or plastic, wooden or paper figures;
- musical: bells, rattles, interactive toys, rattles;
- for hanging, climbing or climbing: ropes, ladders, swings, rings, ropes;
- mirrors;
- educational: puzzles or foraging;
- sports: carts, roller skates, skateboards, bicycles, basketball courts;
- fruit holders.
As you can see, many different toys have been invented for budgies so that you can play with them or amuse them while you are not around. These accessories will also help you care for your pet. Each type is interesting and useful in its own way.
Since these birds love to chew on everything, various wooden or paper accessories can distract them from damaging your property. Musical toys will keep your pet company while he sings.
Sports toys or climbing objects develop the parrot's agility, flexibility, and strength in its wings, legs, and claws. Mirrors will replace the interlocutor of a lonely parrot (we discussed the pros and cons of such toys in the article).
Various puzzles can develop your pet's intelligence. By performing certain actions and solving a riddle, the parrot will be able to find a tasty treat that you previously hid in such a toy. Foraging has several difficulty levels. This contributes to the gradual development of the bird, the disclosure of various abilities and the consolidation of learned skills.
Fruit holders are one of the most useful toys for birds and help in caring for them. These accessories make it a fun process.
You don't have to spend money to get an interesting item for your parrot. You can make toys for him with your own hands. For example, your pet will be interested in playing with a garland of thread spools or wooden beads strung on a rope. And if you make a food garland for the bird from pieces of carrots or apples, then its joy will know no bounds. The main thing is to make sure that the food toy does not spoil.
But this is not the only condition for bird safety. If you decide to make toys for your pet with your own hands, then when making them you must follow the following rules:
- do not use cotton cords or ropes;
- metal parts must not contain toxic substances such as zinc, copper or mercury;
- do not make toys that are too small - the parrot may choke on them;
- do not make toys that are too large, especially with elements made of cords - the bird may get stuck in them;
- for wooden toys it is best to use fruit trees without treatment with paint or varnish;
- When gluing parts, make sure that there is no glue left on their surface.
If you have a child, you can use his toys. For example, rattles, teething rings or Kinder Surprise eggs. The main thing is that all objects are intact and do not have sharp edges.
In general, you can make a whole play corner for budgies with your own hands. If allowed, a play corner can be made inside. If you release your pet into the wild, then such a structure located in the room will distract the bird from damaging your things.
First of all, draw the future playground on paper and decide what materials it will be made of. Then prepare everything you did, carefully and tightly fasten them together. It is best to attach the resulting play corner to a small piece of plywood made in the form of a pallet. You can lay paper on it, which will make it easier for you to care for your pet.
Important information
Any toy must match. Buy accessories specifically for budgies. Alternate items so that the bird does not get bored with them.
Don't overdo it when arranging your pet's home. Too many toys clutter up the space in the cage. This state of affairs poses a threat to the health of the bird. For example, she will not be able to develop physically correctly. Place toys in the cage in such a way that the parrot cannot get stuck in them and does not catch his wings while moving.
Don't forget to clean and wash toys, because they leave food residue and droppings on them. Otherwise, microbes accumulate on their surface and mold may appear.
If any item breaks, remove it from the cage immediately. Otherwise, the parrot may get hurt on sharp edges.
There is no need to immediately install a new toy in your bird’s cage. It is unlikely that she will rush to play with her. Most likely, the parrot will be frightened by a new object, and this will not have the best effect on its psyche. First, play with it yourself in front of your pet so that he can get used to it. Reward your pet for every attempt to get to know a new thing.
What is your parrot's favorite thing to play with?
In order for a pet budgie to have a developed body, good mental health and live a rich life, it needs various toys. They help care for your pet, establish relationships with it, and teach new skills. These important accessories are sold in special pet stores. If you can’t buy them, you can make them yourself. You will learn from this article about what toys you need to buy or make for budgies, as well as how to make a toy for your pet with your own hands.
What are toys for?
Games are a must part of the care for budgies, such as feeding, maintaining a favorable temperature, bathing, trimming claws, etc. It's impossible without toys full development birds at home. In addition, cooperative games strengthen relationships. And if the owner is not around and the bird is sad, toys are a good way to get rid of the feeling of loneliness at least for some time.
Toys have different purposes: some (ladders, swings) help the parrot develop physically And improve health birds, others (mosaic, ball) - develop resourcefulness, those made of wood - contribute grinding down claws and beak pet.
To learn to understand your budgie, you need to pay attention to it. It is precisely joint games that contribute to achieving this goal; they unite, show what your feathered pet needs, what its characteristic features are, help train and develop obedience.
It is impossible to constantly care for and entertain a feathered pet. Therefore, so that the bird can do something while you are not around, buy or make parrot games for it with your own hands.
Types of purchased and homemade toys for budgies
A huge variety of parrot games stand out:
- holder for vegetables and fruits;
- for sports: basketball playground, bicycle, roller skateboard, cart;
- various puzzles develop intelligence;
- mirror;
- to hang, climb, climb: rope, ring, ladder, rope, swing;
- with sounds: bell, rattle, rattle;
- contribute to the care of the beak and paws: a wooden, plastic or metal pendant, any figure made of paper or wood.
What toys does a budgie need? Diversity is necessary for full development. Although each type of gaming item listed above has its own benefits, all of them will help develop the abilities of your winged friend and will undoubtedly bring him joy.
Budgerigars love not only to play, but also to chew on something. Often such love leads to the fact that you end up finding damaged things in your home. To prevent a budgie from spoiling important property, it needs to have variety. paper and wooden toys, and also were nibbles. Then he will have something to chew on and he will not covet your things.
In addition to the fact that these birds love to sing, they also like any toy object that makes rustling, ringing, grumbling, melodies, rustling and other interesting sounds. That's why musical toy a good companion for them.
In order for your feathered friend to have an agile, strong and flexible body, you will need more than one sports toy(rings, ladders, swings, ropes, ropes, etc.).
Mirror becomes the parrot's interlocutor when the owner is not around. Do not forget that using this interesting and useful item on the one hand has serious disadvantages.
If you want your bird to be smart, then you will need puzzles. The principle of their operation is to solve riddles and perform the movements necessary to receive a prize. The prize is a treat previously hidden in the game.
Foraging has different levels of difficulty, which promotes the step-by-step and systematic development of your pet's skills. In addition, this feature reinforces already acquired skills.
To diversify the feeding process, so that your pet becomes interested in healthy vegetables and fruits and begins to devour them, they come to the rescue holders. We also recommend purchasing or making them.
How to make a safe toy for your budgie with your own hands?
Spending money to get interesting things for your bird is not a necessary procedure. You can make the best toy for your budgie yourself. For example, give the bird wooden beads strung on a string, or make garlands from pieces of apples or carrots. Also use pine cones or coconut peel. This will all make your feathered friend very happy. Just make sure that food toys do not spoil.
There are others conditions that must be observed so that a hand-made toy does not harm the budgie:
- the use of cotton ropes and tourniquets is prohibited;
- after gluing the parts, get rid of any remaining glue on the game item;
- a metal part should not contain toxic substances (mercury, zinc, etc.);
- make wooden games from fruit or soft wood; we do not recommend varnishing or painting them;
- make toys of such a size that on the one hand the pet will not choke on them (avoid tiny ones), and on the other hand they will not get stuck (Refrain from very large volumes. Especially when it comes to things that contain cords).
Also children's toys can be used: rattles, plastic kinder eggs, teethers. First check that these items do not have sharp edges or damage.
About creating playgrounds
Some owners make whole play corners or stands. Some place such a structure directly in a large cage, while others place it outside it. In any case, thanks to this, the budgie will be distracted from other indoor things. This way, nothing necessary or valuable from your interior will be damaged.
To create a play area need to:
- draw a plan;
- decide on the materials of the parts;
- prepare all parts of the structure;
- carefully fasten them to each other according to the intended plan.
It is recommended to attach the play corners to pieces of plywood that will look like a pallet. They are covered with paper, which is replaced with something clean when cleaning. This detail makes caring for your pet easier.
Important information
Play accessories should bring maximum benefit to your pet. To do this follow recommendations:
- Buy toys that designed specifically for budgies. If you make them yourself, consider the bird's size. Toys must match the parameters of the bird so that it is comfortable and safe for him to play with them.
- Necessary alternate play things, otherwise your pet will get bored with them (you can hide some and take out others).
- There should be plenty of free space in the cage, so don't place a lot of toys in it.
- When placing play objects, do not forget about safety: the bird should not catch them when moving or get confused in them.
- In a timely manner wash and clean toys.
- Remove broken items immediately from the parrot so that it does not get hurt.
How to start playing a new game with a budgie correctly?
After purchasing new games, do not place them in the cage immediately. Your bird will probably be afraid of the new thing at first, which will have a bad effect on its psychological state. First, start playing with it yourself in front of the bird. Let her be interested. If she tries to learn a new thing, praise her for it and reward her with some sweets.
Please write which toy does your budgie like best?
Nature has given all parrots, without exception, curiosity. Poultry talker birds love everything new that appears in their cages. Therefore, owners need to please their pets more often with new toys.
And for this it is not at all necessary to go shopping in search of interesting and not cheap trinkets. You can make toys for parrots yourself.
Toys for winged pets can be placed not only in a cage, but also simply in an apartment.
Many owners often complain that parrots chew wallpaper near the eaves, documents, and sometimes even wooden furniture. So that the bird can do more useful things and not be considered a “house destroyer,” it is necessary to hang toys in places where the wavy likes to sit.
To ensure that entertainment really brings a lot of pleasure to your feathered friend, follow these simple recommendations.
- Given the craving for variety, you should not place all the toys you bought for your pet in the cage at once. As soon as you get tired of one, you can install another.
- The toy should not take up much free space in the cage; the parrot should be able to move freely around the cage.
- All items intended for your lionfish to play with must be safe and environmentally friendly, since birds always try everything “by their beak”.
For playing outside the cage, you can make your own game stand where all the fun will be collected. You need to place it where the budgie most likes to sit. However, do not put ergonomics for the bird at the forefront; such an “amusement park” should also be convenient for the owners.
Today stands can be purchased ready-made, or you can make them yourself.
Toys stand
In order for the bird to spend its leisure time in an interesting and varied way, you can make interesting toys for the stand yourself.
Let's look at the simplest methods.
Rope-ladder
To prevent your winged pet from looking for something to do on his own every time, start with something simple: make him a ladder from a rope. Firstly, you will direct the parrot's inexhaustible energy in the right direction.
Secondly, in addition to constant climbing up and back, the bird will happily swing on the stairs, like on a swing. To decorate the rope, use multi-colored beads, ribbons, and bells. It would be a good idea to attach a small mirror to the stairs.
Swing
And then you need to bend the rod in an arc and secure it to the top of the cage.
And you can make a rocking chair for a parrot even faster. To do this, take a thick rope 5-7 mm in size and up to 40 cm long. Select any plastic tip in advance. For example, take some part (ring, cube, square) from a baby rattle.
Then place the tip on the rope and secure it to the sides of the cage. It’s also worth saying here that the width of the rigid rope (or bent rope) needs to be selected relative to the size of your pet.
So that it is convenient for the bird to hold on to it with its claws. On such a swing, your pet will be able not only to ride, but also to play, moving the toy from side to side.
Everyone knows that parrots love to admire themselves. And an ordinary mirror is a “must have” for any pet cage. But it happens that the winged one gets tired of it too.
Therefore, its design, location and color sometimes need to be modified. Available materials will also come in handy here: old beads, bells, ribbons.
Take the mirror out of the cage, attach a small bracelet made of old beads (up to 6-8 cm) to it, add a small pendant or bell to it and return the mirror back to your pet’s house. Now your pet will be happy to admire and at the same time play with the bright decoration.
Budgerigars do not perceive the reflection in the mirror as their own; they believe that it is a second parrot, and may even become attached to it.
Therefore, when hanging a mirror, think if you subsequently remove it and leave the bird alone with itself, won’t it be sad?
Dried bread
Yes Yes! A cracker can also become an interesting toy for winged pets. It will especially appeal to female budgerigars. Indeed, in the wild, they hollow out hollows in trees with their beaks.
Therefore, try stringing a piece of bread onto the wire and dry it. Then stretch and secure the cracker on the wire to the walls of the cage. And then watch how the parrots like your toy. And don’t be surprised if it becomes the most entertaining for them.
The only caveat about such an edible toy is that the cracker must be white. Any bread products made from rye flour are strictly prohibited for parrots and can be fatal.
Rings
Perhaps one of the simplest toys for budgies and any other breeds of parrots are rings fastened together. It's easy to make such a trinket. Take 4-6 rings with a diameter of 3-5 cm and secure them one after the other.
You probably have old metal rings at home for attaching curtains to the curtain rod. If there are none, then it will be enough to make rings from wire, fastening them together in the form of a chain. Such a toy will not remain indifferent to your bird. She is always on the move on her own. In addition, the parrot can ride on rings, like on a swing.
It is worth noting that toys should be placed closer to the edge of the cage so that they do not interfere with the parrots flying around their house. And you shouldn’t place ten trinkets at once. Two or three are enough. Just change them periodically. And then your pet will always be interested in playing with toys from improvised means.
Parrots are perhaps one of the smartest birds, and therefore are constantly in need of some interesting and exciting activity. We can't spend all our time with them, so toys serve a valuable function in keeping captive birds happy and less likely to develop unwanted behaviors such as nipping, screaming, or repetitive movements.
Unfortunately, for most parrots, the usual way of playing is to chew on any favorite object, and if you buy the toys they need, the costs become global. With a little creativity and a lot of fun, you can create toys from household items, natural materials, and found materials without breaking the bank.
Interesting ideas for making toys with your own hands
Wire Climbing Hanger
Your pet will like this toy the most. Most cages are not large enough, and such a toy, without taking up much space, will increase the parrot's climbing area.
- You need to hang a hook from the ceiling of the cage.
- Next, three loops are made that cling to each other.
- You can attach some treats for your pet along the entire length of such a vine. Or you can focus only on the lower part of such a hanger and tie treats only at the bottom.
Ropes in the house, aviary and poultry house
In a room where birds can move around outside the cage, hooks attached to the wall should have rails installed. Ropes are attached on both sides. Thus, the suspended rope can be removed when your bird has had enough of playing and is back in the cage.
Domestic budgies will happily play on the ropes for hours, swinging happily. Once they stop climbing the rope back and forth and swinging, it's time to let them rest. Parrots can be locked in a cage and the ropes removed until the next bird walk. The same, but smaller, ropes can be hung in the enclosure.
Before choosing any rope for a swing for your parrots, you should carefully inspect the rope for abrasions, because the bird can get caught in its foot and injure its neck.
Homemade toys for walking
Wrap a treat or toy in wicker material and hang it in the cage. Instead of wicker material, you can use the leaves of harmless plants or pine cones, small boxes that are used to store pills and other similar household items.
Pet parrots will happily play with treats wrapped in a wicker mat and hung from the ceiling of the cage, like toddlers with Christmas presents.
Parrots often prefer packaging to the toy or treat inside.
Balsam wood toys are sold and expensive, but parrots love walnut and they also really like the soft type of wood. By the way, you can buy balsa wood at a store that sells materials for craftsmen.
Willow wreath
- Make a circle of stiff wire and make sure the ends are securely tied. You can also use a hoop if there is enough space in the cage to hang it. You will need from 20 to 50 willow twigs to form a soft and beautiful wreath from 30 cm to 2 m.
- You can remove the willow leaves from the twigs, or you can leave them. Willow branches need to be wound around a wire circle or hoop. This is an easy activity that will take about 40 minutes of your time. The ends of the twigs can be tied with thin wire. The next day, the wire fastenings can be untwisted, the willow branches will retain their shape.
- You can hang treats, flowers or small toys on such a ready-made wreath made from natural materials. If you hang roses, your parrots will happily tear off the flower petals and eat them.
The willow wreath itself will last longer than three months if many threads are woven into it. Smaller wreaths can be made for cells.
Home swing
Any tube with a hole through which you can thread wire or rope is suitable for making a swing where your parrots will happily swing or just sit. For hanging, you can use a rope, chain or plastic chain, which can always be purchased at a hardware store. Birds love to swing. Wild birds swing in trees, a behavior considered natural for pet parrots.
Flowers
Birds love to chew flowers. Many wild birds have only flowers in their diet. If you are using purchased plants rather than from your own garden, it is advisable to rinse them thoroughly to remove any existing preservative or insecticide.
Some flowers are poisonous, such as datura, laburnum and foxglove.
Foliage
If your house is located outside the city and surrounded by its own garden, your parrot is very lucky, because it will not be difficult for you to collect dandelions, cut young willow branches or collect fresh acorns for the birds. Compared to urban greenery, the foliage outside the city does not contain dangerous insecticides and is not saturated with exhaust fumes.
In aviaries, shy birds are clearly happier when they have the opportunity to hide in green foliage. For city dwellers, there is such excellent advice as growing your parrot’s favorite greens at home on the balcony, in clay pots. If you don’t know where the foliage you are about to add to your parrot’s cage comes from, then it is best to wash it first.
Never use chemicals, household cleaners or bleach, for example, to disinfect bird toys.
Birds love branches. Disinfect the branches if they have any insects or herbicides on them.. By the way, driftwood once brought into the house from the beach, for example, will not only become an excellent element of decoration for an aviary or large cage - the birds will happily climb on them.
Carton boxes
Small cardboard boxes make great toys for your parrot. Birds love to play with them. You can make a small birdhouse from a cardboard box, and you will see with what pleasure your parrot will climb on it and stay there during the day. Birds will not only hide in such a cardboard box, but will also happily chew and tear the paper.
Books
This is not to say that you need to let your pet birds roam in your home library. The best options are an old book or reference book that can be hung in a cage. Your parrot will be happy and spend many happy hours tearing and shredding book pages.
Toys with tiny parts should be avoided, unless they are made of wood, of course. Some parrot owners, considering the filling of soft toys dangerous, do not give them to their winged pets. In fact, even soft toys can be given to parrots to play with, but you just need to be careful: when the toy is torn and the inner filling comes out, the toy will need to be removed from the cage.
Young parrots really enjoy snuggling with a soft toy, perhaps because it reminds them of the brother or sister they grew up with in the nest.
If you want to keep your birds safe, don't buy anything that doesn't have a "Safe" label or logo on it.
Parrots, sociable by nature, find it boring to spend days in a cage waiting for their owners. In order for your feathered pets to spend this time usefully, it is necessary to organize a play area, equipping it with useful and interesting devices for an exciting pastime for the feathered family member.
First, toys purchased in pet supply departments are used. Over time, watching the parrot, many owners note that such toys quickly get boring, and the pets go to explore the apartment. The strong little beak and tenacious paws get the spines of books, wallpaper, furniture, clothes, cosmetics and much more. DIY toys for parrots will help you save your property and budget. Read below about how to make a toy for parrots.
What you need to know when selecting material
Toys for parrots made from natural materials
Natural components are a guaranteed environmentally friendly material for toys that are easy to make with your own hands.
Children's inheritance to the delight of the parrot
If there is or was a small child in the house, there will be many toys left from him that will great entertainment for a parrot with a small addition.
Rope fun
From a bendable rope you can make a real parrot corner. Due to its properties, it takes any form. For a parrot you can use it to make a swing not with a crossbar in the middle, but a round one. No less interesting to your pet will be a variety of curved stairs and arches, for the manufacture of which it is enough to bend the rope into the desired shape.
If you only have at hand an ordinary rope with a diameter of no more than 0.5 cm, why not make a bungee out of it, on which the parrot can swing. Knots are tied along the length of the rope at a short distance from each other. A wooden perch or twig is tied below. The bungee, like the swing, is attached to the ceiling of the cage.
Parrot toys made from rings
For production you will need metal rings, the diameter of which should be less than the size of the parrot's head. By connecting several rings, threading one into the other, you get a simple chain, to which a bell or a small bright toy is attached from below. The chain is attached to the ceiling of the home.
Made from plastic rings You can make not a chain, but an analogue of a rattle. The rest are strung onto one ring. You can insert a small rattle between the rings. Such a toy can be attached not only to the ceiling of the cage, but also to the walls.
DIY parrot toys have a number of advantages before purchased ones. The main thing is that you know exactly what your pet likes. If he is partial to plastic, he should give preference to plastic materials. After some time, the parrot may switch to textiles. Without waiting for the fringe on the curtains to spoil, make him pompoms from woolen threads. Don't forget that your parrot's good mood is in your hands!
