Foraging???

[Michelle & Fids]

What types of foraging do you offer your Macaws?

Here I use paper towels on their food dishes when I change them,so they have to remove the paper towels to get to their food.

I also use foraging balls and tubes.The tubes I made from PVC the balls are actually dog toys.Most all of the large Macaws get a walnut in a ball at night feeding.I put that in the bowl with the rest of their nuts and that is the first thing they go for.I still have a few hold outs that won't touch them,so they have to go to the bottom of their cages to get their walnut out of a small dish.

Sydney one of my GW's loves foraging so he has the balls all over his cage and gets all his nuts that way.

[Maplebird]

Harley loves to forage...and loves puzzle toys ....Maple couldn't be bothered! She has no interest. She wants everything handed to her on a silver platter LOL.

They have lots of toys.....things to unlock, and twist, and just plain man handle. And we are always looking for more toys, and interesting ways to "hide" their food.

The hard part is that Harley figures things out soooo fast and once she does...it takes her like 10 seconds everytime afterwards. The best one is probably this metal one that you put walnuts in and they have to break the walnuts to be able to get them out. It's about the only one Maple will spend any time at...mainly because they can plainly see the nuts..and she would do anything for a walnut lol.....but then they end up fighting over the dang thing!

Fids!!!

LOL

[Missi]

Bailey is a perch potato when it comes to food. He likes to just roost there and crunch away on his pellets from the bowl. He does, however have natural toys to tear apart, so he is definitely busy & entertained!

[Jessalyn Eaton]

Originally Posted by Maplebird

Harley loves to forage...and loves puzzle toys ....Maple couldn't be bothered! She has no interest. She wants everything handed to her on a silver platter!
LOL

I think I am witih Maple! We love Maple! What a girl! Ruby loves to "hunt". She got a new bullet proof box this week that she is in love with now. It came with wood toys but I added alot of stuff. I hide stuff all over for her. I have even been know to hide a nut in my shirt! ha! An old one that I don't mind being torn to pieces! I bought her a "lifetime" Hahahaha! stainless steel box thingy that she bent and dismantles until I couldn't get it back in any kind of shape. She likes things in old prescription bottles, egg cartons, paper rolls, just anything.

[Karen]

No luck with true foraging here. The most I've been able to do is put a nut in a visible out of the way place for them to get.

[Macawflyer]

We use the forging toys where a nut is visible so they know what they are working for. I move the toys around for different birds in different cages to see what they all like and to give different challenges.

[Karen]

What's your thoughts about these products?

FORAGING AHEAD ::: Foraging Feeder-Toys for Birds
(CLICK ON PRODUCTS IN THE LEFT SIDE MENU)

Are the PVC ones safe? Michelle is this something that could be easily made?

This one is Bamboo, I think my two would like something like this!

[Michelle & Fids]

Karen,
Those woud be real easy to make.I would think the big guys could go thru the Bamboo pretty fast though.I have thought about buying some Bamboo for toys,but I've never thought the stuff in Lowes,etc has looked untreated.

I feel the PVC is safe and use it with my birds all the time.I know quite a few people are concerned with it,so I am working on looking into it furthur right now. Before buying any of the PVC ones from Foraging Ahead I would like to know how they color it.

[Karen]

My two aren't big chewers so I try to give them things they could destroy easily to get them to chew more. So I'd definitely give the Bamboo foraging toy a try.......now if I only knew someone that made toys.........................

By the way K&K loved the toys you sent! Kita loves the Fan one and has been chewing on that one quite a bit. So I'm happy we've finally found something she likes to chew.

(I took this pic when I first put it up)




I posted this funny little story over on PC about one of the toys you sent;

Kady and Kita got some new toys from Michelle (For Birds Sake Toys) the other day which included this:



Kady proceeded to rip a piece of paper off the toy, ball it up in his beak and then daintily sip his water through it!

Who know why he's doing this but now he's done this two days in a row!

[justjoshin]

Jewel is a little harder to get to forage than my other guys.... but I guess shes still young. The best thing I have found so far is her metal cage thing filled with paper shreds and corn cobs and treats and blocks and stuff. She loves that! I havent really found a treat that she MUST have. Unlike Papi who if I put a nutriberri anywhere, he will find a way to get to it.... lol..